This was what Charilaus
said; and Maeandrius took his advice, to my
thinking not because he was so foolish as to suppose that he would be strong
enough to defeat the king, but because he did not want Syloson to recover
+Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece,
Europe Samos safe and sound with no trouble.
He wanted therefore by provoking the Persians to
weaken +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75]
(island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos as much as he could before surrendering it, for he was well aware
that if the Persians were hurt they would be
furiously angry with the Samians. Besides, he
knew that he could get himself safely off the island whenever he liked,
having built a secret passage leading from the acropolis to the sea.
Maeandrius then set sail from +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island),
Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos; but Charilaus armed all the guards, opened
the acropolis' gates, and attacked the Persians.
These supposed that a full agreement had been made, and were taken unawares;
the guard fell upon them and killed the Persians
of highest rank, those who were carried in litters.
They were engaged in this when the rest of the Persian force came up in reinforcement, and, hard-pressed, the
guards retreated into the acropolis.