Revolt of Ionie

The revolt of the Ionie represents a decisive episode towards confrontation between Greeks and Persians. It originates in the will of Darius I {{er}} to control the sources of supply out of corn and wood of naval construction of the Greece. For that it must be attacked, with the assistance of Ionian Greek quotas, initially with the Scythes, which had founded a powerful empire in southernmost Russia and whose commercial relations with the Greeks were profitable and active. There is undoubtedly also the will to control the road commercial of gold, extract of the Ural Mountains or Siberia and whose Scythians made big business. Admittedly forwarding against the Scythians is a failure, those applying the technique of the ground burned in front of the Persian army. The Persian army escapes even from the disaster and surrounding thanks to honesty from the Greek quota which keeps the bridge on the the Danube ( Ister ).

However Darius made sure the control of the Thrace while the king Amyntas I {{er}} of Macedonia recognizes the suzerainty of the Perse (513 av. J. - C.). In 508, it is the island of Samothrace which fall under the Persian yoke. Even Athens solicits towards 508 Persian alliance. From this countryside Darius draws the conclusion which it can count on the fidelity of the Ionian Greeks. Those on the other hand estimate that they can without excessive risks revolt against the Persian domination because forwarding against the Scythians showed that the empire achéménide is not invulnerable.

Origins of the revolt

The Ionie suffers in its interests from this domination. It consists of 12 founded Greek cities since at least the 8th century before the Christian era: Millet, Éphèse, Phocée, Clazomènes, Colophon, Priène, Téos, Tap-holes, Samos, Érythrée, Myonte and Lébédos. He is necessary to add to it the cities of the Éolide, area located at the North-West of the Ionie, of which that of Smyrna. These cities which Cyrus II had seized, or rather its general Harpage towards 540 av. J. - C., were prosperous at the time of the conquest. Since only Millet had succeeded in concluding a treaty of friendship ensuring a relative independence to him. It is however Milet which is at the origin of the rising of 499.

However the Persian domination is not heavy. Each city preserves its institutions at the condition express of accepting and of maintaining the Greek tyrant or the satrap or Persian civil servant whom liked it the “Large King” to send. Sometimes Darius Ier and its successors respect the habits of the various people of their empire and give the responsability themselves to recall to the order the dedicated civils servant. But Milet feels its prosperity threatened by the arrival of Persians.

Since 512, the Black Sea is a “Persian lake”, the Thrace became a Satrapie. However, Milet is provided to it out of corn and all kinds of raw materials. To that is added that people of Millet saw leaving their “intellectuals”, who escape in front of the Persian domination. Persians remain, with the eyes of many Ionian Greeks, of the restive barbarians to the “charms” of Greek civilization which preserve their language, their religion and their habits. Finally Persian colonization closes the access of the septentrional seas at the time when Sybaris, the Western Millet warehouse, falls under the blows from Crotona (510). Moreover Persians systematically support the rivals Phéniciens of Tyr and Sidon.

Finally the catch of Byzance by Persians their farm straits and trade towards the Euxine Sea. Undoubtedly also should not one neglect a will of emancipation of the Ionian cities which push them on the one hand to reject the tyrants imposed by Persians, and on the other hand to release itself from the yoke achéménide. When the revolt bursts it has like first consequence, in many cities, the ousting of the tyrants and the proclamation of the Isonomie.

The role of Millet and the search for an aid of Greece d' Europe

Sovereignty thus becomes again a priority. This aspiration with freedom is theorized by Aristagoras Millet. Under the banner of the release, it gathers the Ionian cities. The objective to take again Byzance and Cyprus with Persians seems realistic and pushes the Greeks of Asia to the revolt. This one prepares in great secrecy with Naxos and Milet. The tyrant of the latter is Histiée retained with Suse by Darius and whose liege one, directing the city in its absence, is his/her Aristagoras son-in-law, nephew of a former tyrant of the city. This one initially is combined with Persians to take again Naxos (500 av. J. - C.) which revolted but is scrambled quickly with the Persian general.

