MELPOMENE. 135

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 ves­
sels :—" 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."

C XXXVII. 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. Histiseus, the
Milesian, thought dilferently; he represented, that
through Darius each of them now enjoyed the sove­
reignty 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 argu­
ment appeared so forcible, that ail they who had be­
fore 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 Aby-
dos, Hippoclus of Lampsacus, Herophantus of Pa-
rium, Metrodorus the Preconnesian, Aristagoras of
Cyzicum, and Ariston the Byzantian. Amongst the
Ionian leaders were Stratias of Chios, ^acides of
Samoa, Laodamas the Phocian, and Histiaeus the Mi­
lesian, whose opinion prevailed in the assembly, in
opposition to that of Miltiades: the only iEolian of
consequence who was present on this occasion, was
Aristagoras of Cyme.

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