ing back and leaving their
ships at Ephesus, they invaded Sardis and besieged Artaphernes, who was
fled into the castle, that so they might raise the siege of Miletus. And
this indeed they effected, causing the enemies to break up their camp
and remove thence in a wonderful fright, and then seeing themselves in
danger to be oppressed by a multitude, retired. This not only others,
but Lysanias of Mallus also in his history of Eretria relates, thinking
it convenient, if for no other reason, yet after the taking and
destruction of the city, to add this valiant and heroic act. But this
writer of ours says, they were defeated, and pursued even to their ships
by the barbarians; though Charon the Lampsacenian has no such thing, but
writes thus, word for word: "The Athenians set forth with twenty
galleys to the assistance of the Ionians, and going to Sardis, took all
thereabouts, except the King's wall; which having done, they returned to
Miletus."

In his Sixth Book, our author, discoursing of the Plataeans,--how they
gave themselves to the Lacedaemonians, who exhorted them rather to
have recourse to the Athenians, who were nearer to them and no bad
defenders,--adds, not as a matter of suspicion or opinion, but as a
thing certainly known by him, that the Lacedaemonians gave the Plataeans
this advice, not so much for any goodwill, as through a desire to find
work for the Athenians by engaging them with the Boeotians. (Herodotus,
vi. 108.) If then Herodotus is not malicious, the Lacedaemonians must
have been both fraudulent and spiteful; and the Athenians fools, in
suffering themselves to be thus imposed on; and the Plataeans were
brought into play, not for any good-will or respect, but as an occasion
of war.

He is farther manifestly convinced of belying the Lacedaemonians, when
he says that, whilst they expected the full moon, they failed of giving
their assistance to the Athenians at Marathon. For they not only made
a thousand other excursions and fights at the beginning of the month,
without staying for the full moon; but wanted so little of being
present at this very battle, which was fought the sixth day of the month
Boedromion, that at their coming they found the dead still lying in the
field. And yet he has written thus of the full moon: "It was impossible
for them to do these things at that present, being unwilling to break
the law; for it was the ninth of the month, and they said, they could
not go forth on the ninth