Histories

Therefore, as soon as they saw the Ionians refusing to be useful, they took up that for a pretext, considering it advantageous to save their own temples and houses. This Aeaces, from whom they received the message, was the son of Syloson son of Aeaces, and had been tyrant of +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos until he was deposed from his rule by Aristagoras of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, just like the other Ionian tyrants.

Now when the Phoenician fleet came sailing against them, the Ionians put out to sea against them with their ships in column. When they drew near and met each other in battle, which of the Ionians were brave men or cowards then in that sea-fight I cannot exactly say; for they all blame each other.

The Samians are said, according to their agreement with Aeaces, to have raised their sails and gone off to +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, leaving their post, all except eleven ships.

The captains of these stood their ground and fought, disobeying their admirals. For this deed the Samian people granted that their names and patronymics should be engraved on a pillar as brave men; this pillar now stands in their market-place. But the Lesbians, seeing their neighbors fleeing, did the same as the Samians; and most of the Ionians did likewise.

The most roughly handled of those that stood their ground in the sea-fight were the Chians, since they refused to be cowards and achieved deeds of renown. They brought a hundred ships to the fleet, as was mentioned above, and on each ship were forty picked men of their citizens.

Seeing themselves betrayed by the greater part of their allies, they did not think it right to act like the worst among them; with only a few allies to aid them they fought on and broke the enemy's line, until they had taken many ships but lost most of their own.