Kitap 5
To this Amyntas replied, “ We have no such custom, Persians. Among us, men and women sit apart, but since you are our masters and are making this request, it shall be as you desire.” With that, Amyntas sent for the women. Upon being called, the women entered and sat down in a row opposite the Persians.
Then the Persians, seeing beautiful women before them, spoke to Amyntas and said that there was no sense in what he had done. It would be better if the women had never come at all than that they should come and not sit beside the men, but sit opposite them to torment their eyes.
Amyntas, now feeling compelled to do so, bade the women sit beside them. When the women had done as they were bidden, the Persians, flushed as they were with excess of wine, at once laid hands on the women's breasts, and one or another tried to kiss them.
This Amyntas saw, but held his peace despite his anger because he greatly feared the Persians. Amyntas' son Alexander, however, because of his youth and ignorance of ill deeds, could not bear it longer and said to Amyntas in great wrath, “My father, do as your age demands. Leave us and take your rest; do not continue drinking. I will stay here and give our guests all that is needful.”
At this Amyntas saw that Alexander had some wild deed in mind and said, “My son, you are angered, and if I guess your meaning correctly, you are sending me away so that you may do some violent deed. I for my part, for fear that you will bring about our undoing, entreat you not to act rashly against these men, but to bear patiently the sight of what they do. If you want me to leave, to that I consent.”
When Amyntas made this request and had gone his way, Alexander said to the Persians, “Sirs, you have full freedom to deal with these women, and may have intercourse with all or any of them.
As to that, you may make your own decision, but now, since the hour of your rest is drawing near and I see that you are all completely drunk, allow these women to depart and wash, if this is your desire. When they have washed, wait for them to come to you again.”
When he had said this and the Persians had given their consent, he sent the women out and away to their apartments. Alexander then took as many beardless men as there were women, dressed them in the women's clothes, and gave them daggers. These he brought in, and said to the Persians,
“I believe, men of Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia, that you have feasted to your hearts' content. All that we had and all besides that we could find to give you has been set before you, and now we make you a free gift of our best and most valued possession, our own mothers and sisters. Be aware that in so doing we are giving you all the honor that you deserve, and tell your king who sent you how his Greek viceroy of Macedonia (region (general)), EuropeMacedonia has received you hospitably, providing food and bedfellows.”
With that, Alexander seated each of his Macedonians next to a Persian, as though they were women, and when the Persians began to lay hands on them, they were killed by the Macedonians.
This was the way in which they perished, they and all their retinue. Carriages too had come with them, and servants, and all the great train they had. The Macedonians made away with all that, as well as with all the envoys themselves.
No long time afterwards the Persians made a great search for these men, but Alexander had cunning enough to put an end to it by the gift of a great sum and his own sister Gygaea to Bubares, a Persian and the general of those who were looking for the slain men. It was in this way, then, that the death of these Persians was kept silent.
Now that these descendants of Perdiccas are Greeks, as they themselves say, I myself chance to know and will prove it in the later part of my history. Furthermore, the Hellenodicae Elean citizens, usually ten, who presided at the Olympic games. who manage the contest at Olympia [21.6333,37.65] (Perseus)Olympia determined that it is so,
for when Alexander chose to contend and entered the lists for that purpose, the Greeks who were to run against him wanted to bar him from the race, saying that the contest should be for Greeks and not for foreigners. Alexander, however, proving himself to be an Argive, was judged to be a Greek. He accordingly competed in the furlong race and tied step for first place. This, then, is approximately what happened.
Megabazus, bringing with him the Paeonians, came to the Canakkale Bogazi (strait), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Hellespont, and after crossing it from there, he came to Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis. Histiaeus the Milesian was by this time fortifying the place which he hadasked of Darius as his reward for guarding the bridge, a place called Myrcinus by the river Strymon. Megabazus discovered what he was doing, and upon his arrival at Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis with the Paeonians, he said to Darius,
” Sire, what is this that you have done? You have permitted a clever and cunning Greek to build a city in Thrace (region (general)), EuropeThrace, where there are abundant forests for ship-building, much wood for oars, mines of silver, and many people both Greek and foreign dwelling around, who, when they have a champion to lead them, will carry out all his orders by day or by night.
Stop this man, then, from doing these things so that you will not be entangled in a war with your own subjects, but use gentle means to do so. When you have him in your grasp, see to it that he never returns to Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas.”
Megabazus easily persuaded Darius, who believed that his vision of the future was correct. Presently the king sent a message to Myrcinus which read as follows: “ Histiaeus, these are the words of Darius the king: my thoughts can show me no man who is more devoted to me and my affairs. Not words but deeds have proven this to me.
Now, therefore, let nothing prevent you from coming to me so that I may inform you of certain great purposes which I have in mind.” Trusting these words, and proud, moreover, that he would be the king's counsellor, Histiaeus came to Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis.
When he had come, Darius said to him, “Histiaeus, I will tell you the reason why I sent for you. As soon as I returned from Scythia (region (general)), AsiaScythia and you were gone from my sight, there was nothing which I longed for so much as seeing you and speaking with you, for I knew that the most precious of all possessions is a wise and loyal friend. That you are such I can bear witness to as regards my affairs.
Now, since you have done well in coming here, I make you this proposal. Leave Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus and your newly founded Thracian city and follow me to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa, where you will have all that is mine, sharing my table and my counsels.”
