the history-第112章

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s；　after　he　had　sent　a　messenger　to　Susa　to　lay　the　plans　of　Aristagoras　before　the　king；　and　received　his　approval　of　the　undertaking；　made　ready　a　fleet　of　two　hundred　triremes　and　a　vast　army　of　Persians　and　their　confederates。　The　command　of　these　he　gave　to　a　Persian　named　Megabates；　who　belonged　to　the　house　of　the　Achaemenids；　being　nephew　both　to　himself　and　to　King　Darius。　It　was　to　a　daughter　of　this　man　that　Pausanias　the　Lacedaemonian；　the　son　of　Cleombrotus　（if　at　least　there　be　any　truth　in　the　tale）；　was　allianced　many　years　afterwards；　when　he　conceived　the　desire　of　becoming　tyrant　of　Greece。　Artaphernes　now；　having　named　Megabates　to　the　command；　sent　forward　the　armament　to　Aristagoras。　　　　　Megabates　set　sail；　and；　touching　at　Miletus；　took　on　board　Aristagoras　with　the　Ionian　troops　and　the　Naxians；　after　which　he　steered；　as　he　gave　out；　for　the　Hellespont；　and　when　he　reached　Chios；　he　brought　the　fleet　to　anchor　off　Caucasa；　being　minded　to　wait　there　for　a　north　wind；　and　then　sail　straight　to　Naxos。　The　Naxians　however　were　not　to　perish　at　this　time；　and　so　the　following　events　were　brought　about。　As　Megabates　went　his　rounds　to　visit　the　watches　on　board　the　ships；　he　found　a　Myndian　vessel　upon　which　there　was　none　set。　Full　of　anger　at　such　carelessness；　he　bade　his　guards　to　seek　out　the　captain；　one　Scylax　by　name；　and　thrusting　him　through　one　of　the　holes　in　the　ship's　side；　to　fasten　him　there　in　such　a　way　that　his　head　might　show　outside　the　vessel；　while　his　body　remained　within。　When　Scylax　was　thus　fastened；　one　went　and　informed　Aristagoras　that　Megabates　had　bound　his　Myndian　friend　and　was　entreating　him　shamefully。　So　he　came　and　asked　Megabates　to　let　the　man　off；　but　the　Persian　refused　him；　whereupon　Aristagoras　went　himself　and　set　Scylax　free。　When　Megabates　heard　this　he　was　still　more　angry　than　before；　and　spoke　hotly　to　Aristagoras。　Then　the　latter　said　to　him…　　　　　〃What　has　thou　to　do　with　these　matters？　Wert　thou　not　sent　here　by　Artaphernes　to　obey　me；　and　to　sail　whithersoever　I　ordered？　Why　dost　meddle　so？　　　　　Thus　spake　Aristagoras。　The　other；　in　high　dudgeon　at　such　language；　waited　till　the　night；　and　then　despatched　a　boat　to　Naxos；　to　warn　the　Naxians　of　the　coming　danger。　　　　　Now　the　Naxians　up　to　this　time　had　not　had　any　suspicion　that　the　armament　was　directed　against　them；　as　soon；　therefore；　as　the　message　reached　them；　forthwith　they　brought　within　their　walls　all　that　they　had　in　the　open　field；　and　made　themselves　ready　against　a　siege　by　provisioning　their　town　both　with　food　and　drink。　Thus　was　Naxos　placed　in　a　posture　of　defence；　and　the　Persians；　when　they　crossed　the　sea　from　Chios；　found　the　Naxians　fully　prepared　for　them。　However　they　sat　down　before　the　place；　and　besieged　it　for　four　whole　months。　When　at　length　all　the　stores　which　they　had　brought　with　them　were　exhausted；　and　Aristagoras　had　likewise　spent　upon　the　siege　no　small　sum　from　his　private　means；　and　more　was　still　needed　to　insure　success；　the　Persians　gave　up　the　attempt；　and　first　building　certain　forts；　wherein　they　left　the　banished　Naxians；　withdrew　to　the　mainland；　having　utterly　failed　in　their　undertaking。　　　　　And　now　Aristagoras　found　himself　quite　unable　to　make　good　his　promises　to　Artaphernes；　nay；　he　was　even　hard　pressed　to　meet　the　claims　whereto　he　was　liable　for　the　pay　of　the　troops；　and　at　the　same　time　his　fear　was　great；　lest；　owing　to　the　failure　of　the　expedition　and　his　own　quarrel　with　Megabates；　he　should　be　ousted　from　the　government　of　Miletus。　