Cleomenes, meanwhile, spared no exertion to as semble an army, which -night repair his disgrace. To the Spartan troops he united those of the Co rinthiaas, and other allies, and marched with a formi dable army towards Attica. At the same time the Beeotians prepared to invade it from a different quar ter, seconded by the Chaleidians, a people of Etiticea. The Athenians, at this critical juncture, displayed all that promptitude and energy, of which they after wards gave so mans.- s'gnal examples. Not having forces to engage go many enemies at once, they march ed first with their whole army against the Lacedemo Mans, leaving, for the time, Attica at the mercy of the Bccotians and Clialcidians. In this first under taking, they prevailed without the hazard of a battle. The Corinthians, either affected with scruples as to the justice of the cause, or intimidated by the great force opposed to them, broke up, and returned home. Their example was followed by the rest of the allies; even the colleague of Cleomenes opposed the prosecution of the undertaking ; so that he found himself under the mortifying necessity of returning home with the Spartan troops.
The Athenians lost no time in improving this success to crush their other enemies. The Chalcidians appear to have been on the point of forming a junction with the Bceotians, and had advanced, with that view, to the other side of the narrow channel of the Euripus, which separates Eubeca from the continent. The Athenian army, however, advanced with such expe dition, that before the junction could he effected, they attacked and routed the Becotians ; then immediately crossing the Euripus, engaged, and on the very same day completely defeated the Chalcidians. After this double victory, they returned in triumph to Athens.
About this time, the Athenians were engaged in a long war with the inhabitants of JEgina, not produc tive of any memorable events', but important as ha ving first turned their attention to the formation of a maritime force. • See lEcasA These petty contests, however, were soon lost in another of far greater magnitude, which was destined to raise Athens to the summit of glory. The Ionians were the most flourishing of the Grecian colonies in Asia Minor. Like the others, they had originally enjoyed liberty, but had sunk under the overwhelming might of the Persian empire, and been compelled to acknowledge its supremacy. They bore the yoke, however, with impatience ; and being excited by their chiefs, Histilcus and Aristagoras, they took up arms, and engaged in war with Persia. Sensible, however, that they could not alone resist the forte of so mighty an empire, they looked for aid to the states of their mother country. They applied first to Lacedemon, then considered as the leading city of Greece; but that cautious government declined interfering in so arduous an undertaking. Their ambassadors then proceeded to Athens, which, since its recent exploits, had taken a prominent station among the powers of Greece. That people, always enterprising, and ready,
without weighing consequences, to embark in any promising scheme, agreed to give their assistance, and sent 20 gallies, with troops on board, which were joined by five from Eretria, a town of Eubrea. On their arrival at Miletus, it was proposed to them to engage in an expedition to plunder Sardis, the wealthy capital of Lydia. In this enterprise they embarked with eagerness ; the confederates, by a rapid march, found Sardis unprepared, and immediately proceeded to plunder. But while they were busied in this oc cupation, the Persians rallied, surprised them in their turn, and drove them out of the town. The confe derates now made a precipitate retreat to the coast, but even this did not preserve them from Persian ven geance. The army of the great king came up with them at Ephesus, and after an obstinate engagement, totally defeated them. In consequence of this dis aster, dissensions arose among the confederates, and the Athenians returned home, abandoning the cause of their unfortinate allies. Such was the issue of their first contest with the Persian arms, which certain ly did not prognosticate that splendid success, with which their enterprises were afterwards crowned.
This affair directed the eyes of the Persian monarch towards Greece, both as an object of resentment and of ambition. His first step was to send round heralds to the different states, demanding earth and water, the usual tokens of submission. All, overawed by the power of Persia, complied, excepting Athens and Lacedemon. These two cities, with a barbarous pa triotism, threw the ambassadors into wells, and casting earth upon them, declared, that they had now obtain ed their demand.
Darius, who then reigned in Persia, proceeded now to more formidable measures. Mardonius was first sent with a large army to cross the Hellespont,. and attack the northern districts ; but a violent storm having- dispersed his fleet, he returned without effecting any thing of importance. A new plan was then arranged. An immense fleet and army having been assembled, it was determined to transport them from the shore of the Lesser Asia, and to land them, first in the island of Eubcea ; after having subdued which, and signally punished the Eretrians, they might pass over into Attica. Mardonius, who had been at, least unfortunate, was superseded, and the command given to Datis and Artaphernes ; the one distinguish ed by long experience in ware the other by his noble birth. They were accompanied by Hippias, the ex pelled tyrant of Athens, who had hoped, from the sympathy and ambition of the Persian monarch, to obtain what he could not expect from the consent of his fellow citizens, or the interference of the other states. The armament sailed first to Ellin:ea, took and plundered Eretria, and from thence prepared to pass over into Attica.