Herodotus book 6

BOOK SIX

‘the king of Persia continued to mature his plans. His servant never failed to repeat to him the words ‘remember Athens’

BOOK 6

opens with a continuation of the story of histiaeus.

in about 496, with the new revolt not yet over, he was released from custody by Darius and allowed to travel back to Ionia (sardis).

on arrival, he was met by Artaphernes the local persian governor (satrap).

he interviewed histiaeus and asked him what he thought was the reason for the revolt.

Histiaeus said he had no idea and that the revolt had come as a great shock to him.

However, Artaphernes seems to have known all about Histiaeus’ participation in the revolt and he accused him of this to his face.

BOOK 6.1-2

aristagoras dies

histiaeus goes to sardis

when asked about the causes of the ionian revolt by artaphernes he claimed he had no idea.

artaphernes knew that histiaeus was lying and said ‘i will tell you how it is histiaeus’ ‘you made the shoe and aristagoras put it on’ 

histiaeus that night, fled to the coast to escape.

the promise he had made to darius to bring sardinia under perisan rule was now broke. his real purpose was to take over the command of the ionians in their war against the king.

histiaeus fled to chios, there he was arrested as a persian spy but managed to talk his way out of it and persuaded the chains to help him re-take miletus, so that he could recover his tyranny there.  

THE BATTLE OF LADE 

the ionian greeks and islanders (mostly from samos, chios and mytiline) had scraped together a fleet of 353 triremes. (but the persians had 600)

the greeks were under the command of dionysius of Phocaea. who drilled them because he found them undisciplind and totally unprepared for battle.

BOOK 6. 11-16

meetings held by the ionians who had assembled at Lade.

Phocaean commander Dionysius ‘submit for a while to strict discipline and to spend a few laborious days, you will thereby be enabled to defeat the Persians and keep your liberty’    ‘i see no hope whatever for your escpaing punishment at the king’s hand for your revolt.’      ‘ i promise you either that the enemy will refuse battle altogether, or, if he fights, that he will be soundly beaten. 

the ionians agree to take orders from dionysius.

the men got no rest, for 7 days then obeyed the orders but after that they refused ‘what god have we offended?’ ‘to be punished like this?’

every seaman refused duty, they pitched tents and refused to go aboard their ships or continue training in anyway.

Samians, when saw the ionians behaving like this decided to take up Aeaces's (son of syloson and a persian) offer and withdraw from the fleet.

when the lesbians saw the samians leaving they followed with them.

Herodotus says that in this battle the Chians fought the best.

they captured a few enemy ships…