The histories of Herodotus;

310 HERODOTUS—BOOK V, TERPSICHORE [95-98
this in an ode, sent it to Mitylene to inform his friend Melanippus
of his misfortune. Periander, son of Cypselus, reconciled
the Mityleneans and Athenians, for they referred to him as
arbitrator; and he reconciled them on these terms, that each
should retain what they had. Thus, then, Sigeum became
subject to the Athenians. When Hippias returned from Lacedaemon
to Asia, he set everything in motion, accusing the
Athenians falsely to Artaphernes, and contriving every means
by which Athens might be subjected to himself and Darius.
Hippias accordingly busied himself about this, and the Athenians,
having heard of it, sent ambassadors to Sardis, warning
the Persians not to give ear to the Athenian exiles. But
Artaphernes bade them, if they wished to continue safe, receive
Hippias back again. The Athenians, however, would
not consent to the proposed condition ; and when they did not
consent, it was determined openly to declare themselves enemies
to the Persians.
When they were taking this resolution, and were being
falsely accused to the Persians, at that very time Aristagoras
the Milesian, having been expelled from Sparta by Cleomenes
the Lacedaemonian, arrived at Athens ; for this city was much
more powerful than the rest. Aristagoras, presenting himself
before the people, said the same he had done at Sparta, respecting
the wealth of Asia and the Persian mode of warfare,
how they used neither shield nor spear, and would be easily
conquered. He said this, and, in addition, that the Milesians
were a colony of the Athenians, and it was but reasonable that
they, having such great power, should rescue them. And
there was nothing he did not promise, as being very much in
earnest, until at length he persuaded them. For it appears to
be more easy to impose upon a multitude than one man ; since
he was not able to impose upon Cleomenes the Lacedaemonian
singly, but did so to thirty thousand Athenians. The Athenians
accordingly, being persuaded, decreed to send twenty
ships to succour the Ionians, having appointed Melanthius
commander over them, a citizen who was universally esteemed.
These ships were the source of calamities both to Greeks and
barbarians. Aristagoras having sailed first, and arrived at
Miletus, had recourse to a project from which no advantage
could result to the Ionians ; nor did he employ it for that purpose,
but that he might vex King Darius. He sent a man into
Phrygia to the Paeonians, who had been carried away captive
by Megabyzus from the river Strymon, and occupied a tract
in Phrygia, and a village by themselves. When he reached
the Paeonians, he spoke as follows : " Men of Paeonia, Aristag-