The Athenians, now persuaded, voted to send twenty ships to aid the Ionians, appointing for their admiral Melanthius, a citizen of Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens who had an unblemished reputation. These ships were the beginning of troubles for both Greeks and foreigners.

Aristagoras sailed before the rest, and when he came to Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, he devised a plan from which no advantage was to accrue to the Ionians (nor indeed was that the purpose of his plan, but rather to vex king Darius). He sent a man into Phrygia (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Phrygia, to the Paeonians who had been led captive from the Strymon by Megabazus, and now dwelt in a Phrygian territory and village by themselves. When the man came to the Paeonians, he spoke as follows: