herodotus

men.30. The Parians then had thus reformed the Milesians; but at the timeof which I speak evils began to come to Ionia from these States[17] inthe following manner:--From Naxos certain men of the wealthierclass[18] were driven into exile by the people, and having gone intoexile they arrived at Miletos. Now of Miletos it happened thatAristagoras son of Molpagoras was ruler in charge, being both a sonin-lawand also a cousin of Histiaios the son of Lysagoras, whomDareios was keeping at Susa: for Histiaios was despot of Miletos, andit happened that he was at Susa at this time when the Naxians came,who had been in former times guest-friends of Histiaios. So when theNaxians arrived, they made request of Aristagoras, to see if perchancehe would supply them with a force, and so they might return from exileto their own land: and he, thinking that if by his means they shouldreturn to their own State, he would be ruler of Naxos, but at the sametime making a pretext of the guest-friendship of Histiaios, madeproposal to them thus: "I am not able to engage that I can supply youwith sufficient force to bring you back from exile against the will ofthose Naxians who have control of the State; for I hear that theNaxians have an army which is eight thousand shields strong and manyships of war: but I will use every endeavour to devise a means; and myplan is this:--it chances that Artaphrenes is my friend: nowArtaphrenes, ye must know,[18a] is a son of Hystaspes and brother ofDareios the king; and he is ruler of all the people of the sea-coastsin Asia, with a great army and many ships. This man then I think willdo whatsoever we shall request of him." Hearing this the Naxians gaveover the matter to Aristagoras to manage as best he could, and theybade him promise gifts and the expenses of the expedition, saying thatthey would pay them; for they had full expectation that when theyshould appear at Naxos, the Naxians would do all their bidding, andlikewise also the other islanders. For of these islands, that is theCyclades, not one was as yet subject to Dareios. 31. Aristagorasaccordingly having arrived at Sardis, said to Artaphrenes that Naxoswas an island not indeed large in size, but fair nevertheless and offertile soil, as well as near to Ionia, and that there was in it muchwealth and many slaves: "Do thou therefore send an expedition againstthis land, and restore it to those who are now exiles from it: and ifthou shalt do this, first I have ready for thee large sums of moneyapart from the expenses incurred for the expedition (which it is fairthat we who conduct it should supply), and next thou wilt gain for theking not only Naxos itself but also the islands which are dependentupon it, Paros and Andros and the others which are called Cyclades;and setting out from these thou wilt easily attack Eubœa, an islandwhich is large and wealth, as large indeed as Cyprus, and very easy toconquer. To subdue all these a hundred ships are sufficient." He made