208 TERPSICHORE.

tho Athenians, but to discharge a similar debt of
friendship to the Milesians. The Milesians had for­
merly assisted the Eretrians against the Chalcidians,
when the Samians had united with them against the
Eretrians and Milesians. When these and the rest of
his confederates were assembled, Aristagoras com­
menced an expedition against Sardis: he himself
continued at Miletus, whilst his brother Charopinus
commanded the Milesians, and Hermophantus had
the conduct of the allies.

C. The Ionians arriving with their fleet at Ephe-
sus, disembarked at Coressus, a place in its vicinity.
Taking some Ephesians for their guides, they ad­
vanced with a formidable force, directing their march
towards the Cayster. Passing over mount Traolus,
they arrived at Sardis, where meeting no resistance,
they made themselves masters of the whole of the
city, except the citadel. This was defended by Arta-
phernes himself, with a large body of troops.

CI. The following incident preserved the city from
plunder: the houses of Sardis were in general con­
structed of reeds; the few which were of brick, had
reed coverings. One of these being set on fire by &
soldier, the flames spread from house to house, till the
whole city was consumed. In the midst of the con­
flagration, the Lydians, and such Persians as were in
the city, seeing themselves surrounded by the flames,
and without the possibility of escape, rushed in
crowds to the forum, through the centre of which
flows the Pactolus. This river brings, in its descent
from mount Tmolus, a quantity of gold-dust; pass­
ing, as we have described, through Sardis, it mixes
with the Hermus, till both are finally lost in the sea.
The Persians and Lydians, thus reduced to the last
extremity, were compelled to act on the defensive.
The Ionians seeing some of the enemy prepared to
defond themselves, others advancing to attack them,
were seized with a panic, and retired to mount Tmo­
lus, from whence, under favour of the night, they re­
treated to their ships.

CII. In the burning of Sardis, the temple of Cybele,
the tutelar goddess of the country, was totally de­