Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/268

 250 HISTORY OF GREECE. ment. This man looking out of his chamber-window, saw the Persian officers seated peaceably throughout the town and even under the gates of the acropolis, unguarded, and relying upon the convention : it seems that these were the chief officers, whose rank gave them the privilege of being carried about on their seats. 1 The sight inflamed both his wrath and his insane ambi- tion ; he clamored for liberty and admission to his brother, whom he reviled as a coward no less than a tyrant. " Here ar you, worthless man, keeping me, your own brother, in a dungeon, though I have done no wrong worthy of bonds ; while you do not dare to take your revenge on the Persians, wh<> are casting you out as a houseless exile, and whom it would be so easy to put down. If you are afraid of them, give me your guards ; I will make the Persians repent of their coming here, and I will send you safely out of the island forthwith." 2 Maeandrius, on the point of quitting Samos forever, had little personal motive to care what became of the population. Pie had probably never forgiven them for disappointing his honorable in- tentions after the death of Polykrates, nor was he displeased to hand over to Syloson an odious and blood-stained sceptre, which he foresaw would be the only consequence of his brother's mad project. He therefore sailed away with his treasures, leaving the acropolis to his brother Charilaus ; who immediately armed the guards, sallied forth from his fortress, and attacked the un- suspecting Persians. Many of the great officers were slain without resistance before the army could be got together ; but at length Otanes collected his troops and drove the assailants bnck into the acropolis. While he immediately began the siege of that fortress, he also resolved, as Maeandrius had foreseen, to take a signal revenge for the treacherous slaughter of so many of his friends and companions. His army, no less incensed than him- 1 Herodot. iii, 1 16. rd>v Hepaeuv rotif Sitypopopevfievovf /cat Aoyov Trfai teal u6iK.T)aavTa ovAtv ugiov Aeapov, 6f]aa$ yopyvprig rj^iuaaq opeuv <5e rov{ riEpcraf ^/c/?a/,AoiTttf re as KOI UVOIKOV iroievvraf, ov ro?,//gf ricraadcL, ovru 6*1 n tovraf evTrertaf xeipudijvat. The highly dramatic manner of Herodotus cannot be melted do-rn iatfl mroth historical recital.
 * Herodot. iii, 145. 'E/*e [lev, L> KU.KIOTE uvdptiv, iovra aeuvrov d