attendants, "These men," he exclaimed, "do, indeed, seem greatly to despise us; and Gobryas has properly interpreted the Scythian presents: I am now of the same opinion myself, and it becomes us to exert all our sagacity to effect a safe return to the place from whence we came." "Indeed, Sir," answered Gobryas, "I had before heard of the poverty of this people, I have now clearly seen it, and can perceive that they hold us in extreme contempt. I would therefore advise, that as soon as the night sets in, we light our fires as usual; and farther to elude the enemy, let us tie all the asses together, and leave behind us the more infirm of our forces; this done, let us retire, before the Scythians shall advance towards the Ister, and break down the bridge, or before the Ionians shall come to any resolution which may cause our ruin.”

CXXXV. Darius having acceded to this opinion of Gobryas, as soon as the evening approached, the more infirm of the troops, and those whose loss was deemed of little importance, were left behind; all the asses also were secured together: the motive for this was, the expectation that the presence of those who remained would cause the asses to bray as usual. The sick and infirm were deserted, under the pretence, that whilst the king was marching with his best troops to engage the Scythians, they were to defend the camp. After circulating this report, the fires were lighted, and Darius with the greatest expedition directed his march towards the Ister: the asses, missing the usual multitude, made so much the greater noise, from hearing which the Scythians were induced to believe that the Persians still continued in their camp.

CXXXVI. When morning appeared, they who were left, perceiving themselves deserted by Darius, made signals to the Scythians, and explained their situation upon which intelligence, the two divisions of the Scythians, forming a junction with the Sauromate, the Budini, and Geloni, advanced towards the Ister, in pursuit of the Persians; but as the Persian army consisted principally of foot, who were ignorant of the country, through which there were no regular paths; and as the Scythians were chiefly horse, and

perfectly acquainted with the ways, they mutually missed of each other, and the Scythians arrived at the bridge much sooner than the Persians. Here, finding that the Persians were not yet come, they thus addressed the Ionians, who were on board their vessels:-" Ionians, the number of days is now past, and you do wrong in remaining here; if motives of fear have hitherto detained you, you may now break down the bridge, and having recovered your liberties, be thankful to the gods and to us: we will take care that he who was formerly your master, shall never again make war upon any one."

CXXXVII. The Ionians being met in council upon this subject, Miltiades, the Athenian leader, and prince of the Chersonese, on the Hellespont, was of opinion that the advice of the Scythians should be taken, and Ionia be thus relieved from servitude. Histiæus, the Milesian, thought differently; he represented, that through Darius each of them now enjoyed the sovereignty of their several cities; that if the power of Darius was once taken away, neither he himself should continue supreme at Miletus, nor would any of them be able to retain their superiority: for it was evident that all their fellow-citizens would prefer a popular government to that of a tyrant. This argument appeared so forcible, that all they who had before assented to Miltiades, instantly adopted it.

CXXXVIII. They who acceded to this opinion were also in great estimation with the king. Of the princes of the Hellespont, there were Daphnis of Abydos, Hippoclus of Lampsacus, Herophantus of Parium, Metrodorus the Preconnesian, Aristagoras of Cyzicum, and Ariston the Byzantian. Amongst the Ionian leaders were Stratias of Chios, Æacides of Samos, Laodamas the Phocian, and Histiæus the Milesian, whose opinion prevailed in the assembly, in opposition to that of Miltiades: the only Eolian of consequence who was present on this occasion, was Aristagoras of Cyme.

CXXXIX. These leaders, acceding to the opinion of Histiæus, thought it would be advisable to break down that part of the bridge which was towards Scy

thia, to the extent of a bow-shot. This, although it was of no real importance, would prevent the Scythians from passing the Ister on the bridge, and might induce them to believe that no inclination was wanting on the part of the Ionians, to comply with their wishes accordingly Histiæus thus addressed them in the name of the rest: "Men of Scythia, we consider your advice as of consequence to our interest, and we take in good part your urging it upon us. You have shown us the path which we ought to pursue, and we are readily disposed to follow it; we shall break down the bridge as you recommend, and in all things shall discover the most earnest zeal to secure our liberties: in the mean time, whilst we shall thus be employed, it becomes you to go in pursuit of the enemy, and having found them, revenge yourselves and us.'

