northern steppes, must often have inflicted damage on the Persian empire, and Darius foolishly determined to seek them in their native deserts. He determined to invade a vast region, of which he had only the scantiest geographical knowledge, abounding with wandering savage tribes. He collected a fleet, drawn almost exclusively from the Asiatic Greeks, and gave them orders to sail two days' journey up the Danube, which was then thought the greatest of the rivers of the earth. He also told the Ionian Greeks-he generally employed the Greeks or Phoenicians in matters requiring intelligence and skill-to construct for him a bridge of boats across the Danube. Marching with a vast army, he reached the bridge. He commanded the Greeks to cross the bridge, and to break it down afterwards. But a wary Greek general asked whether it might be his pleasure to listen to any advice, and then urged that the expedition might prove perilous, that retreat might be unavoidable, and that it was quite as well to leave the bridge standing. Darius was not offended by this frankness, but promised the speaker that he would byand-by give him a reward. He told the Ionians to remain and guard the bridge for sixty days. Darius had a very simple method for measuring time, showing the want of science which existed amid all his. barbaric magnificence. He tied sixty knots in a cord, and told them to unfasten a knot every day, and if he had not returned by the time that they had unfastened all the knots they were to set sail and return home.

The sixty days passed, and Darius did not return. But certain Scythians came down to the river and told the Ionians that Darius was defeated, and in full retreat, and that his only hope of safety was the bridge; if they were wise, they would break it down and thus secure their own freedom. There was then among the Greeks a certain Athenian, afterwards most famous, called Miltiades, the governor of the territory called "the Thracian Chersonese," who vehemently urged the same advice. This plan would, probably, have been followed but for Histiæus of Miletus. He represented to the other Ionian princes that their power in their cities was really based on the authority of Darius, and not on the

support of the population, who disliked them heartily, and that if they destroyed Darius they destroyed themselves. They therefore made only a pretence of destroying the bridge, which was really left almost intact, only a short bit of the northern shore end being destroyed. Darius at last arrived at the northern bank and found no bridge. In the darkness of the night the loud voice of a herald was heard from his camp, calling for Histiæus of Miletus. An answer was soon returned across the stream, and the communication re-established. Darius passed over in safety with his army. It is hard to understand the details of his campaign against the ever-flying and intangible enemy of the deserts, but he had run a real peril of perishing with his army as Cyrus had done before him. Miltiades was eventually obliged by the Persians to leave Thrace, and the Persians thus prepared for themselves a future conqueror at Marathon.

Darius left the west and returned to Sardis. He did not, however, abandon his schemes of conquest, and left Megabyzus in Thrace with a large army, to complete the conquest of Thrace and of the Greek cities on the Hellespont. He not only subdued Thrace, but crossed the Strymon, penetrated into Macedonia, and demanded and obtained from the Macedonians earth and water, the customary symbols of submission. He thought it necessary, however, to caution Darius against Histiæus, to whom Darius, in gratitude for the service which Histiæus had rendered in the matter of the bridge, in addition to his Ionian rank, had given the city of Myrcinus on the Strymon. Megabyzus thought that Histiæus was making the town and fortifications of Myrcinus much too strong, and was altogether becoming too powerful for a subject. Darius took the alarm. He directed Histiæus to come to Sardis that he might consult him on some important business. The King then told him that he could not bear to be without the pleasure of his company and conversation, that he should go with him to Susa, and there have a place at the royal table and in the royal councils. In this way was Histiæus virtually retained in a state of splendid and honourable captivity. During his enforced absence, his son-in-law,

Aristagoras, ruled Miletus, now the largest and wealthiest city of Ionia, and the King's brother, Artaphernes, had the supreme command in western Asia Minor.

Some years passed away without any recorded events of magnitude. They were years of calmness and peace, a prelude to dark and stormy times. One remarkable incident, however, occurred. The exile Hippias sought out Artaphernes at Sardis, and besought him to help his cause. Artaphernes promised to do so, and when envoys from Athens came to Sardis, and urged their case against Hippias, Artaphernes told them that if they wished to be safe they should receive Hippias back again. The Athenians looked on this menace as a declaration of war, but no hostile steps were taken by the Persians for years. The beginning of fresh troubles came from a different quarter. This was the island of Naxos, one of the Cyclades, in the Egean, the largest and richest of the group. As we so constantly find in Greek history, the little community of the island was torn into the contending factions of the populace and the oligarchy. The people expelled the rich nobles, and these exiles came to Aristagoras for succour. Aristagoras, with a keen personal ambition, saw clearly that if he could restore the exiles, the real power in the island would rest with him. He could not himself do much, but it was possible that he might persuade Artaphernes to act. He therefore represented to Artaphernes that Naxos could easily be annexed to the Persian empire, that the rest of the Cyclades would certainly fall with it, and very probably Euboea; that a hundred ships would be sufficient, and that he himself would be answerable for all the expenses. Artaphernes promised two hundred ships, if King Darius approved; and the royal consent having been obtained, a fleet and force were fitted out.

