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BELLUM PERSICUM PRIMUM
492-490 a.C.
The domination of Asia Minor and adjacent islands liy the Persian King Darius, coupled with Ids impulse for further
conquest northwards and westwards, led to what is called the Ionic Revolt of the Greeks of Asia Minor
and the islands against him in 501) B.C.
Though the revolt was ended by the victory of the Persians at Lade in 496 B.C., and by the capture of Miletus
in the following year, the determination of Darius was to effect the conriuest of (Ireece, in consequence of the
action of the Athenians and Eretrians in assisting the louians in 499 B.C. in the burning of Sardes.
B.C.
492.—Mardonius is given the supreme command of a large Persian force which reaches Cilicia. The force marches thence
by land to the Hellespont, while Mardonius with his fleet proceeds from Cilicia to Ionia. There he
establishes democracies, and continues his journey to the Hellespont to join his army. He marches with his
army through Thrace.
His fleet is despatched to the island of Thasus and, after receiving its surrender, proceeds to Acanthus.
Mardonius continues his march through part of Macedonia, subduing the country.
The fleet is despatched from Acanthus to double the promontory of Mount Athos, and to meet the land forces
at Therma, for a general ad\ance southwards.
At the promontory of Mount Athos a violent hurricane destroys 300 ships of the Persian fleet and 20,000 men.
Mardonius, on hearing of this disaster, and suff'ering at the same time a lieavy loss inflicted on his land army in a
night attack of the Thracian Brygi, abandons his further progress, and returns with the remainder of his forces to
Asia.
491. —Darius was now all the more eager for the conquest of Greece, being instigated by Hippias. Heralds were sent to the
Greek cities requiring their formal token of submission.
Though many cities and islands tender the requisite token of earth and water, the heralds to Athens and Sparta are
put to death.
490. —A large force for this renewed attempt on Greece was accordingly assembled in Cilicia under the command of Datis and
Artaphemes.
A fleet of 600 armed triremes and many transports convey this force along the coast to the island of Samus. From
thence, passing through the islands of the Icarian Sea, they touch at Naxus, which they take without a blow, burning
down the to\vn.
Taking hostages from the other Cyclades islands, and treating Delus with respect, Datis arrives
Carystus in Euboea, which he lays waste.
with his fleet- at
Thence he goes to Eretria, and takes that place by storm ; proceeding from there to Marathon, where he lands,.
accompanied by Hippias.
He is met bj- the Athenians under the chief conmiand of Miltiades, whom the Plataeans had spontaneously joined
The battle is decisive ;
the Persians being utterlj' routed, take to their ships.
The Persians then round the promontory of Sunium and make for Phalerum, near Athens.
Miltiades, however, seeing the danger, takes his army back to Athens by a forced march on the day of the battle.
The Persians, seeing this, were in no mood to disembark again, and so Datis abandons his project and retires to
Asia by way of the Cyclades.
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