These　manifold　alarms　had　already　caused　him　to　contemplate　raising　a　rebellion；　when　the　man　with　the　marked　head　came　from　Susa；　bringing　him　instructions　on　the　part　of　Histiaeus　to　revolt　from　the　king。　For　Histiaeus；　when　he　was　anxious　to　give　Aristagoras　orders　to　revolt；　could　find　but　one　safe　way；　as　the　roads　were　guarded；　of　making　his　wishes　known；　which　was　by　taking　the　trustiest　of　his　slaves；　shaving　all　the　hair　from　off　his　head；　and　then　pricking　letters　upon　the　skin；　and　waiting　till　the　hair　grew　again。　Thus　accordingly　he　did；　and　as　soon　as　ever　the　hair　was　grown；　he　despatched　the　man　to　Miletus；　giving　him　no　other　message　than　this…　〃When　thou　art　come　to　Miletus；　bid　Aristagoras　shave　thy　head；　and　look　thereon。〃　Now　the　marks　on　the　head；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　were　a　command　to　revolt。　All　this　Histiaeus　did　because　it　irked　him　greatly　to　be　kept　at　Susa；　and　because　he　had　strong　hopes　that；　if　troubles　broke　out；　he　would　be　sent　down　to　the　coast　to　quell　them；　whereas；　if　Miletus　made　no　movement；　he　did　not　see　a　chance　of　his　ever　again　returning　thither。　　　　　Such；　then；　were　the　views　which　led　Histiaeus　to　despatch　his　messenger；　and　it　so　chanced　that　all　these　several　motives　to　revolt　were　brought　to　bear　upon　Aristagoras　at　one　and　the　same　time。　　　　　Accordingly；　at　this　conjuncture　Aristagoras　held　a　council　of　his　trusty　friends；　and　laid　the　business　before　them；　telling　them　both　what　he　had　himself　purposed；　and　what　message　had　been　sent　him　by　Histiaeus。　At　this　council　all　his　friends　were　of　the　same　way　of　thinking；　and　recommended　revolt；　except　only　Hecataeus　the　historian。　He；　first　of　all；　advised　them　by　all　means　to　avoid　engaging　in　war　with　the　king　of　the　Persians；　whose　might　he　set　forth；　and　whose　subject　nations　he　enumerated。　As　however　he　could　not　induce　them　to　listen　to　this　counsel；　he　next　advised　that　they　should　do　all　that　lay　in　their　power　to　make　themselves　masters　of　the　sea。　〃There　was　one　only　way；〃　he　said；　〃so　far　as　he　could　see；　of　their　succeeding　in　this。　Miletus　was；　he　knew；　a　weak　state…　but　if　the　treasures　in　the　temple　at　Branchidae；　which　Croesus　the　Lydian　gave　to　it；　were　seized；　he　had　strong　hopes　that　the　mastery　of　the　sea　might　be　thereby　gained；　at　least　it　would　give　them　money　to　begin　the　war；　and　would　save　the　treasures　from　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy。〃　Now　these　treasures　were　of　very　great　value；　as　I　showed　in　the　first　part　of　my　History。　The　assembly；　however；　rejected　the　counsel　of　Hecataeus；　while；　nevertheless；　they　resolved　upon　a　revolt。　One　of　their　number；　it　was　agreed；　should　sail　to　Myus；　where　the　fleet　had　been　lying　since　its　return　from　Naxos；　and　endeavour　to　seize　the　captains　who　had　gone　there　with　the　vessels。　　　　　Iatragoras　accordingly　was　despatched　on　this　errand；　and　he　took　with　guile　Oliatus　the　son　of　Ibanolis　the　Mylassian；　and　Histiaeus　the　son　of　Tymnes　the　Termerean…Coes　likewise；　the　son　of　Erxander；　to　whom　Darius　gave　Mytilene；　and　Aristagoras　the　son　of　Heraclides　the　Cymaean；　and　also　many　others。　Thus　Aristagoras　revolted　openly　from　Darius；　and　now　he　set　to　work　to　scheme　against　him　in　every　possible　way。　First　of　all；　in　order　to　induce　the　Milesians　to　join　heartily　in　the　revolt；　he　gave　out　that　he　laid　down　his　own　lordship　over　Miletus；　and　in　lieu　thereof　established　a　commonwealth：　after　which；　throughout　all　Ionia　he　did　the　like；　for　from　some　of　the　cities　he　drove　out　their　tyrants；　and　to　others；　whose　goodwill　he　hoped　thereby　to　gain；　he　handed　theirs　over；　thus　giving　up　all　the　men　whom　he　had　seized　at　the　Naxian　fleet；　each　to　the　c