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VIT He G Reek R Evolt from P Ersia After Following the Persian Advance

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VIT He G Reek R Evolt from P Ersia After Following the Persian Advance The Greek Revolt from Persia 91 and then immediately sent him to Miletus with no other instructions VI than that Aristagoras should shave his head and examine his scalp. The message found there was, as I have said, an instruction to revolt. Histiaeus took this course because he grieved so much at being The Greek Revolt from Persia detained at Susa, and he had high hopes that, if there were a rebel­ (499-494 B.C.E.) lion, he would be sent to the coast to deal with it, whereas if Miletus remained at peace he reckoned he would never see it again. It was with this in mind that he dispatched the messenger, and this happened to coincide with other circumstances persuading Aristagoras in the same After following the Persian advance into Europe as far as Macedonia, He­ direction. rodotus turns his attention to Asia Minor, which was fast becoming a friction point between the Persians and the subject Greek cities of Ionia, in partic­ ular Miletus. As a first step, Aristagoras arrested the pro-Persian Greek leaders who had Miletus had for a long time been ruled by Histiaeus, the man who had sailed with him against Naxos and who as yet had no inkling that he had preserved the Danube bridge (4.133 ff.) so as to retain his role as puppet dic­ changed his political sympathies. In a deeply cynical passage, Herodotus tator. But some years after the Danube episode, he fell under suspicion of describes how Aristagoras used these arrests and a newly adopted demo­ acting against Persian interests and was summoned to the side of Darius in cratic philosophy to manipulate popular opinion in his favor. the Persian capital, Susa. In his absence, Histiaeus entrusted the rule of Mile­ tus to his son-in-law Aristagoras, a shady character who immediately began 1 conniving at ways to increase his power in the region. To ingratiate himself [5.3 7-3 8] Aristagoras was now openly in revolt and started planning with Artaphernes, Darius' half-brother and the newly appointed governor of every possible way to harm Darius. First of all, he disbanded his Sardis, Aristagoras promised to conquer the island ofNaxos for the Persians, tyranny over Miletus—or so he said—and installed a democratic and Artaphernes gave him money and troops to mount a surprise attack. But regime so that the Milesians would be more willing to join with him the campaign suffered a fatal setback when Aristagoras quarreled with the in rebellion. He did the same throughout Ionia, chasing out tyrants Persian general accompanying him, Megabates, who then spitefully in­ from some places and, in the case of the rulers he had seized from the formed the Naxians that an attack was imminent. The expedition thus re­ Naxos expedition, handing them over to their own cities so as to make sulted in a long siege that used up the Persians' money but accomplished himself popular with the citizens there. The inhabitants of Mytilene nothing. Aristagoras also had spent much of his own money on the project. got their tyrant, Coes, sent back to them and promptly stoned him to His mounting troubles and his alienation from his Persian overlords now put death. But the Cymaeans and most other states let their former him in a very difficult position. tyrants off unpunished. Thus came about an end of autocratic rule throughout the cities, [5.35] Aristagoras was unable to keep his promise to Artaphernes to and Aristagoras, having thrown out the tyrants, told the people to deliver Naxos into his hands; he couldn't pay off the debts incurred in elect generals to lead each city's war efforts. Then he himself departed the campaign and furthermore he feared that, with the failure of the in a trireme on a diplomatic mission to Sparta, for he needed to se­ expedition and the accusations brought by Megabates, he would be cure a powerful ally against Persia. deprived of command over Miletus. These fears drove him to con­ [5.49]2 Aristagoras arrived in Sparta when King Cleomenes held template rebellion, and he was further encouraged by the arrival of a sway, and so he went to speak with Cleomenes. He brought with him man sent by Histiaeus from Susa, with a message pricked on his scalp (so the Spartans say) a bronze tablet with a map of the earth carved urging Aristagoras to revolt. Histiaeus had long wanted to urge this on it, showing all the seas and rivers. When admitted to a parley with course on Aristagoras, but since all the roads were guarded he could Cleomenes, Aristagoras spoke thus: "Cleomenes, don't be surprised think of no other safe way but this to transmit the message. Taking the most trustworthy of his slaves, Histiaeus had shaved his head, 1. This section was translated by the editor. pricked the message on his scalp, waited for the hair to grow again, 2. Chapter 49 was translated by the editor. 