CXL. The Scythians, placing an entire confidence in the promises of the Ionians, returned to the pursuit of the Persians; they did not, however, find them, for in that particular district they themselves had destroyed all the fodder for the horses, and corrupted all the springs; they might otherwise easily have found the Persians; and thus it happened, that the measure which at first promised them success became ultimately injurious. They directed their march to those parts of Scythia where they were secure of water and provisions for their horses, thinking themselves certain of here meeting with the enemy; but the Persian prince, following the track he had before pursued, found, though with the greatest difficulty, the place he aimed at: arriving at the bridge by night, and finding it broken down he was exceedingly disheartened, and conceived himself abandoned by the Ionians.

CXLI. There was in the army of Darius an Egyptian very remarkable for the loudness of his voice: this man, Darius ordered to advance to the banks of the Ister, and to pronounce with all his strength, the name of "Histiæus the Milesian;" Histiæus immediately heard him, and approaching with all the fleet, enabled the Persians to repass, by again forming a bridge.

CXLII. By these means the Persians escaped,

whilst the Scythians were a second time engaged in a long and fruitless pursuit. From this period the Scythians considered the Ionians as the basest and most contemptible of mankind, speaking of them as men attached to servitude, and incapable of freedom; and always using towards them the most reproachful terms.

CXLIII. Darius proceeding through Thrace, arrived at Sestos of the Chersonese, from whence he passed over into Asia: he left, however, some troops in Europe, under the command of Megabyzus, a Persian, of whom it is reported, that one day in conversation the king spoke in terms of the highest honour. He was about to eat some pomegranates, and having opened one, he was asked by his brother Artabanus, what thing there was which he would desire to possess in as great a quantity as there were seeds in the pomegranate? "I would rather," he replied, "have so many Megabyzi, than see Greece under my power." This compliment he paid him publicly, and at this time he left him at the head of eighty thousand

men.

CXLIV. This same person also, for a saying which I shall relate, left behind him in the Hellespont a name never to be forgotten. Being at Byzantium, he learned upon inquiry that the Chalcedonians had built their city seventeen years before the Byzantians had founded theirs: he observed, that the Chalcedonians must then have been blind,-or otherwise, having the choice of a situation in all respects better, they would never have preferred one so very inferior. Megabyzus, being thus left to the command of the Hellespont, reduced all those who were in opposition to the Medes.

CXLV. About the same time another great expedition was set on foot in Lybia, the occasion of which I shall relate: it will be first necessary to premise this: -the posterity of the Argonauts being expelled from Lemnos, by the Pelasgians, who had carried off from Brauron, some Athenian women, sailed to Lacedæmon; they disembarked at Taygetus, where they made a great fire, The Lacedæmonians perceiving this,

sent to inquire of them who and whence they were; they returned for answer, that they were Minyæ, descendants of those heroes who, passing the ocean in the Argo, settled in Lemnos, and there begot them. When the Lacedæmonians heard this account of their descent, they sent a second messenger, inquiring what was the meaning of the fire they had made, and what were their intentions in coming among them. Their reply was to this effect, that, being expelled by the Pelasgians, they had returned, as was reasonable, to the country of their ancestors, and were desirous to fix their residence with them, as partakers of their lands and honours. The Lacedæmonians expressed themselves willing to receive them upon their own terms; and they were induced to this, as well from other considerations, as because the Tyndaridæ had sailed in the Argo; they accordingly admitted the Minyæ among them, assigned them lands, and distributed them among their tribes. The Minyæ in return parted with the women whom they had brought from Lemnos, and connected themselves in marriage with others.

CXLVI. In a very short time these Minya became distinguished for their intemperance, making themselves not only dangerous from their ambition, but odious by their vices. The Lacedæmonians conceived their enormities worthy of death, and accordingly cast them into prison: it is to be remarked, that this people always inflict capital punishments by night, never by day. When things were in this situation, the wives of the prisoners, who were natives of the country, and the daughters of the principal citizens, solicited permission to visit their husbands in confinement; as no stratagem was suspected, this was grant ed. The wives of the Minyæ accordingly entered the prison, and exchanged dresses with their hus-" bands: by this artifice they effected their escape, and again took refuge on mount Taygetus.

CXLVII. It was about this time that Theras, the son of Autesion, was sent from Lacedæmon to establish a colony: Autesion was the son of Tisamenus, grandson of Thersander, great-grandson of Polynices.