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ight　about　the　Scythian　gifts。　As；　therefore；　his　opinion　is　now　mine　likewise；　it　is　time　we　form　some　wise　plan　whereby　we　may　secure　ourselves　a　safe　return　to　our　homes。〃　〃Ah！　sire；〃　Gobryas　rejoined；　〃I　was　well　nigh　sure；　ere　I　came　here；　that　this　was　an　impracticable　race…　since　our　coming　I　am　yet　more　convinced　of　it；　especially　now　that　I　see　them　making　game　of　us。　My　advice　is；　therefore；　that；　when　night　falls；　we　light　our　fires　as　we　are　wont　to　do　at　other　times；　and　leaving　behind　us　on　some　pretext　that　portion　of　our　army　which　is　weak　and　unequal　to　hardship；　taking　care　also　to　leave　our　asses　tethered；　retreat　from　Scythia；　before　our　foes　march　forward　to　the　Ister　and　destroy　the　bridge；　or　the　Ionians　come　to　any　resolution　which　may　lead　to　our　ruin。〃　　　　　So　Gobryas　advised；　and　when　night　came；　Darius　followed　his　counsel；　and　leaving　his　sick　soldiers；　and　those　whose　loss　would　be　of　least　account；　with　the　asses　also　tethered　about　the　camp；　marched　away。　The　asses　were　left　that　their　noise　might　be　heard：　the　men；　really　because　they　were　sick　and　useless；　but　under　the　pretence　that　he　was　about　to　fall　upon　the　Scythians　with　the　flower　of　his　troops；　and　that　they　meanwhile　were　to　guard　his　camp　for　him。　Having　thus　declared　his　plans　to　the　men　whom　he　was　deserting；　and　having　caused　the　fires　to　be　lighted；　Darius　set　forth；　and　marched　hastily　towards　the　Ister。　The　asses；　aware　of　the　departure　of　the　host；　brayed　louder　than　ever；　and　the　Scythians；　hearing　the　sound；　entertained　no　doubt　of　the　Persians　being　still　in　the　same　place。　　　　　When　day　dawned；　the　men　who　had　been　left　behind；　perceiving　that　they　were　betrayed　by　Darius；　stretched　out　their　hands　towards　the　Scythians；　and　spoke　as。　befitted　their　situation。　The　enemy　no　sooner　heard；　than　they　quickly　joined　all　their　troops　in　one；　and　both　portions　of　the　Scythian　army…　alike　that　which　consisted　of　a　single　division；　and　that　made　up　of　two…　accompanied　by　all　their　allies；　the　Sauromatae；　the　Budini；　and　the　Geloni；　set　off　in　pursuit；　and　made　straight　for　the　Ister。　As；　however；　the　Persian　army　was　chiefly　foot；　and　had　no　knowledge　of　the　routes；　which　are　not　cut　out　in　Scythia；　while　the　Scyths　were　all　horsemen　and　well　acquainted　with　the　shortest　way；　it　so　happened　that　the　two　armies　missed　one　another；　and　the　Scythians；　getting　far　ahead　of　their　adversaries；　came　first　to　the　bridge。　Finding　that　the　Persians　were　not　yet　arrived；　they　addressed　the　Ionians；　who　were　aboard　their　ships；　in　these　words：…　〃Men　of　Ionia；　the　number　of　your　days　is　out；　and　ye　do　wrong　to　remain。　Fear　doubtless　has　kept　you　here　hitherto：　now；　however；　you　may　safely　break　the　bridge；　and　hasten　back　to　your　homes；　rejoicing　that　you　are　free；　and　thanking　for　it　the　gods　and　the　Scythians。　Your　former　lord　and　master　we　undertake　so　to　handle；　that　he　will　never　again　make　war　upon　any　one。〃　　　　　The　Ionians　now　held　a　council。　Miltiades　the　Athenian；　who　was　king　of　the　Chersonesites　upon　the　Hellespont；　and　their　commander　at　the　Ister；　recommended　the　other　generals　to　do　as　the　Scythians　wished；　and　restore　freedom　to　Ionia。　But　Histiaeus　the　Milesian　opposed　this　advice。　〃It　is　through　Darius；〃　he　said；　〃that　we　enjoy　our　thrones　in　our　several　states。　If　his　power　be　overturned；　I　cannot　continue　lord　of　Miletus；　nor　ye　of　your　cities。　