The Persian Wars

Aftermath of the Revolt

Darius was surprisingly lenient, at least with those cities that agreed to submit to Persian rule once more. He took a few hostages but visited few reprisals (except for the terrible toll exacted on Miletus). He did, of course, re-institute the garrisons and the taxes.

Athens had been a principal ally in the Ionian Revolt and the Athenians quite naturally feared that Darius would be coming after them next. With the example of Miletus before them, this was a distressing prospect.

The Athenians were in a desperate mood. The Persian Empire was so huge it must surely be able to crush the Greeks no matter what defensive measures they took. So worried were the Athenians that in 493 they fined the playwright Phrynichus 1,000 drachmas for his play The Capture of Miletus, which in recounting the events of the Ionian Revolt, reminded them of the reasons for their current difficulty.

History of Western Civilization

E.L. Skip Knox
Boise State University

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