The histories of Herodotus;

8-1 1] ASSEMBLY OF THE IONIANS 32
with seventeen ships ; the Chians were next the Teians, with
a hundred ships ; next to these, the Erythrasans and the Phocaeans
were drawn up, the Erythraeans furnishing eight ships,
and the Phocaeans three; next the Phocaeans were the Lesbians
with seventy ships ; last of all the Samians were drawn
up, occupying the western wing with sixty ships. Of all these,
the whole number amounted to three hundred and fifty-three
triremes. Such was the fleet of the Ionians. On the side of
the barbarians the number of ships amounted to six hundred
but when they arrived on the Milesian coast, and all their land
forces were come up, the Persian generals, hearing the number
of the Ionian fleet, began to fear they should not be strong
enough to overcome it, and so should be also unable to take
Miletus, since they were not masters at sea, and then might
be in danger of receiving punishment at the hands of Darius.
Taking these things into consideration, they summoned the
tyrants of the Ionians, who, having been deprived of their
governments by Aristagoras, had fled to the Medes, and hap-
pened at that time to be serving in the army against Miletus
having called together such of these men as were at hand,
they addressed them as follows : " Men of Ionia, let each of
you now show his zeal for the king's house. For let each of
you endeavour to detach his own countrymen from the rest
of the confederacy, and hold out to them and proclaim this,
that they shall suffer no hurt on account of their rebellion, nor
shall their buildings, whether sacred or profane, be burned,
nor shall they be treated with more severity than they were
before. But if they will not do this, and will at all events come
to the hazard of a battle, threaten them with this which will
surely befall them; that when conquered in battle they shall
be enslaved ; that we will make eunuchs of their sons, and
transport their virgins to Bactra, and then give their country
to others." Thus they spoke ; but the tyrants of the Ionians
sent each by night to his own countrymen, to make known
the warning. But the Ionians to whom these messages came
continued firm to their purpose, and would not listen to treachery
; for each thought that the Persians had sent this message
to themselves only. This, then, took place immediately after
the arrival of the Persians before Miletus.
Afterward, when the Ionians had assembled at Lade, councils
were held, and on occasion others addressed them, and
among the rest the Phocaean general Dionysius, who spoke
as follows : " Our affairs are in a critical x state, O Ionians,
whether we shall be freemen or slaves, and that too as run-
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1 Literally, "on a razor's edge."
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