90 The Greek Revolt from Persia 93 92 Herodotus Book 5 ney from the Ionian coast was the residence of the Persian king. by my eagerness for this meeting; the circumstances are these. We Aristagoras, who had so far shown great cunning in misleading the have long felt the pain and the shame of the enslavement of the sons king, now made a mistake. If he wanted to persuade the Spartans to of Ionia; but this is your shame too, in that you Spartans are leaders send a force to Asia, he should have concealed the truth; but in fact of Greece. Now I ask you by the gods to rescue the Ionians, men of he said it was a journey of three months. As Aristagoras was continu­ your own breed, from slavery. You can accomplish this easily enough. ing to describe the road to Susa, Cleomenes hastily interrupted him. The barbarians are poor soldiers, whereas you, in your pursuit of ex­ "Visitor from Miletus," he said, "you must leave Sparta before sunset. cellence, have made yourselves supremely prepared for war. Their Quite out of the question is the proposal you make, which would take method of fighting uses bows and short spears, and they go to battle the Spartans a three months' journey away from the sea." wearing leather pants and cloth helmets called kurbasias. So their de­ [5.51] With these words, Cleomenes went back home, but feat is assured. And what is more, the continent these men inhabit has Aristagoras followed him to his house, clasping an olive branch and more riches in it than the other two together, starting with their gold, begging him as a suppliant to listen to him and send away the child— and also silver, bronze, precious cloth, pack animals, and slaves. I will for Cleomenes happened to have at his side his daughter, Gorgo, an show you all the countries one by one, going west to east. Next to the only child of eight or nine years. "Say what you want," said Cleo­ Ionians, here are the Lydians, who have a rich land and much silver menes, "and never mind the child." Thereupon Aristagoras began besides." As he spoke, he pointed out the places on the map he had with an offer of ten talents for Cleomenes if he would grant his re­ brought, which was engraved on a bronze plaque. "East of the Lydi­ quest. When Cleomenes refused, Aristagoras continued to increase ans lie the Phrygians, who have the most flocks and the richest his offer until it reached fifty talents, whereupon the little girl cried harvests of any people I know. Next to the Phrygians are the Cappa- out: "Father, the stranger will corrupt you if you don't get up and docians (we Greeks call them Syrians), and next to them the Cilicians, leave." Well pleased with his daughter's advice, Cleomenes went into dwelling on the coast (see, this island here is Cyprus); they pay the another room, and Aristagoras left Sparta once and for all, with no king an annual tribute of five hundred talents. Next to the Cilicians further opportunity to discuss the road to Susa. are the Armenians, who also have rich flocks, and next to them the Matieni over here; and next to them is the land of Cissia, in which lies Susa, a city on the river Choaspes, where the king makes his home Aristagoras, having failed to gain Spartan support for the Ionian rebellion, and where he keeps his storerooms full of money. Capture this city wenton toAthens, where he hoped to have better success. This visitprompts and, rest assured, your riches will rival those of Zeus himself. Herodotus to survey the political situation at Athens, which had been chang­ "Why should you make war as you do now, fighting over small ing rapidly over the previous decade. After a reign of more than fifty years, the Pisistratid family had been ousted from power in 510 B.C.E., thanks in boundaries in a small and worthless region, challenging Messenians large part to an invasion mounted by the Spartans under Cleomenes; the and Argives and Arcadians who are closely matched with you in reigning tyrant, Hippias, had been given safe conduct out of the city. In the strength and who have no gold or silver—things for which one could political struggle that followed, Cleisthenes, leader of the popular party and really be eager to risk one's fife—when rule over Asia is there for the a member of the liberal Alcmaeonid family, began to get the upper hand taking? Why would you do anything else at all?" over the more conservative Isagoras, prompting a second Spartan invasion Thus spoke Aristagoras, and Cleomenes responded, "Visitor aimed at preventing a tilt toward democracy.
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