Histories

Maeandrius sailed to Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon, escaping from +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos; and after he arrived there and brought up the possessions with which he had left his country, it became his habit to make a display of silver and gold drinking cups; while his servants were cleaning these, he would converse with the king of Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta, Cleomenes son of Anaxandrides, and would bring him to his house. As Cleomenes marvelled greatly at the cups whenever he saw them, Maeandrius would tell him to take as many as he liked.

Maeandrius made this offer two or three times; Cleomenes showed his great integrity in that he would not accept; but realizing that there were others in Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon from whom Maeandrius would get help by offering them the cups, he went to the ephors and told them it would be best for Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta if this Samian stranger quit the country, lest he persuade Cleomenes himself or some other Spartan to do evil. The ephors listened to his advice and banished Maeandrius by proclamation.

As for +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, the Persians swept it clear and turned it over uninhabited to Syloson. But afterwards Otanes, the Persian general, helped to settle the land, prompted by a dream and a disease that he contracted in his genitals.

While the fleet was away at +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, the Babylonians revolted.[*](According to the course of Herodotus' narrative, the revolt would seem to have taken place some considerable time after Darius' accession (531 B.C.). But the +Bisitun [47.483,34.366] (inhabited place), Bakhtaran, Iran, Asia Behistun inscription apparently makes it one of the earliest events of his reign.) They had made very good preparation; for during the reign of the Magus, and the rebellion of the seven, they had taken advantage of the time and the confusion to provision themselves against the siege; and (I cannot tell how) this went undetected.

At last they revolted openly and did this:—sending away all the mothers, each chose one woman, whomever he liked of his domestics, as a bread-maker; as for the rest, they gathered them together and strangled them so they would not consume their bread.

When Darius heard of this, he collected all his forces and led them against Babylon [44.4,32.55] (deserted settlement), Babil, Iraq, AsiaBabylon, and he marched up to the town and laid siege to it; but the Babylonians thought nothing of the siege. They came up on to the ramparts of the wall and taunted Darius and his army with gesture and word, and one of them uttered this mot: