CXX. In the midst of their consultation, volved, betrayed a total want of intrepidity; the Milesians with their allies arrived to rein- these losses confirmed him in the belief, that force them; the Carians resumed their courage, all attempts to overcome Darius would be inand again prepared for hostilities; they a second effectual; he according determined to seek his time advanced to meet the Persians, and after safety in flight. He assembled his party, and an engagement more obstinate than the former, submitted to them whether it would not be adsustained a second defeat, in which a prodigious visable to have some place of retreat, in case number, chiefly of Milesians, were slain. they should be driven from Miletus. He left it to them to determine, whether they should establish a colony in Sardinia, or whether they should retire to Myrcinus, a city of the Edonians, which had been fortified by Histiras, to whom Darius had presented it.

CXXI. The Carians soon recruited their forces, and in a subsequent action, somewhat repaired their former losses. Receiving intelligence that the Persians were on their march to attack their towns, they placed them selves in ambuscade, in the road to Pidasus. The CXXV. Hecatæus the historian, who was Persians by night fell into the snare, and a vast the son of Hegasander, was not for establish. number were slain, with their generals Dauri-ing a colony at either of these places; he affirmses, Amorges, and Sisimaces; Myrses, the son ed, that if they should be expelled from Mileof Gyges, was also of the number. tus, it would be more expedient for them to construct a fort in the island of Leros, and there remain till a favourable opportunity should enable them to return to Miletus.

CXXII. The conduct of this ambuscade was intrusted to Heraclides son of Ibanolis, a Mylassian.-The event has been related. Hymees, who was engaged amongst others in the pursuit of the Ionians, after the affair of Sardis, turning towards the Propontis, took Cios, a Mysian city. Receiving intelligence that Daurises had quitted the Hellespont, to march against Caria, he left the Propontis, and proceeded to the Hellespont, where he effectually reduced all the Eolians of the Trojan district; he vanquished also the Gergithæ, a remnant of the ancient Teucri. Hymees himself, after all these successes, died at Troas.

CXXVI. Aristagoras himself was more inclined to retire to Myrcinus; he confided therefore the administration of Miletus to Pythagoras, a man exceedingly popular, and taking with him all those who thought proper to accom pany him, he embarked for Thrace, where be took possession of the district which he had in view. Leaving this place, he proceeded to the attack of some other, where both he and his army fell by the hands of the Thracians, whe had previously entered into terms to resign their city into his power.'

1 I cannot dismiss this book of Herodotus without re

CXXIII. Artaphernes, governor of Sardis, and Otanes, the third in command, received orders to lead their forces to Ionia and Æolia, which is contiguous to it; they made them-marking, that it contains a great deal of curious history, selves masters of Clazomena in Ionia, and of and abounds with many admirable examples of privats Cyma, an Æolian city. life. The speech of Sosicles of Corinth, in favour d liberty, is excellent in its kind; and the many sagacions, and indeed moral sentiments, which are scattered

CXXIV. After the capture of these places, Aristagoras of Miletus, though the author of all the confusion in which Ionia had been in

throughout the whole book, cannot fail of producing both entertainment and instruction.-T.

HERODOTU S.

BOOK VI.

ERATO.

When they had heard the truth, and were convinced that he was really an enemy to Darius, they released him.

I. SUCH was the fate of Aristagoras, the in-state. stigator of the Ionian revolt.-Histiæus of Miletus, as soon as Darius had acquiesced in his departure from Susa, proceeded to Sardis. On his arrival, Artaphernes the governor asked him what he thought could possibly have induced the Ionians to revolt? He expressed himself ignorant of the cause, and astonished at the event. Artaphernes, however, who had been informed of his preceding artifice, and was sensible of his present dissimulation, observed to him, that the matter might be thus explained: You," says he, " made the shoe' which Aristagoras has worn.'

