the history-第95节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hich　was　gained　by　the　Athenians；　the　poet　Alcaeus　took　to　flight；　and　saved　himself；　but　lost　his　arms；　which　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　conquerors。　They　hung　them　up　in　the　temple　of　Minerva　at　Sigeum；　and　Alcaeus　made　a　poem；　describing　his　misadventure　to　his　friend　Melanippus；　and　sent　it　to　him　at　Mytilene。　The　Mytilenaeans　and　Athenians　were　reconciled　by　Periander；　the　son　of　Cypselus；　who　was　chosen　by　both　parties　as　arbiter…　he　decided　that　they　should　each　retain　that　of　which　they　were　at　the　time　possessed；　and　Sigeum　passed　in　this　way　under　the　dominion　of　Athens。　　　　　On　the　return　of　Hippias　to　Asia　from　Lacedaemon；　he　moved　heaven　and　earth　to　set　Artaphernes　against　the　Athenians；　and　did　all　that　lay　in　his　power　to　bring　Athens　into　subjection　to　himself　and　Darius。　So　when　the　Athenians　learnt　what　he　was　about；　they　sent　envoys　to　Sardis；　and　exhorted　the　Persians　not　to　lend　an　ear　to　the　Athenian　exiles。　Artaphernes　told　them　in　reply；　〃that　if　they　wished　to　remain　safe；　they　must　receive　back　Hippias。〃　The　Athenians；　when　this　answer　was　reported　to　them；　determined　not　to　consent；　and　therefore　made　up　their　minds　to　be　at　open　enmity　with　the　Persians。　　　　　The　Athenians　had　come　to　this　decision；　and　were　already　in　bad　odour　with　the　Persians；　when　Aristagoras　the　Milesian；　dismissed　from　Sparta　by　Cleomenes　the　Lacedaemonian；　arrived　at　Athens。　He　knew　that；　after　Sparta；　Athens　was　the　most　powerful　of　the　Grecian　states。　Accordingly　he　appeared　before　the　people；　and；　as　he　had　done　at　Sparta；　spoke　to　them　of　the　good　things　which　there　were　in　Asia；　and　of　the　Persian　mode　of　fight…　how　they　used　neither　shield　nor　spear；　and　were　very　easy　to　conquer。　All　this　he　urged；　and　reminded　them　also　that　Miletus　was　a　colony　from　Athens；　and　therefore　ought　to　receive　their　succour；　since　they　were　so　powerful…　and　in　the　earnestness　of　his　entreaties；　he　cared　little　what　he　promised…　till；　at　the　last；　he　prevailed　and　won　them　over。　It　seems　indeed　to　be　easier　to　deceive　a　multitude　than　one　man…　for　Aristagoras；　though　he　failed　to　impose　on　Cleomenes　the　Lacedaemonian；　succeeded　with　the　Athenians；　who　were　thirty　thousand。　Won　by　his　persuasions；　they　voted　that　twenty　ships　should　be　sent　to　the　aid　of　the　Ionians；　under　the　command　of　Melanthius；　one　of　the　citizens；　a　man　of　mark　in　every　way。　These　ships　were　the　beginning　of　mischief　both　to　the　Greeks　and　to　the　barbarians。　　　　　Aristagoras　sailed　away　in　advance；　and　when　he　reached　Miletus；　devised　a　plan；　from　which　no　manner　of　advantage　could　possibly　accrue　to　the　Ionians；…　indeed；　in　forming　it；　he　did　not　aim　at　their　benefit；　but　his　sole　wish　was　to　annoy　King　Darius。　He　sent　a　messenger　into　Phrygia　to　those　Paeonians　who　had　been　led　away　captive　by　Megabazus　from　the　river　Strymon；　and　who　now　dwelt　by　themselves　in　Phrygia；　having　a　tract　of　land　and　a　hamlet　of　their　own。　This　man；　when　he　reached　the　Paeonians；　spoke　thus　to　them：…　　　　　〃Men　of　Paeonia；　Aristagoras；　king　of　Miletus；　has　sent　me　to　you；　to　inform　you　that　you　may　now　escape；　if　you　choose　to　follow　the　advice　he　proffers。　