n　their　banishment；　had　fled　to　Miletus。　Aristagoras；　son　of　Molpagoras；　the　nephew　and　likewise　the　son…in…law　of　Histiaeus；　son　of　Lysagoras；　who　was　still　kept　by　Darius　at　Susa；　happened　to　be　regent　of　Miletus　at　the　time　of　their　coming。　For　the　kingly　power　belonged　to　Histiaeus；　but　he　was　at　Susa　when　the　Naxians　came。　Now　these　Naxians　had　in　times　past　been　bond…friends　of　Histiaeus；　and　so　on　their　arrival　at　Miletus　they　addressed　themselves　to　Aristagoras　and　begged　him　to　lend　them　such　aid　as　his　ability　allowed；　in　hopes　thereby　to　recover　their　country。　Then　Aristagoras；　considering　with　himself　that；　if　the　Naxians　should　be　restored　by　his　help；　he　would　be　lord　of　Naxos；　put　forward　the　friendship　with　Histiaeus　to　cloak　his　views；　and　spoke　as　follows：…　　　　　〃I　cannot　engage　to　furnish　you　with　such　a　power　as　were　needful　to　force　you；　against　their　will；　upon　the　Naxians　who　hold　the　city；　for　I　know　they　can　bring　into　the　field　eight　thousand　bucklers；　and　have　also　a　vast　number　of　ships　of　war。　But　I　will　do　all　that　lies　in　my　power　to　get　you　some　aid；　and　I　think　I　can　manage　it　in　this　way。　Artaphernes　happens　to　be　my　friend。　Now　he　is　a　son　of　Hystaspes；　and　brother　to　King　Darius。　All　the　sea…coast　of　Asia　is　under　him；　and　he　has　a　numerous　army　and　numerous　ships。　I　think　I　can　prevail　on　him　to　do　what　we　require。〃　　　　　When　the　Naxians　heard　this；　they　empowered　Aristagoras　to　manage　the　matter　for　them　as　well　as　he　could；　and　told　him　to　promise　gifts　and　pay　for　the　soldiers；　which　（they　said）　they　would　readily　furnish；　since　they　had　great　hope　that　the　Naxians；　so　soon　as　they　saw　them　returned；　would　render　them　obedience；　and　likewise　the　other　islanders。　For　at　that　time　not　one　of　the　Cyclades　was　subject　to　King　Darius。　　　　　So　Aristagoras　went　to　Sardis　and　told　Artaphernes　that　Naxos　was　an　island　of　no　great　size；　but　a　fair　land　and　fertile；　lying　near　Ionia；　and　containing　much　treasure　and　a　vast　number　of　slaves。　〃Make　war　then　upon　this　land　（he　said）　and　reinstate　the　exiles；　for　if　thou　wilt　do　this；　first　of　all；　I　have　very　rich　gifts　in　store　for　thee　（besides　the　cost　of　the　armament；　which　it　is　fair　that　we　who　are　the　authors　of　the　war　should　pay）；　and；　secondly；　thou　wilt　bring　under　the　power　of　the　king　not　only　Naxos　but　the　other　islands　which　depend　on　it；　as　Paros；　Andros；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　Cyclades。　And　when　thou　hast　gained　these；　thou　mayest　easily　go　on　against　Euboea；　which　is　a　large　and　wealthy　island　not　less　in　size　than　Cyprus；　and　very　easy　to　bring　under。　A　hundred　ships　were　quite　enough　to　subdue　the　whole。〃　The　other　answered…　〃Truly　thou　art　the　author　of　a　plan　which　may　much　advantage　the　house　of　the　king；　and　thy　counsel　is　good　in　all　points　except　the　number　of　the　ships。　Instead　of　a　hundred；　two　hundred　shall　be　at　thy　disposal　when　the　spring　comes。　But　the　king　himself　must　first　approve　the　undertaking。〃　　　　　When　Aristagoras　heard　this　he　was　greatly　rejoiced；　and　went　home　in　good　heart　to　Miletus。　