a smaller history of greece-第13节

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　coast；　were　overtaken　by　a　large　Persian　force　and　defeated　with　great　slaughter。　　The　Athenians　hastened　on　board　their　ships　and　sailed　home。

When　Darius　heard　of　the　burning　of　Sardis；　he　burst　into　a　paroxysm　of　rage。　　It　was　against　the　obscure　strangers　who　had　dared　to　burn　one　of　his　capitals　that　his　wrath　was　chiefly　directed。　　〃The　Athenians！〃　　he　exclaimed；　〃who　are　they？〃　　Upon　being　informed　he　took　his　bow；　shot　an　arrow　high　into　the　air；　saying；　〃Grant　me；　Jove；　to　take　vengeance　upon　the　Athenians！〃　And　he　charged　one　of　his　attendants　to　remind　him　thrice　every　day　at　dinner　〃Sire；　remember　the　Athenians。〃　　Meantime　the　insurrection　spread　to　the　Greek　cities　in　Cyprus；　as　well　as　to　those　on　the　Hellespont　and　the　Propontis；　and　seemed　to　promise　permanent　independence　to　the　Asiatic　Greeks；　but　they　were　no　match　for　the　whole　power　of　the　Persian　empire；　which　was　soon　brought　against　them。　　Cyprus　was　subdued；　and　siege　laid　to　the　cities　upon　the　coast　of　Asia。　　Aristagoras　now　began　to　despair；　and　basely　deserted　his　countrymen；　whom　he　had　led　into　peril。　Collecting　a　large　body　of　Milesians；　he　set　sail　for　the　Thracian　coast；　where　he　was　slain　under　the　walls　of　a　town　to　which　he　had　laid　siege。　　Soon　after　his　departure；　his　father…　in…law；　Histiaeus　came　down　to　the　coast。　　The　artful　Greek　not　only　succeeded　in　removing　the　suspicions　which　Darius　first　entertained　respecting　him；　but　he　persuaded　the　king　to　send　him　into　Ionia；　in　order　to　assist　the　Persian　generals　in　suppressing　the　rebellion。　　Artaphernes；　however；　was　not　so　easily　deceived　as　his　master；　and　plainly　accused　Histiaeus　of　treachery　when　the　latter　arrived　at　Sardis。　　〃I　will　tell　you　how　the　facts　stand〃　said　Artaphernes　to　Histiaeus；　〃it　was　you　who　made　the　shoe；　and　Aristagoras　has　put　it　on。〃　　Finding　himself　unsafe　at　Sardis；　he　escaped　to　the　island　of　Chios；　but　he　was　regarded　with　suspicion　by　all　parties。　　At　length　he　obtained　eight　galleys　from　Lesbos；　with　which　he　sailed　towards　Byzantium；　and　carried　on　piracies　as　well　against　the　Grecian　as　the　barbarian　vessels。　　This　unprincipled　adventurer　met　with　a　traitor's　death。　　Having　landed　on　the　coast　of　Mysia；　he　was　surprised　by　a　Persian　force　and　made　prisoner。　　Being　carried　to　Sardis；　Artaphernes　at　once　caused　him　to　be　crucified；　and　sent　his　head　to　Darius；　who　ordered　it　to　be　honourably　buried；　condemning　the　ignominious　execution　of　the　man　who　had　once　saved　the　life　of　the　Great　King。