All　Ionia　has　revolted　from　the　king；　and　the　way　is　open　to　you　to　return　to　your　own　land。　You　have　only　to　contrive　to　reach　the　sea…coast；　the　rest　shall　be　our　business。〃　　　　　When　the　Paeonians　heard　this；　they　were　exceedingly　rejoiced；　and；　taking　with　them　their　wives　and　children；　they　made　all　speed　to　the　coast；　a　few　only　remaining　in　Phrygia　through　fear。　The　rest；　having　reached　the　sea；　crossed　over　to　Chios；　where　they　had　just　landed；　when　a　great　troop　of　Persian　horse　came　following　upon　their　heels；　and　seeking　to　overtake　them。　Not　succeeding；　however；　they　sent　a　message　across　to　Chios；　and　begged　the　Paeonians　to　come　back　again。　These　last　refused；　and　were　conveyed　by　the　Chians　from　Chios　to　Lesbos；　and　by　the　Lesbians　thence　to　Doriscus；　from　which　place　they　made　their　way　on　foot　to　Paeonia。　　　　　The　Athenians　now　arrived　with　a　fleet　of　twenty　sail；　and　brought　also　in　their　company　five　triremes　of　the　Eretrians；　which　had　joined　the　expedition；　not　so　much　out　of　goodwill　towards　Athens；　as　to　pay　a　debt　which　they　already　owed　to　the　people　of　Miletus。　For　in　the　old　war　between　the　Chalcideans　and　Eretrians；　the　Milesians　fought　on　the　Eretrian　side　throughout；　while　the　Chalcideans　had　the　help　of　the　Samian　people。　Aristagoras；　on　their　arrival；　assembled　the　rest　of　his　allies；　and　proceeded　to　attack　Sardis；　not　however　leading　the　army　in　person；　but　appointing　to　the　command　his　own　brother　Charopinus　and　Hermophantus；　one　of　the　citizens；　while　he　himself　remained　behind　in　Miletus。　　　　　The　Ionians　sailed　with　this　fleet　to　Ephesus；　and；　leaving　their　ships　at　Coressus　in　the　Ephesian　territory；　took　guides　from　the　city；　and　went　up　the　country　with　a　great　host。　They　marched　along　the　course　of　the　river　Cayster；　and；　crossing　over　the　ridge　of　Tmolus；　came　down　upon　Sardis　and　took　it；　no　man　opposing　them；…　the　whole　city　fell　into　their　hands；　except　only　the　citadel；　which　Artaphernes　defended　in　person；　having　with　him　no　contemptible　force。　　　　　Though；　however；　they　took　the　city；　they　did　not　succeed　in　plundering　it；　for；　as　the　houses　in　Sardis　were　most　of　them　built　of　reeds；　and　even　the　few　which　were　of　brick　had　a　reed　thatching　for　their　roof；　one　of　them　was　no　sooner　fired　by　a　soldier　than　the　flames　ran　speedily　from　house　to　house；　and　spread　over　the　whole　place。　As　the　fire　raged；　the　Lydians　and　such　Persians　as　were　in　the　city；　inclosed　on　every　side　by　the　flames；　which　had　seized　all　the　skirts　of　the　town；　and　finding　themselves　unable　to　get　out；　came　in　crowds　into　the　market…place；　and　gathered　themselves　upon　the　banks　of　the　Pactolus　This　stream；　which　comes　down　from　Mount　Tmolus；　and　brings　the　Sardians　a　quantity　of　gold…dust；　runs　directly　through　the　market　place　of　Sardis；　and　joins　the　Hermus；　before　that　river　reaches　the　sea。　