Histories

All the rest spoke their minds to the same effect, favoring revolt, with the exception of Hecataeus the historian who, listing all the nations subject to Darius and all his power, advised them that they should not make war on the king of Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia. When, however, he failed to persuade them, he counselled them that their next best plan was to make themselves masters of the sea.

This, he said, could only be accomplished in one way (Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, he knew, was a city of no great wealth), namely if they took away from the temple at +Didyma [27.233,37.35] (historic site), Aydin Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Branchidae [*](Cp. Hdt. 1.46.) the treasure which Croesus the Lydian had dedicated there. With this at their disposal, he fully expected them to gain the mastery of the sea. They would then have the use of that treasure and their enemies would not be able to plunder it.

The treasure was very great, as I have shown in the beginning of my account. This plan was not approved, and they resolved that they would revolt. One out of their number was to sail to +Myous (deserted settlement), Aydin Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Myus, to the army which had left +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos and was there, and attempt to seize the generals who were aboard the ships.

Iatragoras, who had been sent for this very purpose, craftily seized Oliatus of Mylasa [27.8,37.3167] (Perseus)Mylasa son of Ibanollis; Histiaeus of Termera [27.3167,37] (Perseus)Termera son of Tymnes; Coes son of Erxandrus, to whom Darius gave Mytilene [26.55,39.1] (Perseus) Mytilene; Aristagoras of Kyme [24.1167,38.6333] (Perseus)Cyme, son of Heraclides; and many others besides. Then Aristagoras revolted openly, devising all he could to harm Darius.

First he made pretence of giving up his tyranny and gave Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus equality of government so that the Milesians might readily join in his revolt. Then he proceeded to do the same things in the rest of Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia. Some of the tyrants he banished, and as for those tyrants whom he had taken out of the ships that sailed with him against +Nisos Naxos [25.583,32.33] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Naxos, he handed them each over to their respective cities, which he wished to please.

Coes, when the Mytilenaeans received him, was taken out and stoned, but the Cymaeans, as well as most of the others, let their own man go.

In this way, then, an end was made of tyrants in the cities. After doing away with the tyrants, Aristagoras of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus ordered all the peoples to set up governors in each city. Then he went on an embassy in a trireme to Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon, for it was necessary for him to find some strong ally.[*](Aristagoras went to Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon in 499.)

At Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta, Anaxandrides the son of Leon, who had been king, was now no longer alive but was dead, and Cleomenes son of Anaxandrides held the royal power. This he had won not by manly merit but by right of birth. Anaxandrides had as his wife his own sister's daughter, and although he was content with her, no children were born to him.

Since this was the case, the Ephors called him to them and said, “Even if you have no interest in caring for yourself, we cannot allow the house of Eurysthenes to perish. Therefore send away the wife that you have, seeing that she bears you no children, and wed another. If you do this, you will please the Spartans.” Anaxandrides, however, said in response that he would do neither of these things and that they were not giving him good advice in bidding him to get rid of his present wife, who was blameless, and to marry another.