852 G R E 
order to efFe6l; the obje6l of his miflion, he defcribed to 
tlie Spartan king the iminenfe wealth of the Perfiansj 
which they had neither virtue to enjoy, nor valour to 
defend. He painted in the warineft colours, the love of 
liberty which animated the lonians, and their firm ex- 
peiSfation that the Spartans would enable tliem to main- 
taiii that political independence, which their own laws 
taught them to confider as the molt valuable of all hu¬ 
man polFellions. Their intereft, he obferved, was on 
this occafion united: and how much greater glory 
might be acquired by conquering Afia, than by fuft'er- 
ing an invafion to be made for ravaging Greece ? the 
Perfian arcliers it would be eafy to fubdue; and the 
journey to Sufa, the rich capital of the Perfian domi¬ 
nions, would be not only fafe but delightful. Cieo- 
menes, having patiently liilened to the lupplication of 
the Milefian, anfwered him with Laconic brevity, “ In 
three days I will decide concerning the propriety of 
your demand.” At the expiration of that time, Arif- 
tagoras failed not to repair to the place appointed, 
where he was foon met by the Spartan king, who afked 
him. In how many days they might march to Sufa ? He 
replied unguardedly. That travelling at the rate of 
about eighteen miles a day, they might reach Sufa in 
tb.ree monthL Upon this, Cleomenes exclaimed with 
indignation, “Milefian (hanger, you mu ft be gone from 
Sparta before the fetting of the fun ; for you have made 
a very inaufpicious, and a very dangerous propofal, in 
advifing the Spartans to undertake a journey of three 
months from the Grecian fea.” 
Ariftagoras, thus difmi.Ted from Sparta, had recourfe 
to the Athenians, from wb.om he had realbn to expetft 
a more favourable reception. Athens was the mother- 
country of the lonians, who formed the greateft and 
moft diftinguifiied portion of the Afiatic Greeks. Arif¬ 
tagoras had no fooner arrived at Athens, than he open¬ 
ly folicited the aililtance of the Athenians in defending' 
their own colonies againft the opprellive violence of the 
common foe. Many arguments were not necelfary to 
aiiake the fenate adopt a mealure which gratified their 
own pallic^ns The afiembly immediately decreed that 
affiftance (hould be lent to Ionia. Twenty fiiips were 
-fitted out w'ith all convenient (peed, which, reinforced 
by five more belonging to Eretria, a town of Euboea, 
they all unbent their fails in the harbour of Miletus. 
Ariftagoras fpenf no long time in his embafi'y to the 
other (Tates of Greece, but Toon met his Athenian allies at 
that place. It was here determined, that while the com¬ 
mander in chief regulated the civil alfairsof the lonians, 
his brother Charopinus (hould condudt a military expe¬ 
dition againft the wetilthy capital of Lydia. The united 
fleets left the harbour of Miletus, and failed to Ephe- 
I'us, where the troops vtere difembarked ; and, in three 
days, accompliftiing a journey of feventy miles, ap- 
pieared before the walls of Sardis. The Perfian gover¬ 
nor little expected (iu h a vilit ; his loldiers weie not 
prep.aed to take the field; and the extenlive walls of 
the city could not be defended, on all (ides, againft th.e 
bei'iegers. Artaphernes, therefore, contented himfelf 
with defending the citadel; while the Greeks, without 
oppofition, entered the city, in order to plunder the ac¬ 
cumulated wealth of that ancient capital. But an ac¬ 
cident prevented them from reaping the fruits of their 
lucceis. 'I'he refentment of a rapacious loldier, difap- 
pointed of liis prey, fet fire to the houfe of a Lydian 
on the (kirts of tlie city, which communicating to the 
reft of the_ houfes, in a Ihort time the whole circum¬ 
ference of the place was I'urrounded with a wall of fire. 