In　the　sixth　year　of　the　revolt　（B。C。　495）；　when　several　Grecian　cities　had　already　been　taken　by　the　Persians；　Artaphernes　laid　siege　to　Miletus　by　sea　and　by　land。　　A　naval　engagement　took　place　at　Lade　a　small　island　off　Miletus；　which　decided　the　fate　of　the　war。　　The　Samians　deserted　at　the　commencement　of　the　battle；　and　the　Ionian　fleet　was　completely　defeated。　　Miletus　was　soon　afterwards　taken；　and　was　treated　with　signal　severity。　Most　of　the　males　were　slain；　and　the　few　who　escaped　the　sword　were　carried　with　the　women　and　children　into　captivity　（B。C。　494）。　　The　other　Greek　cities　in　Asia　and　the　neighbouring　islands　were　treated　with　the　same　cruelty。　　The　islands　of　Chios；　Lesbos；　and　Tenedos　were　swept　of　their　inhabitants；　and　the　Persian　fleet　sailed　up　to　the　Hellespont　and　Propontis；　carrying　with　it　fire　and　sword。　　The　Athenian　Miltiades　only　escaped　falling　into　the　power　of　the　Persians　by　a　rapid　flight　to　Athens。

The　subjugation　of　Ionia　was　now　complete。　　This　was　the　third　time　that　the　Asiatic　Greeks　had　been　conquered　by　a　foreign　power：　　first　by　the　Lydian　Croesus；　secondly　by　the　generals　of　Cyrus；　and　lastly　by　those　of　Darius。　　It　was　from　the　last　that　they　suffered　most；　and　they　never　fully　recovered　their　former　prosperity。

Darius　was　now　at　liberty　to　take　vengeance　upon　the　Athenians。　He　appointed　Mardonius　to　succeed　Artaphernes　as　satrap　in　western　Asia；　and　he　placed　under　his　command　a　large　armament；　with　injunctions　to　bring　to　Susa　those　Athenians　and　Eretrians　who　had　insulted　the　authority　of　the　Great　King。　　Mardonius；　after　crossing　the　Hellespont；　commenced　his　march　through　Thrace　and　Macedonia；　subduing；　as　he　went　along；　the　tribes　which　had　not　yet　submitted　to　the　Persian　power。　　He　ordered　the　fleet　to　double　the　promontory　of　Mount　Athos；　and　join　the　land　forces　at　the　head　of　the　gulf　of　Therma；　but　one　of　the　hurricanes　which　frequently　blow　off　this　dangerous　coast　overtook　the　Persian　fleet；　destroyed　300　vessels　and　drowned　or　dashed　upon　the　rocks　20；000　men。　　Meantime　the　land　forces　of　Mardonius　had　suffered　so　much　from　an　attack　made　upon　them　by　a　Thracian　tribe；　that　he　could　not　proceed　farther。　　He　led　his　army　back　across　the　Hellespont；　and　returned　to　the　Persian　court　covered　with　shame　and　grief　（B。C。　492）。

The　failure　of　this　expedition　did　not　shake　the　resolution　of　Darius。　　He　began　to　make　preparations　for　another　attempt　on　a　still　larger　scale；　and　meantime　sent　heralds　to　most　of　the　Grecian　states　to　demand　from　each　earth　and　water　as　the　symbol　of　submission。　　Such　terror　had　the　Persians　inspired　by　their　recent　conquest　of　Ionia；　that　a　large　number　of　the　Grecian　cities　at　once　complied　with　the　demand；　but　the　Athenians　cast　the　herald　into　a　deep　pit；　and　the　Spartans　threw　him　into　a　well　bidding　him　take　earth　and　water　from　thence。

In　the　spring　of　B。C。　490　a　large　army　and　fleet　were　assembled　in　Cilicia；　and　the　command　was　given　to　Datis；　a　Median；　and　Artaphernes；　son　of　the　satrap　of　Sardis　of　that　name。　　Warned　by　the　recent　disaster　of　Mardonius　in　doubling　the　promontory　of　Mount　Athos；　they　resolved　to　sail　straight　across　the　AEgean　to　Euboea；　subduing　on　their　way　the　Cyclades。　　These　islands　yielded　a　ready　submission；　and　it　was　not　till　Datis　and　Artaphernes　reached　Euboea　that　they　encountered　any　resistance。　Eretria　defended　itself　gallantly　for　six　days；　and　repulsed　the　Persians　with　loss；　but　on　the　seventh　the　gates　were　opened　to　the　besiegers　by　the　treachery　of　two　of　its　leading　citizens。　The　city　was　razed　to　the　ground；　and　the　inhabitants　were　put　in　chains。　　From　Eretria　the　Persians　crossed　over　to　Attica；　and　landed　on　the　ever　memorable　plain　of　Marathon；　a　spot　which　had　been　pointed　out　to　them　by　the　despot　Hippias；　who　accompanied　the　army。

