The true author of the revolt.
179.Aristagoras is slain while besieging a certain town. But Histiaeus, the tyrant of Miletus, who had been the author of the revolt, having been dismissed from Susa by Darius, had set out for Sardis On aiiivmg there, Artaphernes, the governor of Sardis, asked, ‘From what cause did he think the Ionians had revolted from the Great King?’ When he said that he did not know, Ariaphernes, seeing that he lied, said: ‘This is the way the matter stands, Histiaeus; thou has made this boot which Aristagoras put on.’ When Artaphernes had said this, Histiaeus, fearing that he would be killed, betakes himself to flight. Then he goes to Miletus. But the men of Miletus, being to their joy (lit. joyfully) freed from Aristagoras, were unwilling to receive him. So on attempting to enter Miletus by force during the night, he was repulsed, and even wounded in the thigh by one of the Milesians. Thence he sailed to Byzantium, and there he used to seize all the ships that passed by, with the exception of the vessels of those who said they were ready to obey Histiaeus. He was soon taken by Artaphemes, who hung his body on a gallows, but sent his head, pickled in salt, to Darius, at Susa. But Darius ordered his head to be buried, after being washed and well seen to, as that of a man who had deserved well of him. This then was the end of Histiaeus.
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.
