the history-第100节

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ime；　and　very　shortly　before　the　sea…fight；　the　roof　of　a　school…house　had　fallen　in　upon　a　number　of　their　boys；　who　were　at　lessons；　and　out　of　a　hundred　and　twenty　children　there　was　but　one　left　alive。　Such　were　the　signs　which　God　sent　to　warn　them。　It　was　very　shortly　afterwards　that　the　sea…fight　happened；　which　brought　the　city　down　upon　its　knees；　and　after　the　sea…fight　came　the　attack　of　Histiaeus　and　his　Lesbians；　to　whom　the　Chians；　weakened　as　they　were；　furnished　an　easy　conquest。　　　　　Histiaeus　now　led　a　numerous　army；　composed　of　Ionians　and　Aelians；　against　Thasos；　and　had　laid　siege　to　the　place　when　news　arrived　that　the　Phoenicians　were　about　to　quit　Miletus　and　attack　the　other　cities　of　Ionia。　On　hearing　this；　Histiaeus　raised　the　siege　of　Thasos；　and　hastened　to　Lesbos　with　all　his　forces。　There　his　army　was　in　great　straits　for　want　of　food；　whereupon　Histiaeus　left　Lesbos　and　went　across　to　the　mainland；　intending　to　cut　the　crops　which　were　growing　in　the　Atarnean　territory；　and　likewise　in　the　plain　of　the　Caicus；　which　belonged　to　Mysia。　Now　it　chanced　that　a　certain　Persian　named　Harpagus　was　in　these　regions　at　the　head　of　an　army　of　no　little　strength。　He；　when　Histiaeus　landed；　marched　out　to　meet　him；　and　engaging　with　his　forces　destroyed　the　greater　number　of　them；　and　took　Histiaeus　himself　prisoner。　　　　　Histiaeus　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Persians　in　the　following　manner。　The　Greeks　and　Persians　engaged　at　Malena；　in　the　region　of　Atarneus；　and　the　battle　was　for　a　long　time　stoutly　contested；　till　at　length　the　cavalry　came　up；　and；　charging　the　Greeks；　decided　the　conflict。　The　Greeks　fled；　and　Histiaeus；　who　thought　that　Darius　would　not　punish　his　fault　with　death；　showed　how　he　loved　his　life　by　the　following　conduct。　Overtaken　in　his　flight　by　one　of　the　Persians；　who　was　about　to　run　him　through；　he　cried　aloud　in　the　Persian　tongue　that　he　was　Histiaeus　the　Milesian。　　　　　Now；　had　he　been　taken　straightway　before　King　Darius；　I　verily　believe　that　he　would　have　received　no　hurt；　but　the　king　would　have　freely　forgiven　him。　Artaphernes；　however；　satrap　of　Sardis；　and　his　captor　Harpagus；　on　this　very　account…　because　they　were　afraid　that；　if　he　escaped；　he　would　be　again　received　into　high　favour　by　the　king…　put　him　to　death　as　soon　as　he　arrived　at　Sardis。　His　body　they　impaled　at　that　place；　while　they　embalmed　his　head　and　sent　it　up　to　Susa　to　the　king。　Darius；　when　he　learnt　what　had　taken　place；　found　great　fault　with　the　men　engaged　in　this　business　for　not　bringing　Histiaeus　alive　into　his　presence；　and　commanded　his　servants　to　wash　and　dress　the　head　with　all　care；　and　then　bury　it；　as　the　head　of　a　man　who　had　been　a　great　benefactor　to　himself　and　the　Persians。　Such　was　the　sequel　of　the　history　of　Histiaeus。　　　　　The　naval　armament　of　the　Persians　wintered　at　Miletus；　and　in　the　following　year　proceeded　to　attack　the　islands　off　the　coast；　Chios；　Lesbos；　and　Tenedos；　which　were　reduced　without　difficulty。　