advance further, and Mardonius retreated into
Asia.

Darius, however, did not allow failure to turn him from his purpose.
The attack of Mardonius was followed within two years by the well-known
expedition under Datis (B.C. 490), which, avoiding the dangers of Athos,
sailed direct to its object, crossing the Egean by the line of the
Cyclades, and falling upon Eretria and Attica. Eretria's punishment
warned the Athenians to resist to the uttermost; and the skill of
Miltiades, backed by the valor of his countrymen, gave to Athens the
great victory of Marathon. Datis fell back upon Asia, having suffered
worse disasters than his predecessor, and bore to the king the
melancholy tidings that his vast force of from 100,000 to 200,000 men
had been met and worsted by 20,000 Athenians and Plataeans.

Still Darius was not shaken in his resolution. He only issued fresh
orders for the collection of men, ships, and materials. For three years
Asia resounded with the din of preparation; and it is probable that in
the fourth year a fresh expedition would have been led into Greece, had
not an important occurrence prevented it. Egypt, always discontented
with its subject position under a race which despised its religion, and
perhaps occasionally persecuted it, broke out into open revolt (B.C.
487). Darius, it seems, determined to divide his forces, and proceed
simultaneously against both enemies; he even contemplated leading one
of the two expeditions in person; but before his preparations were
completed his vital powers failed. He died in the year following the
Egyptian revolt (B.C. 486), in the sixty-third year of his age, and
the thirty-sixth of his reign, leaving his crown to his eldest son by
Atossa, Xerxes.

The character of Darius will have revealed itself with tolerable
clearness in the sketch which has been here given of the chief events
of his reign. But a brief summary of some of its main points may not be
superfluous. Darius Hystaspis was, next to Cyrus, the greatest of the
Persian kings; and he was even superior to Cyrus in some particulars.
His military talent has been underrated. Though not equal to the founder
of the Empire in this respect, he deserves the credit of energy, vigor,
foresight, and judicious management in his military expeditions, of
promptness in resolving and ability in executing, of discrimination in
the selection of generals, and of a power of combination not often found
in Oriental commanders. He was