A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Aristagoras
determines
to revolt,
499 B.C.
Herodotus v.
36.
On Aristagoras
and Histiaeus;
Greece,
no f.; Ancient
World,
160.
Hecataeus
was a geographer
and
writer of
Gettealosics,
chiefly mythical.
Aristagoras,
in combination
with the
Persians, had
just failed
in an attempt
to conquer
Naxos;
Ancient
World, 160.
CHAPTER XV
THE IONIC REVOLT
I. The Beginning
He (Aristagoras) took counsel therefore with his partisans,
declaring to them both his own opinion and the
message from Histiaeus; and while all the rest expressed
an opinion to the same effect, urging him namely to make
revolt, Hecataeus, the writer of genealogies, urged first
that they should not undertake war with the king of the
Persians, describing all the nations over whom Darius
was ruler,
and his power; and when he did not succeed
in persuading him, he counselled next that they should
manage to make themselves masters of the sea. Now
this, he continued, could not come to pass in any other
way, so far as he could see, for he knew that the force of
the Milesians was weak; but if the treasures should be
taken which were in the temple at Branchidae, which
Croesus the Lydian dedicated as offerings, he had great
hopes that they might become masters of the sea; and by
this means they would not only themselves have wealth
at their disposal, but the enemy would not be able to carry
the property off as plunder. Now these treasures were of
great value, as I have shown in the first part of the history.
This opinion did not prevail; but nevertheless it was resolved
that they should revolt, and that one of them should
sail to Myus, to the force which had returned from Naxos
and was then there, and endeavor to seize the commanders
who sailed in the ships.
152