But a great dispute arose between Aristagoras and the Persian admiral in command of the fleet. The latter considering himself insulted, resolved to wound his adversary in his tenderest point, by spoiling the anticipated success of the expedition. He quietly gave the Naxians an intimation of their danger. Instead of an easy conquest there was, consequently, a long, expensive, and ineffectual siege of their town. Aristagoras

was in despair. He had committed himself irretrievably with Artaphernes and with the King, and had rendered himself liable for the ruinous expenses of the expedition. He began to revolve in his mind the plan of an Ionian revolt. Such was the position of affairs when a message came to him from his father-in-law, Histiæus, who had for years been fretting at his magnificent detention at the Court of Susa, urging him to rebel. Histiæus had contrived the following plan for the conveyance of his treasonable message. He had caused the head of a faithful slave to be shaved, traced some letters with a hot iron on the skin, and when the hair was grown he sent him to Aristagoras with an intimation that his head was to be shaved and examined. This determined Aristagoras to act upon his half-formed scheme. He summoned a council of his friends at Miletus, where, with the exception of a solitary warning voice, the dangerous scheme was adopted.

To conciliate popular favour throughout Asiatic Greece, it was resolved that the despots of the different cities should be put down. Aristagoras himself laid down his own power, and the other despots, without cruelty, were seized and dispossessed. The insurrection blazed out at once into large and formidable proportions. Aristagoras himself sailed to Greece to see what help he could obtain from the mother country. First of all he went to Sparta, which at this time was considered the first city of Greece, as Athens was the second. Aristagoras showed the Spartan king, Cleomenes, a brazen tablet "whereon was engraved the circuit of the entire earth, with the whole sea and all the rivers." He drew a brilliant picture of the wealth that might be won, and the ease with which it might be acquired. He proceeded to trace out on his tablet the road to Susa. Cleomenes told him to come again on the third day, and when he came accordingly, the Spartan king asked him how far it was from Susa to the sea. Aristagoras replied that it was a three months' journey. 'Quit Sparta before sunset, Milesian stranger," answered the king, "you are no friend to the Lacedæmonians if you want to carry them a three months' journey from the sea." But Aristagoras was unwilling to accept the dismissal, and taking up a

66

I

bough, the usual emblem of supplication, he went to the king's own house. Then he offered bribe upon bribe to Cleomenes, until the king's little daughter, eight years old, exclaimed, "Father, the stranger will corrupt you, if you do not at once go away." So Aristagoras departed without succeeding in his object. He then went to Athens, where he obtained more sympathy and material aid. The Athenians promised to send twenty ships.

When the Athenian ships arrived, Aristagoras organized an expedition against the Lydian capital Sardis, then unguarded in its fancied security. They succeeded in occupying the city, which, through an accident, was entirely burnt down by them. But their success was only apparent and momentary. Artaphernes was in possession of the citadel, and as his position was strong, and the whole force of the province were gathering together in defence, the Athenians and Ionians retreated upon Ephesus. But Artaphernes overtook them, and battle being joined, defeated them. The Athenians, disheartened, betook themselves to their ships and sailed away homewards. But their short-lived intervention was the beginning of troubles between them and the Persians. When King Darius heard that the Athenians had burned Sardis his rage was excessive. He asked who the Athenians were. When he was told, he shot an arrow as high as he could into the air, and said, "Grant me, Zeus, to revenge myself on the Athenians." also commanded a servant to remind him three times every day at dinner, "Master, remember the Athenians." The suppression of the revolt, which every day was spreading, and had now extended to Caria and Cyprus, was his first care. The generals of Darius met with uniform success. The Ionians were not able to resist the weight of the whole Persian empire brought to bear against them. Aristagoras began to despair, and resolved to desert the falling cause. With a large body of Milesians he sailed away to Thrace, and there, while besieging a town, he was cut off with his troops.

He

The fate of his father-in-law Histiæus, was even more unhappy. Darius at first suspected him of having instigated the revolt; the wily Greek, however, not only dis