II. Histiæus, perceiving himself suspected, fled the very first night towards the sea; and - instead of fulfilling his engagements with Darius, to whose power he had promised to reduce the great island of Sardinia, assumed the command of the Ionian forces against him. Passing over into Chios, he was seized and thrown into chains by the inhabitants, who accused him of coming from the king with some design against their

III. Histiæus was afterwards interrogated by the Ionians, why he had so precipitately impelled Aristagoras to revolt, a circumstance which had occasioned the loss of so many of their countrymen. His answer was insidious, and calculated to impress the Ionians with alarm; he told them what really was not the fact, that his conduct had been prompted by the avowed intentions of Darius, to remove the Phenicians to Ionia, and the Ionians to Phenicia.

IV. His next measure was to send letters to certain Persians at Sardis," with whom he

2 To remove the Phenicians, &c.]-It was the easier to make the Ionians credit this assertion, because such kind of transmigrations were frequent amongst the Assyrians and Persians. It is well known that the Jews were removed to Babylon and Media, and Hyrcanians were to be found in Asia Minor: it would indeed be endless to enumerate all the transmigrations which were made by the command of those people.-Larcher.-We have already seen a great part of the Pæonians of Thrace removed into Asia by order of Darius. See book v. ch. 15.-T.

1 Made the shoe.]—I have given a literal translation from the Greek; but M. Larcher, thinking perhaps the expression somewhat inclining to vulgarity, has render- 3 Sardis.]—As this city was one of the most celebrated ed it thus, "You contrived the plot which he has execut-in ancient history, for its dignity and wealth, the followed." Not very unlike this phrase used by the Persian to ing succinct account of the various masters through whose Aristagoras, is our English one of standing in another hands it passed, may not be unacceptable. person's shoes; which perhaps may be traced to times more remote than may at first be imagined. When the Greeks reclined upon their couches at meals and entertainments, they pulled of their sandals; if any one, on any occasion, wanted to leave the apartment, he put them on again. Therefore, says the poet, I do that with respect to your manners, as a man does at an entertainment, who, wanting to go out of the room, uses another person's sandals. It would by no means be an uninteresting work, to trace the meaning of our proverbial expressions to their remotest application: for my own part I am well convinced, that more of them might be discovered in the customs and languages of Greece and Rome, than an English antiquary would at first perhaps be willing to allow.-T.

On the defeat of Croesus, it came under the power of Cyrus. On the division of the Persian monarchy into satrapies, it became the residence of the satrap, who had the government of the sea-coast. When the Ionians revolted from Darius, son of Hystaspes, it was burnt by the confederates, under the conduct of Aristagoras, see chapter 99 of this book. This was one of the principal motives which induced Darius to make war on Greece. It soon recovered its splendour, and surpassed all the cities of Asia in its opulence. When Alexander the Great vanquished the generals of Darius on the banks of the Granicus, it fell into his hands; but it finally came into the power of the kings of Syria. Attalus Philometer, one of the descendants of Antiochus the great, bequeathed this among his other possessions to the Romans,

had previously communicated on the subject of a revolt; these he intrusted to Hermippus, a native of Atarnis, who abused the confidence reposed in him, by delivering the letters into the hands of Artaphernes. The governor, after acquainting himself with their contents, desired Hermippus to deliver them according to their first directions, and then to give to him the answers intended for Histiæus. In consequence of the intelligence which he by these means obtained, Artaphernes put a great number of Persians to death.

V. A tumult was thus excited at Sardis; but Histiæus failing in this project, prevailed on the Chians to carry him back to Miletus. The Milesians, delighted with the removal of Aristagoras, had already tasted the sweets of liberty, and were little inclined to give admission to a second master. Histiæus, attempting to effect a landing at Miletus in the night, was, by some unknown hand, wounded in the thigh: rejected by his country, he again set sail for Chios, whence, as the inhabitants refused to intrust him with their fleet, he passed over to Mitylene. Having, from the Lesbians, obtained the command of eight triremes properly equipped, he proceeded to Byzantium. Here he took his station, and intercepted all the vessels coming from the Euxine, except those which consented to obey him.

liberations was, that they should by no means meet the Persians by land; that the people of Miletus should vigorously defend their city: and that the allies should provide and equip every vessel in their power; that as soon as their fleet should be in readiness, they should meet at Lade, and risk a battle in favour of Miletus. Lade is a small island immediately opposite to Miletus.

