thens accordingly agreed to fend to the affiftance of the Ionians, twenty veffels of war, of which Me lanthius, a very amiable and popular character, was to have the command. This fleet was the fource of the calamities which afterwards enfued to the Greeks and Barbarians.

XCVIII. Before their departure, Ariftagoras returned to Miletus, where he contrived a measure from which no advantage could poffibly refult to the Ionians. Indeed, his principal motive was to diftrefs Darius. He difpatched a meffenger into Phrygia, to thofe Pæonians who from the banks of the Strymon had been led away captive by Megabyzus, and who inhabited a district appropriated to them. His emiffaries thus addreffed them :Men of Pæonia, I am commiffioned by Ariftagoras, prince of Miletus, to fay, that if you will "follow his counsel, you may be free. The whole "of Ionia has revolted from Perfia, and it becomes

you to feize this opportunity of returning to your "native country. You have only to appear on "the banks of the ocean; we will provide for the

133 Source of the calamities.]-This is another of the examples which Plutarch adduces in proof of the malice of Herodotus. "He has the audacity," fays Plutarch, "to affirm, that the veffels which the Athenians fent to the affiftance of the Ionians, who had revolted from the Perfians, were the caufe of the evils which afterwards enfued, merely becaufe they endeavoured to deliver fo many, and fuch illuftrious Grecian cites from fervitude." In point of argument, a weaker tract than this of Plutarch was never written, and this affertion in particular is too abfurd to require any formal refutation.-T.

reft,"

reft." The Paonians received this information with great fatisfaction, and with their wives and children fled towards the fea. Some, however, yielding to their fears, remained behind. From the feacoaft they paffed over to Chios: here they had fcarce difembarked, before a large body of Perfian cavalry, fent in purfuit of them, appeared on the oppofite fhore. Unable to overtake them, they fent over to them at Chios, foliciting their return. This however had no effect: from Chios they were transported to Lefbos, from Lefbos to Dorifcus 134, and from hence they proceeded by land to Pæonia.

XCIX. At this juncture, Ariftagoras was joined by the Athenians in twenty veffels, who were also accompanied by five triremes of Eretrians. These latter did not engage in the conteft from any regard for the Athenians, but to discharge a fimilar debt of friendship to the Milefians. The Milefians had formerly affifted the Eretrians against the Chalcidians, when the Samians had united with them against the Eretrians and Milefians. When these and the rest of his confederates were affembled, Ariftagoras commenced an expedition against Sardis: he himself continued at Miletus, whilft his brother Charopinus commanded the Milesians, and Hermophantus had the conduct of the allies,

34 Dorifcus.]-Dorifcus is memorable for being the place where Xerxes numbered his army.-T.

C. The

C. The Ionians arriving with their fleet at Ephefus, difembarked at Coreffus, a place in its vicinity. Taking fome Ephefians for their guides, they advanced with a formidable force, directing their march towards the Cayfter 135, Paffing over mount Tmolus, they arrived at Sardis, where meeting no refiftance, they made themselves mafters of the whole of the city, except the citadel, This was defended by Artaphernes himself, with a large body of troops.

CI. The following incident preferved the city from plunder: the houfes of Sardis 136 were in ge neral constructed of reeds; fuch few as were of brick had reed coverings. One of these being fet on fire by a foldier, the flames fpread from house ta houfe, till the whole city was confumed. In the midft of the conflagration, the Lydians, and fuch Perfians as were in the city, feeing themselves furrounded by the flames, and without the poffibility of efcape, rufhed in crowds to the forum, through the center of which flows the Pactolus. This river

33 Cayfter.This river was very famous in claffic ftory. It anciently abounded with fwans, and from its ferpentine courfe has fometimes been confounded with the Mæander; but the Meander was the appropriate river of the Milefians, as was the Cayfter of the Ephefians. The name the Turks now give it is Chiay.-T.

135 Sardis.The reader will recollect that Sardis was the capital of Cræfus, which is here reprefented as confifting only of a number of thatched houfes, a proof that architecture had as yet made no progrefs.-T.

brings,

brings, in its descent from mount Tmolus, a quantity of gold duft 137; paffing, as we have defcribed, through Sardis, it mixes with the Hermus, till both are finally lost in the fea. The Perfians and Lydians thus reduced to the laft extremity, were compelled to act on the defenfive. The lonians feeing fome of the enemy prepared to defend themselves, others advancing to attack them, were seized with a panic, and retired to mount Tmolus 138, from whence, under favour of the night, they retreated to their fhips.

CII. In the burning of Sardis, the temple of Cybele, the tutelar goddess of the country, was totally destroyed, which was afterwards made a prerence by the Perfians for burning the temples of the Greeks. When the Perfians who dwell on this fide the Halys were acquainted with the above invafion, they determined to affift the Lydians. Following the Ionians regularly from Sardis, they came up with them at Ephefus. A general engagement enfued, in which the Ionians were defeated with

137 Gold duft.]-It had ceased to do this in the time of Strabo, that is to fay, in the age of Auguftus.-Larcher.

133 Tmolus.]-Strabo enumerates mount Tmolus amongst the places which produced the most excellent vines. It was also celebrated for its faffron.-See Virgil,

Nonne vides croceos ut Tmolus odores, &c.

It was also called Timolus. See Ovid,

Deferuere fui nymphæ vineta Timoli.

It is now named Timolitze.-T.

great

great flaughter. Amongst others of diftinction who fell, was Eualcis, chief of the Eretrians: he had frequently been victorious in many contests, of which a garland was the reward, and had been particularly, celebrated by Simonides of Ceos 139. They who escaped from this battle took refuge in the different cities.

CIII. After the event of the above expedition, the Athenians withdrew themselves entirely from the lonians, and refused all the folicitations of Ariftagoras by his ambassadors, to repeat their assistance. The Ionians, though deprived of this refource, continued with no less alacrity to persevere in the hoftilities they had commenced against Darius. They failed to the Hellefpont, and reduced Byzantium, with the neighbouring cities: quitting that part again, and advancing to Caria, the greater part of

139 Simonides of Ceos.]-There were feveral poets of this name; the celebrated fatire against women was written by another and more modern Simonides. The great excellence of this Simonides of Ceos was elegiac compofition, in which Dionyfius Halicarnaffus does not fcruple to prefer him to Pindar. The invention of local memory was afcribed to him, and it is not a little remarkable, that at the age of eighty, he contended for and won a poetical prize. His most memorable faying was concerning God. Hiero afked him what God was? After many and reiterated delays, his anfwer was, "The longer I meditate upon it, the more obfcure the fubject appears to me." He is reproached for having been the first who prostituted his muse for mercenary purposes. Bayle feems to have collected every thing of moment relative to this Simcnides, to whom for more minute particulars, I refer the reader.-T. $

the