of their citizens, who was in all things highly reputed.
These ships proved to be the beginning of evils for the Hellenes and the
Barbarians.

98. Aristagoras however sailed on before and came to Miletos; and then
having devised a plan from which no advantage was likely to come for the
Ionians (nor indeed was he doing what he did with a view to that, but
in order to vex king Dareios), he sent a man to Phrygia to the Piaonians
who had been taken captive by Megabazos from the river Strymon, and who
were dwelling in a district and village of Phrygia apart by themselves;
and when the messenger came to the Paionians he spoke these words:
"Paionians, Aristagoras the despot of Miletos sent me to offer to you
salvation, if ye shall be willing to do as he says; for now all Ionia
has revolted from the king and ye have an opportunity of coming safe to
your own land: to reach the sea shall be your concern, and after this it
shall be thenceforth ours." The Paionians hearing this received it as
a most welcome proposal, and taking with them their children and their
women they began a flight to the sea; some of them however were struck
with fear and remained in the place where they were. Having come to the
coast the Paionians crossed over thence to Chios, and when they were
already in Chios there arrived in their track a large body of Persian
horsemen pursuing the Paionians. These, as they did not overtake them,
sent over to Chios to bid the Paionians return back: the Paionians
however did not accept their proposal, but the men of Chios conveyed
them from Chios to Lesbos, and the Lesbians brought them to Doriscos,
and thence they proceeded by land and came to Paionia.

99. Aristagoras meanwhile, when the Athenians had arrived with twenty
ships, bringing with them also five triremes of the Eretrians, he joined
the expedition not for the sake of the Athenians but of the Milesians
themselves, to repay them a debt which they owed (for the Milesians in
former times had borne with the Eretrians the burden of all that war
which they had with the Chalkidians at the time when the Chalkidians
on their side were helped by the Samians against the Eretrians and
Milesians),--when these, I say, had arrived and the other allies were
on the spot, Aristagoras proceeded to make a march upon Sardis. On
this march he did not go himself, but remained at Miletos and appointed
others to be in command of the Milesians, namely his brother Charopinos
and of th