VIII. The Ionians completed their fleet, and assembled at the place appointed: they were reinforced by the collective power of the Eolians of Lesbos, and prepared for an engagement in the following order. The Milesians furnished eighty vessels, which occupied the east wing; next to these were the Prienians, with twelve, and the Mysians with three ships; contiguous were the Chians in one hundred vessels, and the Teians in seventeen; beyond these were the Erytheans and Phocæans, the former with eight, the latter with three ships. The Lesbians in seventy ships were next to the Phocæans; in the extremity of the line, to the west, the Samians were posted in sixty ships: the whole fleet was composed of three hundred and fifty-three triremes.

IX. The Barbarians were possessed of six hundred vessels: as soon as they came before Miletus, and their land forces also were arrived, the Persian commanders were greatly alarmed VI. Whilst Histiæus, with the aid of the by the intelligence they received of their adverpeople of Mitylene, was acting thus, Miletus it-saries' force; they began to apprehend that their self was threatened with a most formidable inferiority by sea might at the same time preattack, both by sea and land. The Persian vent their capture of Miletus, and expose them generals had collected all their forces into one to the resentment of Darius. With these senbody, and making but little account of the timents, they called together those Ionian other cities, advanced towards Miletus. princes who, being deposed by Aristagoras, had those who assisted them by sea, the Phenicians taken refuge among the Medes, and were prewere the most alert; with these served the sent on this expedition.—They addressed them Cyprians, who had been recently subdued as to this effect: "Men of Ionia, let each of you well as the Cilicians and Egyptians. now show his zeal in the royal cause, by endeavouring to detach from this confederacy his own countrymen: allure them by the promise that no punishment shall be the consequence of their revolt; that neither their temples nor other edifices shall be burned: that their treat

Of

VII. When the Ionians received intelligence of this armament, which not only menaced Miletus, but the rest of Ionia, they sent delegates to the Panionium." The result of their de

and three years after his death it was reduced into a Roman province.

For farther particulars concerning it, the reader may, with much satisfaction, consult a Dissertation by the Abbe Belley, in the 18th volume of the Memoirs of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres.

1 Mitylene.]-In the first book, ch. 160. it is written Mytilene; the difference is in the original.

2 Panionium.]-See chap. 148 of book the first.-In my note upon this word, I omitted to mention, that the Panionium probably suggested to Milton the idea of his Pandemonium :

ment shall not in any respect be more violent than before. If they persevere in trusting to the event of a battle, tell them that the contrary of all these will assuredly happen ;-themselves shall be hurried into servitude, their youths castrated,' their daughters carried to Bactra, and their country given to others."

4 Youths castrated.]-We learn that castration was in a very early period of society inflicted as a punishment for various crimes. Diodorus Siculus, book i. ch. 78. speaking of the Egyptians, has this passage: "The laws with respect to women were remarkably

severe if a man committed a rape upon a free woman, he had his private parts cut off; they were of opinion, that this one crime included three others of a heinous nature-injustice, defilement, (xa των τέκνων συγχυσιν) and confusion with respect to children."

Castration, in many countries, was the punishment of adultery; and by an edict of Justinian it was inflicted also on Sodomites. Hume, in his History of England, gives the following extraordinary act of cruelty from Fitzstephen, which was perpetrated on the clergy by

Geoffrey, the father of Henry II.

"When he was master of Normandy, the chapter of Seez presumed, without his consent, to proceed to the election of a bishop; upon which he ordered all of them, with the bishop elect, to be castrated, and made all their testicles be brought him in a platter."

Mr Gibbon, relating this anecdote, subjoins, in his usual sarcastic style. "Of the pain and danger they might justly complain; yet, since they had vowed chastity, he deprived them of a superfluous treasure."-T.

