Erato   

The Sixth Book, Entitled
ERATO

ARISTAGORAS, the author of the Ionian revolt, perished in the
way which I have described. Meanwhile Histiaeus, tyrant of Miletus,
who had been allowed by Darius to leave Susa, came down to Sardis.
On his arrival, being asked by Artaphernes, the Sardian satrap, what
he thought was the reason that the Ionians had rebelled, he made
answer that he could not conceive, and it had astonished him
greatly, pretending to be quite unconscious of the whole business.
Artaphernes, however, who perceived that he was dealing dishonestly,
and who had in fact full knowledge of the whole history of the
outbreak, said to him, "I will tell thee how the case stands,
Histiaeus: this shoe is of thy stitching; Aristagoras has but put it
on."
Such was the remark made by Artaphernes concerning the
rebellion. Histiaeus, alarmed at the knowledge which he displayed,
so soon as night fell, fled away to the coast. Thus he forfeited his
word to Darius; for though he had pledged himself to bring Sardinia,
the biggest island in the whole world, under the Persian yoke, he in
reality sought to obtain the direction of the war against the king.
Crossing over to Chios, he was there laid in bonds by the inhabitants,
who accused him of intending some mischief against them in the
interest of Darius. However, when the whole truth was laid before
them, and they found that Histiaeus was in reality a foe to the
king, they forthwith set him at large again.
After this the Ionians inquired of him for what reason he had so
strongly urged Aristagoras to revolt from the king, thereby doing
their nation so ill a service. In reply, he took good care not to
disclose to them the real cause, but told them that King Darius had
intended to remove the Phoenicians from their own country, and place
them in Ionia, while he planted the Ionians in Phoenicia, and that
it was for this reason he sent Aristagoras the order. Now it was not
true that the king had entertained any such intention, but Histiaeus
succeeded hereby in arousing the fears of the Ionians.
After this, Histiaeus, by means of a certain Hermippus, a native
of Atarneus, sent letters to many of the Persians in Sardis, who had
before held some discourse with him concerning a revolt. Hermippus,
however, instead of conveying them to the persons to whom they were
addressed, delivered them into the hands of Artaphernes, who,
perceiving what was on foot, commanded Hermippus to deliver the
letters according to their addresses, and then bring him back the
answers which were sent to Histiaeus. The traitors being in this way
discovered, Artaphernes put a number of Persians to death, and
caused a commotion in Sardis.
As for Histiaeus, when his hopes in this matter were disappointed,
he persuaded the Chians to carry him back to Miletus; but the
Milesians were too well pleased at having got quit of Aristagoras to
be anxious to receive another tyrant into their country; besides which
they had now tasted liberty. They therefore opposed his return; and
when he endeavoured to force an entrance during the night, one of
the inhabitants even wounded him in the thigh. Having been thus
rejected from his country, he went back to Chios; whence, after
failing in an attempt to induce the Chians to give him ships, he
crossed over to Mytilene, where he succeeded in obtaining vessels from
the Lesbians. They fitted out a squadron of eight triremes, and sailed
with him to the Hellespont, where they took up their station, and
proceeded to seize all the vessels which passed out from the Euxine,
unless the crews declared themselves ready to obey his orders.
While Histiaeus and the Mytilenaeans were thus employed, Miletus
was expecting an attack from a vast armament, which comprised both a
fleet and also a land force. The Persian captains had drawn their
several detachments together, and formed them into a single army;
and had resolved to pass over all the other cities, which they