os and the others which are called
Cyclades; and setting out from these thou wilt easily attack Euboea, an
island which is large and wealth, as large indeed as Cyprus, and very
easy to conquer. To subdue all these a hundred ships are sufficient."
He made answer in these words: "Thou makest thyself a reporter of good
things to the house of the king; and in all these things thou advisest
well, except as to the number of the ships: for instead of one hundred
there shall be prepared for thee two hundred by the beginning of the
spring. And it is right that the king himself also should join in
approving this matter."

32. So Aristagoras hearing this went back to Miletos greatly rejoiced;
and Artaphrenes meanwhile, when he had sent to Susa and communicated
that which was said by Aristagoras, and Dareios himself also had joined
in approving it, made ready two hundred triremes and a very great
multitude both of Persians and their allies, and appointed to be
commander of these Megabates a Persian, one of the Achaimenidai and a
cousin to himself and to Dareios, to whose daughter afterwards Pausanias
the son of Cleombrotus the Lacedaemonian (at least if the story be true)
betrothed himself, having formed a desire to become a despot of Hellas.
Having appointed Megabates, I say, to be commander, Artaphrenes sent
away the armament to Aristagoras.

33. So when Megabates had taken force together with the Naxians, he
sailed with the pretence of going to the Hellespont; but when he came
to Chios, he directed his ships to Caucasa, in order that he might from
thence pass them over to Naxos with a North Wind. Then, since it was
not fated that the Naxians should be destroyed by this expedition, there
happened an event which I shall narrate. As Megabates was going round to
visit the guards set in the several ships, it chanced that in a ship
of Myndos there was no one on guard; and he being very angry bade his
spearmen find out the commander of the ship, whose name was Skylax, and
bind him in an oar-hole of his ship in such a manner 19 that his head
should be outside and his body within. When Skylax was thus bound, some
one reported to Aristagoras that Megabates had bound his guest-friend
of Myndos and was doing to him shameful outrage. He accordingly came and
asked the Persian for his release, and as he did not obtain anything
of that which he requested, he went himself and let him loose. Being
informed of this Megabates was exceedingly angry