ongst others Hipparchus, son of Charmes,
i.e. in 507-6.

** Herodotus said that Darius sent spies with the physician
Democedes of Crotona shortly before the Scythian expedition.

While he thus studied the territory from a distance, he did not neglect
precautions nearer to hand, but ordered the Milesians to occupy in
his name the principal stations of the AEgean between Ionia and Attica.
Histiasus, whose loyalty had stood Darius in such good stead at the
bridge over the Danube, did not, however, appear to him equal to so
delicate a task: the king summoned him to Susa on some slight pretext,
loaded him with honours, and replaced him by his nephew Aristagoras.
Aristagoras at once attempted to justify the confidence placed in him by
taking possession of Naxos; but the surprise that he had prepared ended
in failure, discontent crept in among his men, and after a fruitless
siege of four months he was obliged to withdraw (499).* His failure
changed the tide of affairs. He was afraid that the Persians would
regard it as a crime, and this fear prompted him to risk everything to
save his fortune and his life. He retired from his office as tyrant,
exhorted the Milesians, who were henceforth free to do so, to make war
on the barbarians, and seduced from their allegiance the crews of the
vessels just returned from Naxos, and still lying in the mouths of the
Meander; the tyrants who commanded them were seized, some exiled,
and some put to death. The AEolians soon made common cause with their
neighbours the Ionians, and by the last days of autumn the whole of the
AEgean littoral was under arms (499).**

* Herodotus attributes an unlikely act of treachery to
Megabates the Persian, who was commanding the Iranian
contingent attached to the Ionian troops.

** The Dorian cities took no part in the revolt--at least
Herodotus never mentions them among the confederates. The
three Ionian cities of Ephesus, Kolophon, and Lebedos also
seem to have remained aloof, and we know that the Ephesians
were not present at the battle of Lade.

From the outset Aristagoras realised that they would be promptly
overcome if Asiatic Hellas were not supported by Hellas in Europe.
While the Lydian satrap was demanding reinforcements from his sovereign,
Aristagoras therefore repaired to the Peloponnesus as a suppliant for
help. Sparta, embroiled in one of her periodical quarrels with Argos,
gave him an i