So　the　Lydians　and　Persians；　brought　together　in　this　way　in　the　market…place　and　about　the　Pactolus；　were　forced　to　stand　on　their　defence；　and　the　Ionians；　when　they　saw　the　enemy　in　part　resisting；　in　part　pouring　towards　them　in　dense　crowds；　took　fright；　and　drawing　off　to　the　ridge　which　is　called　Tmolus　when　night　came；　went　back　to　their　ships。　　　　　Sardis　however　was　burnt；　and；　among　other　buildings；　a　temple　of　the　native　goddess　Cybele　was　destroyed；　which　was　the　reason　afterwards　alleged　by　the　Persians　for　setting　on　fire　the　temples　of　the　Greeks。　As　soon　as　what　had　happened　was　known；　all　the　Persians　who　were　stationed　on　this　side　the　Halys　drew　together；　and　brought　help　to　the　Lydians。　Finding　however；　when　they　arrived；　that　the　Ionians　had　already　withdrawn　from　Sardis；　they　set　off；　and；　following　close　upon　their　track；　came　up　with　them　at　Ephesus。　The　Ionians　drew　out　against　them　in　battle　array；　and　a　fight　ensued；　wherein　the　Greeks　had　very　greatly　the　worse。　Vast　numbers　were　slain　by　the　Persians：　among　other　men　of　note；　they　killed　the　captain　of　the　Eretrians；　a　certain　Eualcidas；　a　man　who　had　gained　crowns　at　the　Games；　and　received　much　praise　from　Simonides　the　Cean。　Such　as　made　their　escape　from　the　battle；　dispersed　among　the　several　cities。　　　　　So　ended　this　encounter。　Afterwards　the　Athenians　quite　forsook　the　Ionians；　and；　though　Aristagoras　besought　them　much　by　his　ambassadors；　refused　to　give　him　any　further　help。　Still　the　Ionians；　notwithstanding　this　desertion；　continued　unceasingly　their　preparations　to　carry　on　the　war　against　the　Persian　king；　which　their　late　conduct　towards　him　had　rendered　unavoidable。　Sailing　into　the　Hellespont；　they　brought　Byzantium；　and　all　the　other　cities　in　that　quarter；　under　their　sway。　Again；　quitting　the　Hellespont；　they　went　to　Caria；　and　won　the　greater　part　of　the　Carians　to　their　side；　while　Caunus；　which　had　formerly　refused　to　join　with　them；　after　the　burning　of　Sardis；　came　over　likewise。　　　　　All　the　Cyprians　too；　excepting　those　of　Amathus；　of　their　own　proper　motion　espoused　the　Ionian　cause。　The　occasion　of　their　revolting　from　the　Medes　was　the　following。　There　was　a　certain　Onesilus；　younger　brother　of　Gorgus；　king　of　Salamis；　and　son　of　Chersis；　who　was　son　of　Siromus；　and　grandson　of　Evelthon。　This　man　had　often　in　former　times　entreated　Gorgus　to　rebel　against　the　king；　but；　when　he　heard　of　the　revolt　of　the　Ionians；　he　left　him　no　peace　with　his　importunity。　As；　however；　Gorgus　would　not　hearken　to　him；　he　watched　his　occasion；　and　when　his　brother　had　gone　outside　the　town；　he　with　his　partisans　closed　the　gates　upon　him。　Gorgus；　thus　deprived　of　his　city；　fled　to　the　Medes；　and　Onesilus；　being　now　king　of　Salamis；　sought　to　bring　about　a　revolt　of　the　whole　of　Cyprus。　All　were　prevailed　on　except　the　Amathusians；　who　refused　to　listen　to　him；　whereupon　Onesilus　sate　down　before　Amathus；　and　laid　siege　to　it。　　　　　While　Onesilus　was　engaged　in　the　siege　of　Amathus；　King　Darius　received　tidings　of　the　taking　and　burning　of　Sardis　by　the　Athenians　and　Ionians；　and　at　the　same　time　he　learnt　that　the　author　of　the　league；　the　man　by　whom　the　whole　matter　had　been　Planned　and　contrived；　was　Aristagoras　the　Milesian。　It　is　said　that　he　no　sooner