Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners/Part IV/XV
XV.THE BATTLE OF LADE.
The determination of the insurgents.
180.Meanwhile a great armament both of ships and land forces was expected off Miletus. For the leaders of the Persians, having joined forces, were moving on Miletus. Therefore the Ionians began to enrol forces. Having summoned a council it was resolved that no land force to oppose the Persians should be enrolled, but that the Milesians should defend their walls by themselves; that, however, a fleet should be equipped with everything, and meet them off Lade as soon as possible, and fight a naval engagement. Now Lade is a small island, not far firom the city of Miletus. Now the lonians had three hundred and fifty-three ships. But the vessels which the barbarians had were six hundred in number.
The speech of Dionysitis.
181.But afterwards, when the Ionians were assembled at the island of Lade, and others had spoken among them, then Dionysius, one of the generals, said: ‘Now, since our affairs are on a razor’s edge, whether we be free or slaves; if indeed, you are willing to undertake toil, that will be indeed troublesome to you now, but you will be able to be free after conquering the enemy; but if, relaxing military discipline, you give yourselves up to ease, I, for my part, have no hope that you can escape the penalty of revolting. But listen to me; and I promise you that the enemy will receive a great blow.’
Dissatisfaction in the fleet.
182.Hearing this, the lonians entrusted themselves to Dionysius. Then he each day, drawing out the vessels in a long line, after exercising the oarsmen in running about in one vessel between two others at a time, and ordering the soldiers to stand in arms on the deck, used to keep at anchor the rest of the day. And they, indeed, continued to obey him until the seventh day; but on the day following, being impatient of such toils, annoyed by troubles and the heat of the sun, began to utter these words among themselves: ‘Why do we undergo these toils? for we have in our foUy entrusted ourselves to a vain braggart, who has only contributed three ships to the common stock. How better were it to endure anything else than these evils! Come, let us obey this fellow no longer!’ After saying this, no one was willing any longer to perform the commands, but as if they were a land force, having pitched camps on the island, they spent their time in the shade, being unwilling to embark on board their vessels and be trained.
Defeat of the Ionians.
183.Meanwhile the Persians advanced against them with their fleet. Then the lonians also drew up their vessels in a long line. When the battle began some of the leaders having set sail deserted the line of battle, and betook themselves to flight. But the rest, when they saw very many of their allies abandoning their common interest, would not fly, but fought, rowing about through the vessels of the enemy and breaking through them; until after taking many ships they themselves lost the greater part of their own. It is well known that the Ionians were utterly conquered, with considerable loss. But Dionysius, understanding that it was all up with the fleets sailed to Sicily; and starting from there began to plunder; never indeed lying in wait for Grecian vessels, but for Carthaginian and Tuscan ships.
Capture of Miletus.
184.The Persians, after conquering the Ionians in the naval engagement, attacked Miletus by sea and land, and having dug under the walls, and brought up machines of every kind, they took it with the citadel itself, in the sixth year after the revolt of Aristagoras; and having taken it, reduced it to slavery. So the city of Miletus was utterly defeated by that very calamity which had been predicted against it by the Oracle.
The prediction of the oracle.
185.For when the Argives had consulted the Oracle of the Delphians about the safety of their city, the priestess of Apollo uttered some things about the Argives, others about the Milesians. Now, these were the things which had to do with the Milesians: ‘Then also, Miletus, deviser of evil works, thou shalt become a supper and splendid gifts to many; thy wife also shall wash the feet of many long-haired men, and of our temple its (proper) care shall remain among the Didymi.’ So then these things happened to the Milesians, when the greater part of its men were slain by the Persians, who grow their hair long, and the temple in the country of (lit. among) the Didymi was plundered (and) burnt with fire.
A too affecting drama.
186.Now the Athenians showed both, in many other ways, how great sorrow they felt from that storming of Miletus, and when Phrynichus, a celebrated poet, had written and put on the stage a play about the storming of Miletus, all the spectators burst into tears, and the poet was fined a thousand drachmas for having made mention of domestic misfortunes; and it was forbidden by law that any one should make further use of that play.
Failure of Mardonius’ expedition against Greece.
187.Darius determined to take vengeance on the Athenians and Eretrians for the burning of Sardis. Therefore he put Mardonius in command of great forces. He himself embarked on board a vessel, and set out with the rest of the ships; but other generals led the land army to the Hellespont. First having attacked the Thasians, who had not even raised their hands against them, they made them subject to themselves; and then, with the land army, they sent the Macedonians under the yoke. Next they set about sailing round Mount Athos with their fleet. But, a great storm having arisen, a very great number of the vessels were dashed against the mountain. They say that 300 ships perished, and more than 20,000 men. But the Thracians, having attacked the land army by night, slew a great number of the soldiers. Therefore Mardonius, after managing affairs disgracefully, was forced to lead his forces back to Asia.