Whenever　they　became　masters　of　an　island；　the　barbarians；　in　every　single　instance；　netted　the　inhabitants。　Now　the　mode　in　which　they　practise　this　netting　is　the　following。　Men　join　hands；　so　as　to　form　a　line　across　from　the　north　coast　to　the　south；　and　then　march　through　the　island　from　end　to　end　and　hunt　out　the　inhabitants。　In　like　manner　the　Persians　took　also　the　Ionian　towns　upon　the　mainland；　not　however　netting　the　inhabitants；　as　it　was　not　possible。　　　　　And　now　their　generals　made　good　all　the　threats　wherewith　they　had　menaced　the　Ionians　before　the　battle。　For　no　sooner　did　they　get　possession　of　the　towns　than　they　choose　out　all　the　best　favoured　boys　and　made　them　eunuchs；　while　the　most　beautiful　of　the　girls　they　tore　from　their　homes　and　sent　as　presents　to　the　king；　at　the　same　time　burning　the　cities　themselves；　with　their　temples。　Thus　were　the　Ionians　for　the　third　time　reduced　to　slavery；　once　by　the　Lydians；　and　a　second；　and　now　a　third　time；　by　the　Persians。　　　　　The　sea　force；　after　quitting　Ionia；　proceeded　to　the　Hellespont；　and　took　all　the　towns　which　lie　on　the　left　shore　as　one　sails　into　the　straits。　For　the　cities　on　the　right　bank　had　already　been　reduced　by　the　land　force　of　the　Persians。　Now　these　are　the　places　which　border　the　Hellespont　on　the　European　side；　the　Chersonese；　which　contains　a　number　of　cities；　Perinthus；　the　forts　in　Thrace；　Selybria；　and　Byzantium。　The　Byzantines　at　this　time；　and　their　opposite　neighbours；　the　Chalcedonians；　instead　of　awaiting　the　coming　of　the　Phoenicians；　quitted　their　country；　and　sailing　into　the　Euxine；　took　up　their　abode　at　the　city　of　Mesembria。　The　Phoenicians；　after　burning　all　the　places　above　mentioned；　proceeded　to　Proconnresus　and　Artaca；　which　they　likewise　delivered　to　the　flames；　this　done；　they　returned　to　the　Chersonese；　being　minded　to　reduce　those　cities　which　they　had　not　ravaged　in　their　former　cruise。　Upon　Cyzicus　they　made　no　attack　at　all；　as　before　their　coming　the　inhabitants　had　made　terms　with　Oebares；　the　son　of　Megabazus；　and　satrap　of　Dascyleium；　and　had　submitted　themselves　to　the　king。　In　the　Chersonese　the　Phoenicians　subdued　all　the　cities；　excepting　Cardia。　　　　　Up　to　this　time　the　cities　of　the　Chersonese　had　been　under　the　government　of　Miltiades；　the　son　of　Cimon；　and　grandson　of　Stesagoras；　to　whom　they　had　descended　from　Miltiades；　the　son　of　Cypselus；　who　obtained　possession　of　them　in　the　following　manner。　The　Dolonci；　a　Thracian　tribe；　to　whom　the　Chersonese　at　that　time　belonged；　being　harassed　by　a　war　in　which　they　were　engaged　with　the　Apsinthians；　sent　their　princes　to　Delphi　to　consult　the　oracle　about　the　matter。　The　reply　of　the　Pythoness　bade　them　〃take　back　with　them　as　a　colonist　into　their　country　the　man　who　should　first　offer　them　hospitality　after　they　quitted　the　temple。〃　The　Dolonci；　following　the　Sacred　Road；　passed　through　the　regions　of　Phocis　and　Boeotia；　after　which；　as　still　no　one　invited　them　in；　they　turned　aside；　and　travelled　to　Athens。　　　　　Now　Pisistratus　was　at　this　time　sole　lord　of　Athens；　but　Miltiades；　the　son　of　Cypselus；　was　likewise　a　person　of　much　distinction。　