This, then, is what Darius said, and after appointing Artaphrenes, his father's son, to be viceroy of Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis, he rode away to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa, taking Histiaeus with him. First, however, he made Otanes governor of the people on the coast. Otanes' father Sisamnes had been one of the royal judges,Cp. Hdt. 3.31. and Cambyses had cut his throat and flayed off all his skin because he had been bribed to give an unjust judgment. Then he cut leather strips of the skin which had been torn away and with these he covered the seat upon which Sisamenes had sat to give judgment.
After doing this, Cambyses appointed the son of this slain and flayed Sisamnes to be judge in his place, admonishing him to keep in mind the nature of the throne on which he was sitting.
This Otanes, then, who sat upon that seat, was now made successor to Megabazus in his governorship. He captured +Byzantium [28.95,41.0333] (Perseus) Byzantium, Calchedon, Antandrus in the +Troas (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Troad, and Lamponium, and with ships he had taken from the Lesbians, he took +Lemnos [25.25,39.916] (island), Lesvos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Lemnos and Imbros, both of which were still inhabited by Pelasgians.
The Lemnians fought well and defended themselves, till at last they were brought to evil plight, and the Persians set as governor over those that were left of them Lycaretus the brother of Maeandrius who had been king of +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos.
This Lycaretus met his end while ruling in +Lemnos [25.25,39.916] (island), Lesvos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Lemnos because he tried to enslave and subdue all the people, accusing some of shunning service against the Scythians and others of plundering Darius' army on its way back from Scythia (region (general)), AsiaScythia.
All this Otanes achieved when he had been made governor. After only a short period of time without evils, trouble began once more to come on the Ionians, and this from +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos and Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus. +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos surpassed all the other islands in prosperity, and at about the same time Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, at the height of her fortunes, was the glory of Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia. Two generations before this, however, she had been very greatly troubled by factional strife, till the Parians, chosen out of all the Greeks by the Milesians for this purpose, made peace among them,
The Parians reconciled them in the following manner. Their best men came to Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, and seeing the Milesian households sadly wasted, they said that they desired to go about the country. They then made their way through all the territory of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, and whenever they found any well-tilled farm in the desolation of the land, they wrote down the name of the owner of that farm.
After travelling over the whole country and finding only a few such men, they assembled the people immediately upon their return to the city and appointed as rulers of the state those whose lands they had found well tilled. This they did in the belief that these men were likely to take as good care of public affairs as they had of their own, and they ordained that the rest of the Milesians who had been at feud should obey these men.
It was in this way that the Parians made peace in Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, but now these cities began to bring trouble upon Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia. Certain men of substance who had been banished by the common people, went in exile to Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus.
Now it chanced that the deputy ruling Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus was Aristagoras son of Molpagoras, son-in-law and cousin of that Histiaeus son of Lysagoras whom Darius kept with him at Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa. Histiaeus was tyrant of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus but was at Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa when the Naxians, who had been his guests and friends, arrived.
When the Naxians came to Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, they asked Aristagoras if he could give them enough power to return to their own country. Believing that he would become ruler of +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos if they were restored to their city with his help and using as a pretext their friendship with Histiaeus, he made them this proposal:
“I myself do not have the authority to give you such power as will restore you against the will of the Naxians who hold your city, for I know that the Naxians have eight thousand men that bear shields, and many ships of war. Nevertheless, I will do everything I can to realize your request.
This is my plan. Artaphrenes is my friend, and he is not only Hystaspes' son and brother to Darius the king but also governor of all the coastal peoples of Asia (continent)Asia. He accordingly has a great army and many ships at his disposal. This man, then, will, I think, do whatever we desire.”
Hearing this, the Naxians left the matter for Aristagoras to deal with as best he could, asking him to promise gifts and the costs of the army, for which they themselves would pay since they had great hope that when they should appear off +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos, the Naxians would obey all their commands. The rest of the islanders, they expected, would do likewise since none of these Cycladic islands was as yet subject to Darius.
Aristagoras came to Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis and told Artaphrenes that +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos was indeed an island of no great size, but that it was otherwise a beautiful and noble island lying near Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia. Furthermore it had a store of wealth and slaves. “Therefore send an army against that country,” he said, “ and bring back the men who have been banished from there.
If you so do, I have a great sum of money at your disposal, over and above the costs of the force, for it is only fair that we, who bring you, should furnish that. Furthermore, you will win new dominions for the king, +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos itself and the islands which are its dependents, +Nisos Paros [25.2,37.1] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Paros, +Andros [24.9,37.816] (inhabited place), Nisos Andros, Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Andros, and the rest of those that are called +Cyclades [24.916,37.416] (department), Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Cyclades.
Making these your starting point, you will easily attack +Euboea [23.833,38.566] (island), Nomos Evvoias, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Euboea, which is a great and a wealthy island, no smaller than Cyprus [33,35] (island), AsiaCyprus and very easy to take. A hundred ships suffice for the conquest of all these.”
“This plan which you set forth,” Artaphrenes answered, “is profitable for the king's house, and all your advice is good except as regards the number of the ships. Not one hundred but two hundred ships will be ready for you when the spring comes. The king too, however, must himself consent to this.”
When Aristagoras heard that, he went away to Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus in great joy. Artaphrenes sent a messenger to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa with the news of what Aristagoras said, and when Darius himself too had consented to the plan, he equipped two hundred triremes and a very great company of Persians and their allies in addition. For their general he appointed Megabates, a Persian of the Achaemenid family, cousin to himself and to Darius. This was he whose daughter (if indeed the tale is true) Pausanias the Lacedaemonian, son of Cleombrotus, at a later day betrothed to himself, since it was his wish to possess the sovereignty of Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas. After appointing Megabates general, Artaphrenes sent his army away to Aristagoras.