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Then he summoned into his presence Histiaeus if Miletus, whom he had
kept at his court for so long a time; and on his appearance addressed
him thus "I am told, O Histiaeus, that thy lieutenant, to whom
thou hast given Miletus in charge, has raised a rebellion against me.
He has brought men from the other continent to contend with me, and,
prevailing on the Ionians - whose conduct I shall know how to
recompense - to join with this force, he has robbed me of Sardis!
Is this as it should be, thinkest thou Or can it have been done
without thy knowledge and advice? Beware lest it be found hereafter
that the blame of these acts is thine."
Histiaeus answered - "What words are these, O king, to which thou
hast given utterance? I advise aught from which unpleasantness of any
kind, little or great, should come to thee! What could I gain by so
doing? Or what is there that I lack now? Have I not all that thou
hast, and am I not thought worthy to partake all thy counsels? If my
lieutenant has indeed done as thou sayest, be sure he has done it all
of his own head. For my part, I do not think it can really be that
the Milesians and my lieutenant have raised a rebellion against thee.
But if they have indeed committed aught to thy hurt, and the tidings
are true which have come to thee, judge thou how ill-advised thou wert
to remove me from the sea-coast. The Ionians, it seems, have
waited till I was no longer in sight, and then sought to execute that
which they long ago desired; whereas, if I had been there, not a
single city would have stirred. Suffer me then to hasten at my best
speed to Ionia, that I may place matters there upon their former
footing, and deliver up to thee the deputy of Miletus, who has caused
all the troubles. Having managed this business to thy heart's
content, I swear by all the gods of thy royal house, I will not put
off the clothes in which I reach Ionia till I have made Sardinia,
the biggest island in the world, thy tributary."
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