He receives at this time councils of Histiée enjoignant to him to revolt against Darius. Undoubtedly also fears it to take the responsibility for the failure in front of Naxos. After a tended council of the milésiens, where only the discordant voice of Hécatée, a predecessor of Hérodote, was opposed to the project, Aristagoras holds up the standard of the revolt (499) and seizes several Persian ships or phenicians. He proclaims then the equality of the Ionian cities. However, this alliance lacks a clear project and especially of means; it is thus necessary to hope of the assistance of Greece d' Europe.

Aristagoras thus leaves at winter 499 to continental Greece to request a military aid. The moment is not very favourable because Sparte is divided by the competition of the two kings Cléomène I {{er}} and Démarate. As for Athens, it hardly recovers from the consecutive convulsions to the installation of the reforms of Clisthène. Finally only two cities answer the call, Athens (20 boats) and Érétrie (5 boats) by recognition for Milet which formerly had helped it against Chalcis. On the whole that hardly represents more 2 000 men. For the Greek cities of Europe, the problem with the air to be remote and the conflicts local are considered to be more important.

Stages of the conflict

It however will be necessary more than 6 years for Persians to subdue the rebellion. Indeed the first combat are favorable to the Ionian ones. The Greek fleet destroys the fleet phenician at the time of a first combat on the coasts of Pamphylie, undoubtedly towards 498 av. J. - C.. On ground, Persians prepare to besiege the town of Milet when Charopinos, the brother of Aristagoras, with the assistance of the Athenian quota, organize a diversion and devastate Sardes, the old capital of Crésus which was the seat of a satrapie. But with the return the satrap Artapherne, who besieged Milet, intercepts them on the heights of Éphèse and gains the victory (spring 498).

At the end of summer 498, the Greek task force - or at least what it remains about it - leaves to return on Athens or Érétrie. This defection does not prevent the revolt from gaining width. With autumn 498, rising gains Cyprus, except for Citium, as well as the Propontide and the Hellespont until Byzance. Then the Carie revolts in its turn. At the beginning of 497, the situation of Persians is critical but Darius Ier reacts with celerity and raises simultaneously three armies and a new fleet. In one year (497) the revolt is crushed in Cyprus then in the cities of Hellespont. As for Cariens they are overcome on the river Marsyas with autumn 497, in spite of the assistance of Milésiens, then in Labraunda at the time of the summer 496. It seems that about this Aristagoras time flees in Thrace where he dies shortly after (497) in an obscure combat. As for Histiée it becomes pirate at sea Égée. It is killed shortly after.

Cariens seize again and inflict a serious defeat with Persians with the autumn following in Pédassos (496). Finally, of the long and painful negotiations engage and Cariens deposit the weapons definitively only in 494. Millet is found then only. With beginning of the year 494, Persians mass their troops against Milet. The city must be attacked at the same time by ground and sea. A naval battle opposing approximately 350 ships Greek to 600 ships phenicians, Egyptians and Cypriot proceeds in broad island of Ladè lasting summer 494. The Greek fleet is destroyed. The city is taken and shortly after shaven and its population off-set on the banks of the Tigre. At the time of the year 493 Persians subject the last cities and rebellious islands (Chios, Lesbos and Ténédos) while their fleet victoriously skirts the coasts of Hellespont and Chalcédoine.

Consequences of the Ionian defeat

This defeat involves in continental Greece, in particular with Athens, a deep reaction of sadness. Thus the Phrynicos poet composes a part entitled the Catch of Millet which dissolves in tears the public (its author being condemned to a fine of 1000 Drachme S to have pointed out unhappy events).

The Persian military intervention in Asia Mineure however turned Darius towards the Occident and perhaps caused in him of the expansionist ideas, or at least the desire to establish in Greece even modes which are favorable for him. The part played by Athens and Érétrie shows him the need for imposing its authority on two banks of the Aegean Sea. However, if the Millet fate is excluded, Darius uses certainly of a relative moderation imposing a strong tribute on the revolted cities but leaving them their autonomy.

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