For　there　is　not　one　of　them　which　will　not　prefer　democracy　to　kingly　rule。〃　Then　the　other　captains；　who；　till　Histiaeus　spoke；　were　about　to　vote　with　Miltiades；　changed　their　minds；　and　declared　in　favour　of　the　last　speaker。　　　　　The　following　were　the　voters　on　this　occasion…　all　of　them　men　who　stood　high　in　the　esteem　of　the　Persian　king：　the　tyrants　of　the　Hellespont…　Daphnis　of　Abydos；　Hippoclus　of　Lampsacus；　Herophantus　of　Parium；　Metrodorus　of　Proconnesus；　Aristagoras　of　Cyzicus；　and　Ariston　of　Byzantium；　the　Ionian　princes…　Strattis　of　Chios；　Aeaces　of　Samos；　Laodamas　of　Phocaea；　and　Histiaeus　of　Miletus；　the　man　who　had　opposed　Miltiades。　Only　one　Aeolian　of　note　was　present；　to　wit；　Aristagoras　of　Cyme。　　　　　Having　resolved　to　follow　the　advice　of　Histiaeus；　the　Greek　leaders　further　determined　to　speak　and　act　as　follows。　In　order　to　appear　to　the　Scythians　to　be　doing　something；　when　in　fact　they　were　doing　nothing　of　consequence；　and　likewise　to　prevent　them　from　forcing　a　passage　across　the　Ister　by　the　bridge；　they　resolved　to　break　up　the　part　of　the　bridge　which　abutted　on　Scythia；　to　the　distance　of　a　bowshot　from　the　river　bank；　and　to　assure　the　Scythians；　while　the　demolition　was　proceeding；　that　there　was　nothing　which　they　would　not　do　to　pleasure　them。　Such　were　the　additions　made　to　the　resolution　of　Histiaeus；　and　then　Histiaeus　himself　stood　forth　and　made　answer　to　the　Scyths　in　the　name　of　all　the　Greeks。…　〃Good　is　the　advice　which　ye　have　brought　us；　Scythians；　and　well　have　ye　done　to　come　here　with　such　speed。　Your　efforts　have　now　put　us　into　the　right　path；　and　our　efforts　shall　not　be　wanting　to　advance　your　cause。　Your　own　eyes　see　that　we　are　engaged　in　breaking　the　bridge；　and；　believe　us；　we　will　work　zealously　to　procure　our　own　freedom。　Meantime；　while　we　labour　here　at　our　task；　be　it　your　business　to　seek　them　out；　and；　when　found；　for　our　sakes；　as　well　as　your　own；　to　visit　them　with　the　vengeance　which　they　so　well　deserve。〃　　　　　Again　the　Scyths　put　faith　in　the　promises　of　the　Ionian　chiefs；　and　retraced　their　steps；　hoping　to　fall　in　with　the　Persians。　They　missed；　however；　the　enemy's　whole　line　of　march；　their　own　former　acts　being　to　blame　for　it。　Had　they　not　ravaged　all　the　pasturages　of　that　region；　and　filled　in　all　the　wells；　they　would　have　easily　found　the　Persians　whenever　they　chose。　But；　as　it　turned　out；　the　measures　which　seemed　to　them　so　wisely　planned　were　exactly　what　caused　their　failure。　They　took　a　route　where　water　was　to　be　found　and　fodder　could　be　got　for　their　horses；　and　on　this　track　sought　their　adversaries；　expecting　that　they　too　would　retreat　through　regions　where　these　things　were　to　be　obtained。　The　Persians；　however；　kept　strictly　to　the　line　of　their　former　march；　never　for　a　moment　departing　from　it；　and　even　so　gained　the　bridge　with　difficulty。　It　was　night　when　they　arrived；　and　their　terror；　when　they　found　the　bridge　broken　up；　was　great；　for　they　thought　that　perhaps　the　Ionians　had　deserted　them。　　　　　Now　there　was　in　the　army　of　Darius　a　certain　man；　an　Egyptian；　who　had　a　louder　voice　than　any　other　man　in　the　world。　This　person　was　bid　by　Darius　to　stand　at　the　water's　edge；　and　call　Histiaeus　the　Milesian。　The　fellow　did　as　he　was　bid；　and　Histiaeus；　hearing　him　at　the　very　first　summons；　brought　the　fleet　to　assist　in　conveying　the　army　across；　and　once　more　made　good　the　bridge。　　　　　