174 TERPSICHORE.

return, he might eventually become master of Naxoa. i
He thought proper, however, to remind them of th»
alliance which subsisted betwixt Histiaeus and their
countrymen; and he addressed them as follows: " I am*
not master of adequate force to restore you to your
country, if they who are in possession of Naxos shall
think proper to oppose me: the Naxians, I am told,
have eight thousand men in arms, and many ships of
war; I, nevertheless, wish to effect it, and I think it
may be thus accomplished:—Artaphernes,son of Hys-
taspes, and brother of Darius, is my particular friend;
he has the command of all the sea-coast of Asia, and is
provided with a numerous army, and a powerful fleet;
he will, I think, do all that I desire." The Naxians in­
stantly intrusted Anaxagoras with the management of
the business, entreating him to complete it as he could;
they engaged to assist the expedition with forces, and
to make presents to Artaphernes; and they expressed
great hopes that as soon as they should appear before
the place, Naxos, with the rest of the islands, would
immediately submit; for hitherto none of the Cycla-
des were under the power of Darius.'

XXXI. Aristagoras went immediately to Sardis,
where meeting with Artaphernes, he painted to him
in flattering terms the island of Naxos, which, though
of no great extent, he represented as exceedingly fair
and fertile, conveniently situated with respect to Ionia,
very wealthy, and remarkably populous. " It would be
worth your while," said he, " to make an expedition
against it, under pretence of restoring its exiles; to
facilitate this, I already possess a considerable sum of
money, besides what will be otherwise supplied. It is
proper that we who set the expedition on foot should
provide the contingent expenses; but you will cer­
tainly acquire to the king our master, Naxos with its
dependencies, Paros and Andros, with the rest of the
islands called the Cyclades: from hence you may
easily attempt the invasion of Eubasa, an island large
and fertile, and not at all inferior to Cyprus; this will
aflbrd you an easy conquest, and a fleet of a hundred
ships will be sufficient to effect the whole." To this,
Artaphernes replied; "What you recommend will,