It may not be improper to observe in this place, that

the Hottentots have a most preposterous custom of de

priving their males of one testicle, which is religiously observed through all the Hottentot nations, with a great deal of ceremony, See Kolben. It is worthy also of remark, that this custom owes its rise to some precept of the most remote antiquity; for the Hottentots confess it is a law, which has prevailed through all their generations, that no man shall have carnal knowledge of a woman before he is deprived of the left testicle. A custom so singular as this must surely have originated from some adequate cause: what this may have been, well deserves the investigation of the learned. Jupiter castrated Saturn; in Phrygia, Atys and the priests of Cybele were castrated; thus we see, that anciently it was considered as a religious rite. From some traditions of these facts the Hottentots might also take up this practice.

Bochart is of opinion, that the fable of Jupiter's castrating Saturn arose from the story which scripture tells of Noah lying in his tent, Gen. ix. 21. The Phrygian custom of castrating the priests of Cybele might perhaps be owing to some erroneous and imperfect tradition of this event.

5 Bactra.]-This place, though mentioned by Strabo, and other ancient writers, as of great importance, and the capital of a province remarkable for its fertility, is

X. Under cover of the night the Ionian princes were despatched with the above resolutions to their respective countrymen. The Ionians, who were thus addressed, refused to betray the common cause, believing these propositions made to themselves alone.-Such were the incidents which happened on the arrival of the Persians before Miletus.

XI. The Ionians assembled at Lade, as had been appointed, and amongst the various opinions which were delivered in council, self as follows:-" Our affairs are come to that Dionysius the Phocæan leader expressed himdelicate point," O, Ionians, that we must either be free men or slaves, and even fugitive slaves. If you willingly submit to the trouble, your situation will at first be painful, but having vanquished your enemies, you will then enjoy your liberties; if you suffer your vigour to relax, or disorder to take place among you, I see no means of your evading the indignation with which the Persian king will punish your revolt. Submit yourselves to my direction, and I will engage, if the gods be but impartial, that either the enemy shall not attack you at all, or, if they do, it shall be greatly to their own detriment."

XII. In consequence of this speech, the Ionians resigned themselves to the will of Dionysius. Every day he drew out the whole fleet in order of battle, leaving a proper interval for the use of the oars: he then taught them to manoeuvre their ships, keeping the men at

6 Delicate point.]-Literally, "are upon the point of a razor." This passage is quoted by Longinus, sect. 22. as a happy example of the hyperbaton, which he explains to be a transposition of words or sentiments, out of the natural order of discourse, and implying extreme violence of passion.

The word hyperbaton is derived from rig, beyond, and Ban, to go; and Pearce, in his notes upon Longinus, gives two examples of the use of this figure from Virgil: Moriamur-et in media arma ruamus. En. ii. 348.

Me, me, adsum qui feci; in me convertite ferrum. En. ix. 427. Livy also has an expression similar to this of Herodo tus:-"Jam enim sub ictu teli erant et undique instabant hostes.

Erasmus, in his Adagia, gives us three examples of this proverbial expression, from Homer, Sophocles, and Theocritus. That of Homer is in the tenth book of the Iliad, where Nestor says, as Pope has rendered it,

now either entirely unknown, or a very insignificant diffusely indeed, but with peculiar force and beauty, ex.

place. Some are of opinion, that its modern name is
Termend; d'Anville thinks it is the city Balck, and Ma-
jor Rennell is entirely of this opinion. Bactra is thus
mentioned by Virgil:

Sed neque Medorum sylvæ, ditissima terra,
Nec pulcher Ganges, atque auro turbidus Hermus,
Laudibus Italiæ certent; non Bactra, neque Indi,
Totaque thuriferis Panchaia pinguis arena.

T.

cept in the second line, which is rather flat:

But now the last despair surrounds our host,
No hour must pass, no moment must be lost;
Each single Greek in this conclusive strife
Stands on the sharpest edge of death or life. T.

7 To manœuvre. —AixThoov Toivos.]-This passage Larcher renders thus: "He made them pass betwixt the ranks, and quickly retreat" Ernesti understands the