Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/349

THE PERSIANS TAKE NAXOS AND ERETREIA. 331 Rrul he himself, landing with only a few attendants, offered a mag nificent sacrifice at the altar. A large portion of his armament consisted of Ionic Greeks, and this pronounced respect to the island of Delos may probably be ascribed to the desire of satisfy- ing their religious feelings ; for in their days of early freedom, this island had been the scene of their solemn periodical festivals, as I have already more than once remarked. Pursuing his course without resistance along the islands, and demanding reinforcements as well as hostages from each, Datis at length touched the southernmost portion of Euboea, the town of Karystus and its territory. 1 The Karystians. though at first refusing either to give hostages or to furnish any reinforce- ments against their friends and neighbors, were speedily com- pelled to submission by the aggressive devastation of the invaders. This was the first taste of resistance which Datis had yet expe- rienced ; and the facility with which it was overcome gave him a promising omen as to his success against Eretria, whither he soon arrived. The destination of the armament was no secret to the inhabit- ants of this fated city, among whom consternation, aggravated by intestine differences, was the reigning sentiment. They made application to Athens for aid, which was readily and conveni- ently afforded to them by means of those four thousand kleruchs, or out-citizens, whom the Athenians had planted sixteen years before in the neighboring territory of Chalkis. Notwithstand- ing this reinforcement, however, many of them despaired of defending the city, and thought only of seeking shelter on the unassailable summits of the island, as the more numerous and powerful Naxians had already done before them ; while another party, treacherously seeking their own profit out of the public calamity, lay in wait for an opportunity of betraying the city to the Persians. 2 Though a public resolution was taken to defend 1 Herodot. vi, 99. y Herodot. vi, 100. Tuv 6s 'Eperpieuv qv upa ovdev iiyi'if jSovAevjia, cl ttercTT^uTrof ro fiiv 'Ai97?vaiovf, kfypbveov 6e dtQaoiaf ideaf oi fj.lv yiio avruv ifiovAevovTo licXnreiv rf/v TTO^IV if ra uupa TTJS Evpoirif, <IA/lot <5e avrtiv I6ta Kspdea Trpoa6eKofj.voi mipu TOV YLepaeu olaeo'&ai irpoSoalrjv IOKEVU^OVTO. Allusion to this treason among the Eretrians is to be found in a saying tf I hemistoklus (Plutarch. Themist. c. 11).