Erato   

The naval armament of the Persians wintered at Miletus, and in the
following year proceeded to attack the islands off the coast, Chios,
Lesbos, and Tenedos, which were reduced without difficulty. Whenever
they became masters of an island, the barbarians, in every single
instance, netted the inhabitants. Now the mode in which they
practise this netting is the following. Men join hands, so as to
form a line across from the north coast to the south, and then march
through the island from end to end and hunt out the inhabitants. In
like manner the Persians took also the Ionian towns upon the mainland,
not however netting the inhabitants, as it was not possible.
And now their generals made good all the threats wherewith they
had menaced the Ionians before the battle. For no sooner did they
get possession of the towns than they choose out all the best favoured
boys and made them eunuchs, while the most beautiful of the girls they
tore from their homes and sent as presents to the king, at the same
time burning the cities themselves, with their temples. Thus were
the Ionians for the third time reduced to slavery; once by the
Lydians, and a second, and now a third time, by the Persians.
The sea force, after quitting Ionia, proceeded to the
Hellespont, and took all the towns which lie on the left shore as
one sails into the straits. For the cities on the right bank had
already been reduced by the land force of the Persians. Now these
are the places which border the Hellespont on the European side; the
Chersonese, which contains a number of cities, Perinthus, the forts in
Thrace, Selybria, and Byzantium. The Byzantines at this time, and
their opposite neighbours, the Chalcedonians, instead of awaiting
the coming of the Phoenicians, quitted their country, and sailing into
the Euxine, took up their abode at the city of Mesembria. The
Phoenicians, after burning all the places above mentioned, proceeded
to Proconnresus and Artaca, which they likewise delivered to the
flames; this done, they returned to the Chersonese, being minded to
reduce those cities which they had not ravaged in their former cruise.
Upon Cyzicus they made no attack at all, as before their coming the
inhabitants had made terms with Oebares, the son of Megabazus, and
satrap of Dascyleium, and had submitted themselves to the king. In the
Chersonese the Phoenicians subdued all the cities, excepting Cardia.
Up to this time the cities of the Chersonese had been under the
government of Miltiades, the son of Cimon, and grandson of Stesagoras,
to whom they had descended from Miltiades, the son of Cypselus, who
obtained possession of them in the following manner. The Dolonci, a
Thracian tribe, to whom the Chersonese at that time belonged, being
harassed by a war in which they were engaged with the Apsinthians,
sent their princes to Delphi to consult the oracle about the matter.
The reply of the Pythoness bade them "take back with them as a
colonist into their country the man who should first offer them
hospitality after they quitted the temple." The Dolonci, following the
Sacred Road, passed through the regions of Phocis and Boeotia; after
which, as still no one invited them in, they turned aside, and
travelled to Athens.
Now Pisistratus was at this time sole lord of Athens; but
Miltiades, the son of Cypselus, was likewise a person of much
distinction. He belonged to a family which was wont to contend in
the four-horse-chariot races, and traced its descent to Aeacus and
Egina, but which, from the time of Philaeas, the son of Ajax, who
was the first Athenian citizen of the house, had been naturalised at
Athens. It happened that as the Dolonci passed his door Miltiades
was sitting in his vestibule, which caused him to remark them, dressed
as they were in outlandish garments, and armed moreover with lances.
He therefore called to them, and, on their approach, invited them
in, offering them lodging and entertainment. The strangers accepted
his hospitality, and, after the banquet was over, they laid before him
in full the directions of the oracle and besought him on their own
part to yield obedience to the god. Miltiades was persuaded ere they
had done speaking; for the government of Pisistratus was irksome to