herodotus

undermining the wall round.116. The Cyprians then, after they had made themselves free for oneyear, had again been reduced to slavery afresh: and meanwhileDaurises, who was married to a daughter of Dareios, and Hymaies andOtanes, who were also Persian commanders and were married also todaughters of Dareios, after they had pursued those Ionians who hadmade the expedition to Sardis and defeating them in battle had driventhem by force to their ships,--after this distributed the citiesamongst themselves and proceeded to sack them. 117. Daurises directedhis march to the cities on the Hellespont, and he took Dardanos andAbydos and Percote and Lampsacos and Paisos, of these he took on eachday one; and as he was marching from Paisos against the city ofParion, the report came that the Carians had made common cause withthe Ionians and were in revolt from the Persians. He turned backtherefore from the Hellespont and marched his army upon Caria. 118.And, as it chanced, a report of this was brought to the Carians beforeDaurises arrived; and the Carians being informed of it gatheredtogether at the place which is called the "White Pillars" and at theriver Marsyas, which flows from the region of Idrias and runs out intothe Maiander. When the Carians had been gathered together there, amongmany other counsels which were given, the best, as it seems to me, wasthat of Pixodaros the son of Mausolos, a man of Kindye, who wasmarried to the daughter of the king of the Kilikians, Syennesis. Theopinion of this man was to the effect that the Carians should crossover the Maiander and engage battle with the Persians having the riverat their backs, in order that the Carians, not being able to flybackwards and being compelled to remain where they were, might provethemselves even better men in fight than they naturally would. Thisopinion did not prevail; but they resolved that the Persians ratherthan themselves should have the Maiander at their backs, evidently[92]in order that if there should be a flight of the Persians and theyshould be worsted in the battle, they might never return home, butmight fall into the river. 119. After this, when the Persians had comeand had crossed the Maiander, the Carians engaged with the Persians onthe river Marsyas and fought a battle which was obstinately contestedand lasted long; but at length they were worsted by superior numbers:and of the Persians there fell as many as two thousand, but of theCarians ten thousand. Then those of them who escaped were shut up inLabraunda[93] within the sanctuary of Zeus Stratios, which is a largesacred grove of plane-trees; now the Carians are the only men we knowwho offer sacrifices to Zeus Stratios. These men then, being shut upthere, were taking counsel together about their safety, whether theywould fare better if they delivered themselves over to the Persians orif they left Asia altogether. 120. And while they were thus takingcounsel, there came to their aid the Milesians and their allies. Then