Sardis was built in the Grecian manner, having a fpa- 
cious fquare in the cTntre, which commonly ferved for 
the market-place. Thither the Perfians,'driven from 
the extremities, betook themfelves for refuge againft 
the fury of tire (lames. Arms formed part of the drels 
ot the barbarians, and the Perlians, wlio had allembled 
in the fquare without any intention of making defence, 
E C E. 
difeovered their own ftrength to be more than fufficient 
to refift the enemy. Micanwhile the fire of Sardis 
brought the inhabitants from all parts of Lydia to their 
aftiftance. ”1 he Greeks were attacked, repelled, obliged 
to abandon their booty ; and it was not without much 
difiiculty that they etiedled their efcape. 1 he enemy, 
colledling their whole force, purfued them to Ephefus, 
and defeated them witit great (laughter. The Euboean 
auxiliaries behaved with uncommon fpirit, headed by 
their countrymen Eualcides, whole Olympic vidiories 
had been highly extolled in the verfes of Simonides, 
and whofe death on this occafion was long and deeply 
regretted. 
Bad fortune is commonly attended with dilTenfions in 
a confederate army. The allies threw the blame on 
each other, and the Atlienians returned hon;e in difguft, 
determined no longer to endanger themfelves for the 
fake of men who employed lo little wildom or valour 
in their own defence. 1 he lonians, though delerted 
by their allies, and defeated by the enemy at land, ftill 
carried on the war by fea. Sailing northwards, they 
reduced Byzantium, and all the neighbouring cities on 
the Kellefpont, or Propontis. 1 heir fleet then diredt- 
ed its coiirfe to Caiia, and having become mafter of the 
moft confiderable portion of that efeafi, deb ated the 
Phoenicians off the ifte of Cyprus. 'Lhe military fuc- 
cefs of the Perfians tempted them, on the other hand, 
to profecute the war by land ; and their fubfequent 
operations dilcovered Inch a degree of prudence and 
courage, as they feem never to Jiave exerted on any fu¬ 
ture occafion. In order the more fpeedily to quafh the 
hopes of the infurgents, they formed the numerous 
army into three divifions, allotting to each its particu¬ 
lar department. After thefe feparate brigades had re¬ 
duced the fmaller cities of the Eolians, Dorians, and 
lonians, the three great branches of the Hellenic race, 
it was concerted, that they (hould re-all'emble in one 
body, to attack Miletus, which was regarded as the 
metropolis of the whole country. 1 his plan, fo judi- 
cioully concerted, was carried into execution by three 
fons-in-law ot Darius, Hymees, Daurifes, and Otanes • 
the firft of whom reduced the Eolian cities; the lecond 
conquered the Dorians, as well as the other inhabitants 
of Carla ; while Otanes, aflifted by the counfels of Arta¬ 
phernes, overran the Ionic coaft, burning and deftroy- 
ing all before him. The miferable natives were put to 
the (word, or dragged into captivity ; the more fortu¬ 
nate efcaped thele calamities by flying to their (hips, or 
taking refuge within rhe-lofty v\alls of Miletus. But 
the time now approached for attacking that place, 
which, as its harbour commanded the coaft, it was ne- 
ceft'ary to inveft both by lea and land. We might here 
expect to find Ariftagoras dilplaying the lertile re- 
fources of his genius ; but before Miletus was befieged, 
Ariftagoras was no more. 
About this lime the infidious and fubtle Hiftiaeus, un¬ 
cle of Ariftagoras, arrived from Sula, commiflioned by 
Darius to direct, by his experienced vVildom, the valour 
and activity of the Perfian generals. The birth, the 
education, the manners of this lingular man, together 
with the ftrong partiality of every Greek in favour of 
his native land, might have aftoided good realbn to tlie 
Perlian king to fufpeCt his fidelity : he indeed (ufpected 
it; but the arrful addrefs, the warm profedions, the 
fiibtie iniinuation, of Hiftiaeiis, ealily overcame every 
prejudice which his lituation and character made it na¬ 
tural to conceive againft him. Pie was Cent to alfift the 
army of Darius in crLifliing the Grecian rebellion ; but 
his real intention was to take upon himfelf the conduct 
of that rebellion, and to raife his own greatnels on th.e 
ruins of the Perfian power. As lie palled to the coaft 
of A/ia Minor, his intrigues produced a conlpiracy at 
Sardis, whicli, being dilcovered by the vigilance of 
Artaphernes, ended in the delfruCtion of his accom¬ 
plices. Hiftiocus made a feafonable retreat to the lo. 
nian 