And　Artaphernes；　after　he　had　sent　a　messenger　to　Susa　to　lay　the　plans　of　Aristagoras　before　the　king；　and　received　his　approval　of　the　undertaking；　made　ready　a　fleet　of　two　hundred　triremes　and　a　vast　army　of　Persians　and　their　confederates。　The　command　of　these　he　gave　to　a　Persian　named　Megabates；　who　belonged　to　the　house　of　the　Achaemenids；　being　nephew　both　to　himself　and　to　King　Darius。　It　was　to　a　daughter　of　this　man　that　Pausanias　the　Lacedaemonian；　the　son　of　Cleombrotus　（if　at　least　there　be　any　truth　in　the　tale）；　was　allianced　many　years　afterwards；　when　he　conceived　the　desire　of　becoming　tyrant　of　Greece。　Artaphernes　now；　having　named　Megabates　to　the　command；　sent　forward　the　armament　to　Aristagoras。　　　　　Megabates　set　sail；　and；　touching　at　Miletus；　took　on　board　Aristagoras　with　the　Ionian　troops　and　the　Naxians；　after　which　he　steered；　as　he　gave　out；　for　the　Hellespont；　and　when　he　reached　Chios；　he　brought　the　fleet　to　anchor　off　Caucasa；　being　minded　to　wait　there　for　a　north　wind；　and　then　sail　straight　to　Naxos。　The　Naxians　however　were　not　to　perish　at　this　time；　and　so　the　following　events　were　brought　about。　As　Megabates　went　his　rounds　to　visit　the　watches　on　board　the　ships；　he　found　a　Myndian　vessel　upon　which　there　was　none　set。　Full　of　anger　at　such　carelessness；　he　bade　his　guards　to　seek　out　the　captain；　one　Scylax　by　name；　and　thrusting　him　through　one　of　the　holes　in　the　ship's　side；　to　fasten　him　there　in　such　a　way　that　his　head　might　show　outside　the　vessel；　while　his　body　remained　within。　When　Scylax　was　thus　fastened；　one　went　and　informed　Aristagoras　that　Megabates　had　bound　his　Myndian　friend　and　was　entreating　him　shamefully。　So　he　came　and　asked　Megabates　to　let　the　man　off；　but　the　Persian　refused　him；　whereupon　Aristagoras　went　himself　and　set　Scylax　free。　When　Megabates　heard　this　he　was　still　more　angry　than　before；　and　spoke　hotly　to　Aristagoras。　Then　the　latter　said　to　him…　　　　　〃What　has　thou　to　do　with　these　matters？　Wert　thou　not　sent　here　by　Artaphernes　to　obey　me；　and　to　sail　whithersoever　I　ordered？　Why　dost　meddle　so？　　　　　Thus　spake　Aristagoras。　The　other；　in　high　dudgeon　at　such　language；　waited　till　the　night；　and　then　despatched　a　boat　to　Naxos；　to　warn　the　Naxians　of　the　coming　danger。　　　　　Now　the　Naxians　up　to　this　time　had　not　had　any　suspicion　that　the　armament　was　directed　against　them；　as　soon；　therefore；　as　the　message　reached　them；　forthwith　they　brought　within　their　walls　all　that　they　had　in　the　open　field；　and　made　themselves　ready　against　a　siege　by　provisioning　their　town　both　with　food　and　drink。　Thus　was　Naxos　placed　in　a　posture　of　defence；　and　the　Persians；　when　they　crossed　the　sea　from　Chios；　found　the　Naxians　fully　prepared　for　them。　However　they　sat　down　before　the　place；　and　besieged　it　for　four　whole　months。　When　at　length　all　the　stores　which　they　had　brought　with　them　were　exhausted；　and　Aristagoras　had　likewise　spent　upon　the　siege　no　small　sum　from　his　private　means；　and　more　was　still　needed　to　insure　success；　the　Persians　gave　up　the　attempt；　and　first　building　certain　forts；　wherein　they　left　the　banished　Naxians；　withdrew　to　the　mainland；　having　utterly　failed　in　their　undertaking。　　　　　