when I had returned from the Scythians and thou wert gone away out of
the sight of my eyes, never did I desire to see anything again within
so short a time as I desired then both to see thee and that thou
shouldst come to speech with me; since I perceived that the most
valuable of all possessions is a friend who is a man of understanding
and also sincerely well-disposed, both which qualities I know exist in
thee, and I am able to bear witness of them in regard to my affairs.
Now therefore (for thou didst well in that thou camest hither) this is
that which I propose to thee:--leave Miletos alone and also thy newly-
founded city in Thracia, and coming with me to Susa, have whatsoever
things I have, eating at my table and being my counseller." 25. Thus
said Dareios, and having appointed Artaphrenes[12] his own brother and
the son of his father to be governor of Sardis, he marched away to
Susa taking with him Histiaios, after he had first named Otanes to be
commander of those who dwelt along the sea coasts. This man's father
Sisamnes, who had been made one of the Royal Judges, king Cambyses
slew, because he had judged a cause unjustly for money, and flayed off
all his skin: then after he had torn away the skin he cut leathern
thongs out of it and stretched them across the seat where Sisamnes had
been wont to sit to give judgment; and having stretched them in the
seat, Cambyses appointed the son of that Sisamnes whom he had slain
and flayed, to be judge instead of his father, enjoining him to
remember in what seat he was sitting to give judgment. 26. This Otanes
then, who was made to sit in that seat, had now become the successor
of Megabazos in the command: and he conquered the Byzantians and
Calchedonians, and he conquered Antandros in the land of Troas, and
Lamponion; and having received ships from the Lesbians he conquered
Lemnos and Imbros, which were both at that time still inhabited by
Pelasgians. 27. Of these the Lemnians fought well, and defending
themselves for a long time were at length brought to ruin;[13] and