By　these　means　the　Persians　escaped　from　Scythia；　while　the　Scyths　sought　for　them　in　vain；　again　missing　their　track。　And　hence　the　Scythians　are　accustomed　to　say　of　the　Ionians；　by　way　of　reproach；　that；　if　they　be　looked　upon　as　freemen；　they　are　the　basest　and　most　dastardly　of　all　mankind…　but　if　they　be　considered　as　under　servitude；　they　are　the　faithfullest　of　slaves；　and　the　most　fondly　at。　to　their　lords。　　　　　Darius；　having　passed　through　Thrace；　reached　Sestos　in　the　Chersonese；　whence　he　crossed　by　the　help　of　his　fleet　into　Asia；　leaving　a　Persian；　named　Megabazus；　commander　on　the　European　side。　This　was　the　man　on　whom　Darius　once　conferred　special　honour　by　a　compliment　which　he　paid　him　before　all　the　Persians。　was　about　to　eat　some　pomegranates；　and　had　opened　the　first；　when　his　brother　Artabanus　asked　him　〃what　he　would　like　to　have　in　as　great　plenty　as　the　seeds　of　the　pomegranate？〃　Darius　answered…　〃Had　I　as　many　men　like　Megabazus　as　there　are　seeds　here；　it　would　please　me　better　than　to　be　lord　of　Greece。〃　Such　was　the　compliment　wherewith　Darius　honoured　the　general　to　whom　at　this　time　he　gave　the　command　of　the　troops　left　in　Europe；　amounting　in　all　to　some　eighty　thousand　men。　　　　　This　same　Megabazus　got　himself　an　undying　remembrance　among　the　Hellespontians；　by　a　certain　speech　which　he　made。　It　came　to　his　knowledge；　while　he　was　staying　at　Byzantium；　that　the　Chalcedonians　made　their　settlement　seventeen　years　earlier　than　the　Byzantines。　〃Then；〃　said　he；　〃the　Chalcedonians　must　at　that　time　have　been　labouring　under　blindness…　otherwise；　when　so　far　more　excellent　a　site　was　open　to　them；　they　would　never　have　chosen　one　so　greatly　inferior。〃　Megabazus　now；　having　been　appointed　to　take　the　command　upon　the　Hellespont；　employed　himself　in　the　reduction　of　all　those　states　which　had　not　of　their　own　accord　joined　the　Medes。　　　　　About　this　very　time　another　great　expedition　was　undertaken　against　Libya；　on　a　pretext　which　I　will　relate　when　I　have　premised　certain　particulars。　The　descendants　of　the　Argonauts　in　the　third　generation；　driven　out　of　Lemnos　by　the　Pelasgi　who　carried　off　the　Athenian　women　from　Brauron；　took　ship　and　went　to　Lacedaemon；　where；　seating　themselves　on　Mount　Taygetum；　they　proceeded　to　kindle　their　fires。　The　Lacedaemonians；　seeing　this；　sent　a　herald　to　inquire　of　them　〃who　they　were；　and　from　what　region　they　had　come〃；　whereupon　they　made　answer；　〃that　they　were　Minyae；　sons　of　the　heroes　by　whom　the　ship　Argo　was　manned；　for　these　persons　had　stayed　awhile　in　Lemnos；　and　had　there　become　their　progenitors。〃　On　hearing　this　account　of　their　descent；　the　Lacedaemonians　sent　to　them　a　second　time；　and　asked　〃what　was　their　object　in　coming　to　Lacedaemon；　and　there　kindling　their　fires？〃　They　answered；　〃that；　driven　from　their　own　land　by　the　Pelasgi；　they　had　come；　as　was　most　reasonable；　to　their　fathers；　and　their　wish　was　to　dwell　with　them　in　their　country；　partake　their　privileges；　and　obtain　allotments　of　land。　It　seemed　good　to　the　Lacedaemonians　to　receive　the　Minyae　among　them　on　their　own　terms；　to　assign　them　lands；　and　enrol　them　in　their　tribes。　What　chiefly　moved　them　to　this　was　the　consideration　that　the　sons　of　Tyndarus　had　sailed　on　board　the　Argo。　The　Minyae；　on　their　part；　forthwith　married　Spartan　wives；　and　gave　the　wives；　whom　they　had　married　in　Lemnos；　to　Spartan　husbands。　　　　　However；　before　much　time　had　elapsed；　the　Minyae　began　to　wax