TERPSICHORE. 207

ed to hia views. He thought, and as it appeared with
justice, that it was far easier to delude a great multi­
tude than a single individual; he was unable to pre­
vail upon Cleomenes, but he won to his purpose no
less than thirty thousand Athenians. The people of
Athens accordingly agreed to send to the assistance
of the Ionians, twenty vessels of war, of which Me-
lanthius, a very amiable and popular character, was
to have the command. This fleet was the source of
the calamities which afterwards ensued to the Greeks
and Barbarians.

XCVIII. Before their departure, Aristagoras re­
turned to Miletus, where he contrived a measure from
which no advantage could possibly result to the Ioni­
ans. Indeed his principal motive was to distress Da­
rius. He despatched a messenger into Phrygia, to
those Paeonians who from the banks of the Strymon
had been led away captive by Megabyzus, and who
inhabited a district appropriated to them. His emis­
saries thus addressed them : " Men of Paeonia, I am
commissioned by Aristagoras, prince of Miletus, to
say, that if you will follow his counsel, you may be
free. The whole of Ionia has revolted from Persia, and
it becomes you to seize this opportunity of returning
to your native country. You have only to appear on
the banks of the ocean; we will provide for the rest."
The Faeonians received this information with great
satisfaction, and with their wives and children fled
towards the sea. Some, however, yielding to their
fears, remained behind. From the sea-coast they pass­
ed over to Chios: here they had scarcely disembarked,
before a large body of Persian cavalry, sent in pursuit
of them, appeared on the opposite shore. Unable to
overtake them, they sent over to them at Chios, so­
liciting their return. This however had no effect:
from Chios they were transported to Lesbos, from
Lesbos to Doriscus, and from hence they proceeded
by land to Pseonia.

XCIX. At this juncture, Aristagoras was joined by
the Athenians in twenty vessels, who were also ac­
companied by five triremes of Eretrians. These lat­
ter did not engage in the contest from any regard for