He　belonged　to　a　family　which　was　wont　to　contend　in　the　four…horse…chariot　races；　and　traced　its　descent　to　Aeacus　and　Egina；　but　which；　from　the　time　of　Philaeas；　the　son　of　Ajax；　who　was　the　first　Athenian　citizen　of　the　house；　had　been　naturalised　at　Athens。　It　happened　that　as　the　Dolonci　passed　his　door　Miltiades　was　sitting　in　his　vestibule；　which　caused　him　to　remark　them；　dressed　as　they　were　in　outlandish　garments；　and　armed　moreover　with　lances。　He　therefore　called　to　them；　and；　on　their　approach；　invited　them　in；　offering　them　lodging　and　entertainment。　The　strangers　accepted　his　hospitality；　and；　after　the　banquet　was　over；　they　laid　before　him　in　full　the　directions　of　the　oracle　and　besought　him　on　their　own　part　to　yield　obedience　to　the　god。　Miltiades　was　persuaded　ere　they　had　done　speaking；　for　the　government　of　Pisistratus　was　irksome　to　him；　and　he　wanted　to　be　beyond　the　tyrant's　reach。　He　therefore　went　straightway　to　Delphi；　and　inquired　of　the　oracle　whether　he　should　do　as　the　Dolonci　desired。　　　　　As　the　Pythoness　backed　their　request；　Miltiades；　son　of　Cypselus　who　had　already　won　the　four…horse　chariot…race　at　Olympia；　left　Athens；　taking　with　him　as　many　of　the　Athenians　as　liked　to　join　in　the　enterprise；　and　sailed　away　with　the　Dolonci。　On　his　arrival　at　the　Chersonese；　he　was　made　king　by　those　who　had　invited　him。　After　this　his　first　act　was　to　build　a　wall　across　the　neck　of　the　Chersonese　from　the　city　of　Cardia　to　Pactya；　to　protect　the　country　from　the　incursions　and　ravages　of　the　Apsinthians。　The　breadth　of　the　isthmus　at　this　part　is　thirty…six　furlongs；　the　whole　length　of　the　peninsula　within　the　isthmus　being　four　hundred　and　twenty　furlongs。　　　　　When　he　had　finished　carrying　the　wall　across　the　isthmus；　and　had　thus　secured　the　Chersonese　against　the　Apsinthians；　Miltiades　proceeded　to　engage　in　other　wars；　and　first　of　all　attacked　the　Lampsacenians；　but　falling　into　an　ambush　which　they　had　laid　he　had　the　misfortune　to　be　taken　prisoner。　Now　it　happened　that　Miltiades　stood　high　in　the　favour　of　Croesus；　king　of　Lydia。　When　Croesus　therefore　heard　of　his　calamity；　he　sent　and　commanded　the　men　of　Lampsacus　to　give　Miltiades　his　freedom；　〃if　they　refused；〃　he　said；　〃he　would　destroy　them　like　a　fir。〃　Then　the　Lampsacenians　were　somewhile　in　doubt　about　this　speech　of　Croesus；　and　could　not　tell　how　to　construe　his　threat　〃that　he　would　destroy　them　like　a　fir〃；　but　at　last　one　of　their　elders　divined　the　true　sense；　and　told　them　that　the　fir　is　the　only　tree　which；　when　cut　down；　makes　no　fresh　shoots；　but　forthwith　dies　outright。　So　the　Lampsacenians；　being　greatly　afraid　of　Croesus；　released　Miltiades；　and　let　him　go　free。　　　　　Thus　did　Miltiades；　by　the　help　of　Croesus；　escape　this　danger。　Some　time　afterwards　he　died　childless；　leaving　his　kingdom　and　his　riches　to　Stesagoras；　who　was　the　son　of　Cimon；　his　half…brother。　Ever　since　his　death　the　people　of　the　Chersonese　have　offered　him　the　customary　sacrifices　of　a　founder；　and　they　have　further　established　in　his　honour　a　gymnic　contest　and　a　chariot…race；　in　n