And　now　Aristagoras　found　himself　quite　unable　to　make　good　his　promises　to　Artaphernes；　nay；　he　was　even　hard　pressed　to　meet　the　claims　whereto　he　was　liable　for　the　pay　of　the　troops；　and　at　the　same　time　his　fear　was　great；　lest；　owing　to　the　failure　of　the　expedition　and　his　own　quarrel　with　Megabates；　he　should　be　ousted　from　the　government　of　Miletus。　These　manifold　alarms　had　already　caused　him　to　contemplate　raising　a　rebellion；　when　the　man　with　the　marked　head　came　from　Susa；　bringing　him　instructions　on　the　part　of　Histiaeus　to　revolt　from　the　king。　For　Histiaeus；　when　he　was　anxious　to　give　Aristagoras　orders　to　revolt；　could　find　but　one　safe　way；　as　the　roads　were　guarded；　of　making　his　wishes　known；　which　was　by　taking　the　trustiest　of　his　slaves；　shaving　all　the　hair　from　off　his　head；　and　then　pricking　letters　upon　the　skin；　and　waiting　till　the　hair　grew　again。　Thus　accordingly　he　did；　and　as　soon　as　ever　the　hair　was　grown；　he　despatched　the　man　to　Miletus；　giving　him　no　other　message　than　this…　〃When　thou　art　come　to　Miletus；　bid　Aristagoras　shave　thy　head；　and　look　thereon。〃　Now　the　marks　on　the　head；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　were　a　command　to　revolt。　All　this　Histiaeus　did　because　it　irked　him　greatly　to　be　kept　at　Susa；　and　because　he　had　strong　hopes　that；　if　troubles　broke　out；　he　would　be　sent　down　to　the　coast　to　quell　them；　whereas；　if　Miletus　made　no　movement；　he　did　not　see　a　chance　of　his　ever　again　returning　thither。　　　　　Such；　then；　were　the　views　which　led　Histiaeus　to　despatch　his　messenger；　and　it　so　chanced　that　all　these　several　motives　to　revolt　were　brought　to　bear　upon　Aristagoras　at　one　and　the　same　time。　　　　　Accordingly；　at　this　conjuncture　Aristagoras　held　a　council　of　his　trusty　friends；　and　laid　the　business　before　them；　telling　them　both　what　he　had　himself　purposed；　and　what　message　had　been　sent　him　by　Histiaeus。　At　this　council　all　his　friends　were　of　the　same　way　of　thinking；　and　recommended　revolt；　except　only　Hecataeus　the　historian。　He；　first　of　all；　advised　them　by　all　means　to　avoid　engaging　in　war　with　the　king　of　the　Persians；　whose　might　he　set　forth；　and　whose　subject　nations　he　enumerated。　As　however　he　could　not　induce　them　to　listen　to　this　counsel；　he　next　advised　that　they　should　do　all　that　lay　in　their　power　to　make　themselves　masters　of　the　sea。　〃There　was　one　only　way；〃　he　said；　〃so　far　as　he　could　see；　of　their　succeeding　in　this。　Miletus　was；　he　knew；　a　weak　state…　but　if　the　treasures　in　the　temple　at　Branchidae；　which　Croesus　the　Lydian　gave　to　it；　were　seized；　he　had　strong　hopes　that　the　mastery　of　the　sea　might　be　thereby　gained；　at　least　it　would　give　them　money　to　begin　the　war；　and　would　save　the　treasures　from　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy。〃　Now　these　treasures　were　of　very　great　value；　as　I　showed　in　the　first　part　of　my　History。　The　assembly；　however；　rejected　the　counsel　of　Hecataeus；　while；　nevertheless；　they　resolved　upon　a　revolt。　One　of　their　number；　it　was　agreed；　should