As　soon　as　the　news　of　the　fall　of　Eretria　reached　Athens；　a　courier　had　been　sent　to　Sparta　to　solicit　assistance。　　This　was　promised；　but　the　superstition　of　the　Spartans　prevented　them　from　setting　out　immediately；　since　it　wanted　a　few　days　to　the　full　moon；　and　it　was　contrary　to　their　religious　customs　to　commence　a　march　during　this　interval。　　Meantime　the　Athenians　had　marched　to　Marathon；　and　were　encamped　upon　the　mountains　which　surrounded　the　plain。　　They　were　commanded；　according　to　the　regular　custom；　by　ten　generals；　one　for　each　tribe；　and　by　the　Polemarch；　or　third　Archon；　who　down　to　this　time　continued　to　be　a　colleague　of　the　generals。　　Among　these　the　most　distinguished　was　Miltiades；　who；　though　but　lately　a　tyrant　in　the　Chersonesus；　had　shown　such　energy　and　ability；　that　the　Athenians　had　elected　him　one　of　their　commanders　upon　the　approach　of　the　Persian　fleet。　　Upon　learning　the　answer　which　the　courier　brought　from　Sparta；　the　ten　generals　were　divided　in　opinion。　　Five　of　them　were　opposed　to　an　immediate　engagement　with　the　overwhelming　number　of　Persians；　and　urged　the　importance　of　waiting　for　the　arrival　of　the　Lacedaemonian　succours。　　Miltiades　and　the　remaining　four　contended　that　not　a　moment　should　be　lost　in　fighting　the　Persians；　not　only　in　order　to　avail　themselves　of　the　present　enthusiasm　of　the　people；　but　still　more　to　prevent　treachery　from　spreading　among　their　ranks。　Callimachus；　the　Polemarch；　yielded　to　the　arguments　of　Miltiades；　and　gave　his　vote　for　the　battle。　　The　ten　generals　commanded　their　army　in　rotation；　each　for　one　day；　but　they　now　agreed　to　surrender　to　Miltiades　their　days　of　command；　in　order　to　invest　the　whole　power　in　a　single　person。　　While　the　Athenians　were　preparing　for　battle；　they　received　unexpected　assistance　from　the　little　town　or　Plataea；　in　Boeotia。　　Grateful　to　the　Athenians　for　the　assistance　which　they　had　rendered　them　against　the　Thebans；　the　whole　force　of　Plataea；　amounting　to　1000　heavy…armed　men；　marched　to　the　assistance　of　their　allies　and　joined　them　at　Marathon。　　The　Athenian　army　numbered　only　10；000　hoplites；　or　heavy…armed　soldiers：　　there　were　no　archers　or　cavalry；　and　only　some　slaves　as　light…armed　attendants。　　Of　the　number　of　the　Persian　army　we　have　no　trustworthy　account；　but　the　lowest　estimate　makes　it　consist　of　110；000　men。

The　plain　of　Marathon　lies　on　the　eastern　coast　of　Attica；　at　the　distance　of　twenty…two　miles　from　Athens　by　the　shortest　road。　it　is　in　the　form　of　a　crescent；　the　horns　of　which　consist　of　two　promontories　running　into　the　sea；　and　forming　a　semicircular　bay。　　This　plain　is　about　six　miles　in　length；　and　in　its　widest　or　central　part　about　two　in　breadth。　　On　the　day　of　battle　the　Persian　army　was　drawn　up　along　the　plain　about　a　mile　from　the　sea；　and　their　fleet　was　ranged　behind　them　on　the　beach。　　The　Athenians　occupied　the　rising　ground　above　the