Messenians and Arcadians and Argives, who are equally matched against
you, for the sake of land which is not much in extent nor very
fertile, and for confines which are but small, though these peoples
have neither gold nor silver at all, for the sake of which desire
incites one to fight and to die,--can this be, I say, and will ye
choose some other way now, when it is possible for you easily to have
the rule over all Asia?" Aristagoras spoke thus, and Cleomenes
answered him saying: "Guest-friend from Miletos, I defer my answer to
thee until the day after to-morrow."[37] 50. Thus far then they
advanced at that time; and when the appointed day arrived for the
answer, and they had come to the place agreed upon, Cleomenes asked
Aristagoras how many days' journey it was from the sea of the Ionians
to the residence of the king. Now Aristagoras, who in other respects
acted cleverly and imposed upon him well, in this point made a
mistake: for whereas he ought not to have told him the truth, at least
if he desired to bring the Spartans out to Asia, he said in fact that
it was a journey up from the sea of three months: and the other
cutting short the rest of the account which Aristagoras had begun to
give of the way, said: "Guest-friend from Miletos, get thee away from
Sparta before the sun has set; for thou speakest a word which sounds
not well in the ears of the Lacedemonians, desiring to take them a
journey of three months from the sea." 51. Cleomenes accordingly
having so said went away to his house: but Aristagoras took the
suppliant's branch and went to the house of Cleomenes; and having
entered in as a suppliant, he bade Cleomenes send away the child and
listen to him; for the daughter of Cleomenes was standing by him,
whose name was Gorgo, and this as it chanced was his only child, being
of the age now of eight or nine years. Cleomenes however bade him say
that which he desired to say, and not to stop on account of the child.
Then Aristagoras proceeded to promise him money, beginning with ten