m of
whom thou speakest, to make investigation, that when these have learnt
and seen, they may report each several thing to us; and then I shall go
to attack them with full knowledge of all."

135. Thus he said, and he proceeded to do the deed as he spoke the word:
for as soon as day dawned, he summoned fifteen Persians, men of
repute, and bade them pass through the coasts of Hellas in company with
Demokedes, and take care not to let Demokedes escape from them, but
bring him back at all costs. Having thus commanded them, next he
summoned Demokedes himself and asked him to act as a guide for the whole
of Hellas and show it to the Persians, and then return back: and he bade
him take all his movable goods and carry them as gifts to his father and
his brothers, saying that he would give him in their place many times
as much; and besides this, he said, he would contribute to the gifts a
merchant ship filled with all manner of goods, which should sail with
him. Dareios, as it seems to me, promised him these things with no
crafty design; but Demokedes was afraid that Dareios was making trial
of him, and did not make haste to accept all that was offered, but said
that he would leave his own things where they were, so that he might
have them when he came back; he said however that he accepted the
merchant ship which Dareios promised him for the presents to his
brothers. Dareios then, having thus given command to him also, sent them
away to the sea.

136. So these, when they had gone down to Phenicia and in Phenicia to
the city of Sidon, forthwith manned two triremes, and besides them they
also filled a large ship of burden with all manner of goods. Then when
they had made all things ready they set sail for Hellas, and touching
at various places they saw the coast regions of it and wrote down a
description, until at last, when they had seen the greater number of the
famous places, they came to Taras 120 in Italy. There from complaisance
121 to Demokedes Aristophilides the king of the Tarentines unfastened
and removed the steering-oars of the Median ships, and also confined the
Persians in prison, because, as he alleged, they came as spies. While
they were being thus dealt with, Demokedes went away and reached Croton;
and when he had now reached his own native place, Aristophilides set the
Persians free and gave back to them those parts of their ships which he
had taken away.

137. The Persians then sailing thence and pursuing