safety. The Athenians were resolved not to purchase safety at
such a price; and after rejecting the satrap's terms, they
considered that they and the Persians were declared enemies. At
this very crisis the Ionian Greeks implored the assistance of
their European brethren, to enable them to recover their
independence from Persia. Athens, and the city of Eretria in
Euboea, alone consented. Twenty Athenian galleys, and five
Eretrian, crossed the AEgean Sea; and by a bold and sudden march
upon Sardis the Athenians and their allies succeeded in capturing
the capital city of the haughty satrap, who had recently menaced
them with servitude or destruction. The Persian forces were soon
rallied, and the Greeks were compelled to retire. They were
pursued, and defeated on their return to the coast, and Athens
took no further part in the Ionian war. But the insult that she
had put upon the Persian power was speedily made known throughout
that empire, and was never to be forgiven or forgotten. In the
emphatic simplicity of the narrative of Herodotus, the wrath of
the Great King is thus described:--"Now when it was told to King
Darius that Sardis had been taken and burnt by the Athenians and
Ionians, he took small heed of the Ionians, well knowing who they
were, and that their revolt would soon be put down: but he asked
who, and what manner of men, the Athenians were. And when he had
been told, he called for his bow; and, having taken it, and
placed an arrow on the string, he let the arrow fly towards
heaven; and as he shot it into the air, he said, 'O Supreme God!
grant me that I may avenge myself on the Athenians.' And when he
had said this, he appointed one of his servants to say to him
every day as he sat at meat, 'Sire, remember the Athenians.'"

Some years were occupied in the complete reduction of Ionia. But