Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/14

 U CONTENTS. Egyptian religion. Madness of Kambyses he puts to death Iiii younger brother, Smerdis. Conspiracy of the Magian Patizeithes who sets up his brother as king under the name of Smerdis. Death of Kam- byses. Reign of the false Smerdis conspiracy of the seven Persian noblemen against him he is slain- Darius succeeds to the throne. Political bearing of this conspiracy Smerdis represents Median pre- ponderance, which is again put down by Darius. Revolt of the Medea suppressed. Discontents of the satraps. Revolt of Babylon. Re- conquered and dismantled by Darius. Organization of the Persian em- pire by Darius. Twenty satrapies with a fixed tribute apportioned to each. Imposts upon the different satrapies. Organizing tendency of Darius first imperial coinage imperial roads and posts. Island of Samos its condition at the accession of Darius. Polykrates. Poly krates breaks with Amasis, king of Egypt, and allies himself with Kam- byses. The Samian exiles, expelled by Polykrates, apply to Sparta for aid. The Lacedaemonians attack Samos, but are repulsed. Attack on Siphnos by the Samian exiles. Prosperity of Polykrates. He is slain by the Persian satrap Orcetes. Majandrius, lieutenant of Polykrates in Samos he desires to establish a free government after the death of Polykrates conduct of the Samians. Maeandrius becomes despot. Contrast between the Athenians and the Samians. Syloson, brother of Polykrates, lands with a Persian army in Samos his history. Maean- drius agrees to evacuate the island. Many Persian officers slain slaughter of the Samians. Syloson despot at Samos. Application of Mteandrius to Sparta for aid refused 209-252 CHAPTER XXXIV. DEMOKEDES. DARIUS INVADES SCYTHIA. Conquering dispositions of Darius. Influence of his wife, Atossa. Demokedes, the Krotoniate surgeon his adventures he is carried a3 a slave to Susa. He cures Darius, who rewards him munificently. He procures permission by artifice, and through the influence of Atossa, to return to Greece. Atossa suggests to Darius an expedition against Greece. Demokedes, with some Persians, is sent to procure information for him. Voyage of Demokedes along the coast of Greece he slays at Kroton fate of his Persian companions. Consequences which might have been expected to happen if Darius had then undertaken his expedition against Greece. Darius marches against Scythia. His naval force formed of Asiatic and insular Greeks. He directs tin; Greeks to throw a bridge over the Danube and crosses the river. He marches into Scythia narrative of his march impossible and unintelligi- ble, considered as history. The description of his march is rather to be looked upon as a fancy-picture, illustrative of Scythian warfare. Poeti- cal grouping of the Scythians and their neighbors by Herodotus. Strong impression produced upon the imagination of Herodotus by the Scythians. Orders given by Darius to the lonians at t/ie bridge ove: the Danube. The lonians arc loft in guard of the bridge; their conduct when Darius's return is delayed. The Ionian despots preserve the bridge and enable Darius to recross the river, as a means of support to their own dominion at home. Opportunity lost of emancipation from