Histories

With this intent, then, Histiaeus sent his messenger, and it chanced that all these things came upon Aristagoras at one and the same time. He accordingly took counsel with the members of his faction, stating his own opinion as well as the message which had come to him from Histiaeus.

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.