s, of course, a Greek, and
Artaphernes a Persian.

Among the Greek islands situated in the AEgean Sea, one of the most
wealthy, important, and powerful at that time, was Naxos. It was
situated in the southern part of the sea, and about midway between the
shores of Asia Minor and Greece. It happened that, soon after Darius
had returned from Asia Minor to Persia, a civil war broke out in that
island, in which the common people were on one side and the nobles on
the other. The nobles were overcome in the contest, and fled from the
island. A party of them landed at Miletus, and called upon Aristagoras
to aid them in regaining possession of the island.

Aristagoras replied that he would very gladly do it if he had the
power, but that the Persian forces on the whole coast, both naval and
military, were under the command of Artaphernes at Sardis. He said,
however, that he was on very friendly terms with Artaphernes, and that
he would, if the Naxians desired it, apply to him for his aid. The
Naxians seemed very grateful for the interest which Aristagoras took
in their cause, and said that they would commit the whole affair to
his charge.

There was, however, much less occasion for gratitude than there
seemed, for Aristagoras was very far from being honest and sincere in
his offers of aid. He perceived, immediately on hearing the fugitives'
story, that a very favorable opportunity was opening for him to add
Naxos, and perhaps even the neighboring islands, to his own
government. It is always a favorable opportunity to subjugate a people
when their power of defense and of resistance is neutralized by
dissensions with one another. It is a device as old as the history of
mankind, and one resorted to now as often as ever, for ambitious
neighbors to interpose in behalf of the weaker party, in a civil war
waged in a country which they wish to make their own, and, beginning
with a war against a part, to end by subjugating the whole. This was
Aristagoras's plan. He proposed it to Artaphernes, representing to him
that a very favorable occasion had occurred for bringing the Greek
islands of the AEgean Sea under the Persian dominion. Naxos once
possessed, all the other islands around it would follow, he said, and
a hundred ships would make the conquest sure.

Artaphernes entered very readily and very warmly into the plan. He
said that he would furnish two hundred instead of one hundred
galleys. He thought it was necessary, however, fir