The second volume of the Histories opens with the Persian pacification of Thrace by Megabazos, who subdues the region and notes the distinct customs of the Thracian tribes. Darius rewards Histiaios of Miletus and Coes of Mytilene, but later recalls Histiaios out of suspicion, installing Otanes to command the coastal forces. Aristagoras, ruling Miletus in Histiaios's absence, orchestrates a revolt against Persian rule after a failed expedition against Naxos.
Seeking allies, Aristagoras travels to Sparta to persuade King Cleomenes. He uses a bronze map of the known world to illustrate the wealth of Asia, but Cleomenes rejects the proposal when the three-month journey to Susa is revealed. Aristagoras then turns to Athens, which has recently cast off its tyrants and established a democracy. The Athenians agree to send twenty ships to support the Ionian rebellion.
The Ionian forces, reinforced by Athenians and Eretrians, march inland and capture Sardis, though the city is accidentally burnt down in the ensuing conflict. The Persians retaliate swiftly, defeating the Ionians near Ephesus and suppressing the revolt across the region. Aristagoras flees to Thrace, where he is eventually killed in battle.
Meanwhile, the Persian campaign expands to Cyprus, where Onesilos leads a revolt that is ultimately crushed after fierce fighting. Darius begins planning a broader invasion of Greece, urged on by Mardonios and exiled Athenian leaders. The narrative details the complex internal politics of Sparta, including the deposition of King Demaratos through the machinations of Cleomenes.
The volume sets the stage for the inevitable clash between the Persian empire and the Greek city-states, culminating in the preparations for the monumental invasions that would define classical antiquity.
