Ionian Revolt

• Aristagoras 


  Tyrant of Ionian City - Miletus
• What did Aristagoras persuade Darius to do

  launch an invasion on the Island of Naxos so that the Persian Empire could also gain other islands
• What is Aristagoras an example of


  a Greek tyrant who looked to work with the Persian Empire for mutual benefit
• Why did Aristagoras want the campaign to be successful

  If successful, Aristagoras could hope to be enriched and his power could grow
• Was the campaign successful

  Campaign went badly and ended in a failure
• What happened to Aristagoras and the Persian commander Megabates

  Aristagoras argued with him sensing he was going to lose the support of Darius
• What did Aristagoras do to try and keep power

  switched sides

  he laid down a tyranny and incited Miletus and other Ionian cities to drive out their tyrants and to revolt against Persians

  Ionian Cities followed this and set up a form of democracy in the tyrants place
• Where did Aristagoras go for help

  travelled to mainland Greece

  Spartans unwilling to commit troops so far away

  Athenians sent 20 ships to aid rebellion
• What did Herodotus think was bad about Athenians helping

  Believed that Athens sending ships was the cause of the wars between the Greeks and Persians
• Why did Athenians help Ionians?

  Athenians and Ionians are related and Athens had just had a tyrant expelled (Hippias)
• Who else aided the Ionians?

  City of Eretria supplied 5 ships
• First assault of the revolt

  Greek allies successfully attacked Sardis and burnt it to the ground
• Major building burnt by the Greeks in Sardis

  temple of Lydian Goddess Cybebe
• Hippias


  caused trouble with the Persians and Athenians

  defected to the Persians and was trying to persuade them to conquer Athens and reinstall him as tyrant

  Athenians sent ambassadors to Persians to tell them to ignore Hippias' claims but Persians ordered them to take him back as their ruler - Athens was not happy
• Greeks destroyed


  Greeks headed back to the coast but was destroyed near Ephesus by Persians cavalry

  Athenians took fright and withdrew support from revolt
• After Greeks withdrew

  Revolt spread to many Asiatic Greek Cities and the island of Cyprus
• Herodotus account


  Persian fleet of 600 ships was able to defeat Greek fleet of 353 ships
• Victory to Persia

  Persians bribed some of the Greeks, including the majority of the Samian fleet - the deserted at start of battle and Persians scored decisive victory

  Also Persians sacked Miletus and brought region under control