Histories

Herodotus

Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).

Now if he had been taken prisoner and brought to king Darius, he would have suffered no harm (to my thinking) and the king would have forgiven his guilt; but as it was, when Histiaeus was brought to Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis, both because of what he had done, and for fear that he might escape and again win power at the court, Artaphrenes, governor of Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis, and Harpagus, who had captured him, impaled his body on the spot, and sent his head embalmed to king Darius at Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa.

When Darius learned of this, he blamed those who had done it because they had not brought Histiaeus before him alive, and he commanded that the head should be washed and buried with due ceremony, as of a man who had done great good to Darius himself and to Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia.