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

The capture
of Sardis.
lb. loo.
The burning
of Sardis.
76. loi.
Greece, 113 f.;
A ncicnt
World, 161 f.
158 The Ionic Revolt
With this force then the lonians came to Ephesus; and
leaving their ships at Coresus in the land of Ephesus, they
went up themselves in a large body, taking Ephesians
to guide them in their march. So they marched along by
the river Cayster, and then when they arrived after crossing
the range of Tmolus, they took Sardis without any
resistance, all except the citadel; but the citadel Artaphernes
himself saved from capture, having with him a
considerable force of men.
From plundering the city after they had taken it they
were prevented by this:—the houses in Sardis were mostly
built of reeds, and even those of them which were of brick
had their roofs thatched with reeds; of these houses one
was set on fire by a soldier, and forthwith the fire going
on from house to house, began to spread over the whole
town. So then as the town was on fire, the Lydians and
all the Persians who were in the city being cut off from
escape, since the fire was prevailing in the extremities
round about them, and not having any way out of
the
town, flowed together to the market-place and to the
river Pactolus, which brings down gold-dust for them from
Tmolus, flowing through the middle of their market-place,
and then runs out into the river Hermus, and this into the
sea. To this Pactolus, I say, and to the market-place the
Lydians and the Persians gathered themselves together, and
were compelled to defend themselves. The lonians, then,
seeing some of the enemy standing on their defence and
others in great numbers coming on to the attack, were
struck with fear and retired to the mountain called
Tmolus, and afterward at nightfall departed to go to
their ships.