35 The Situation of Teos and the Rest of the lonians (§§168-169)

The city of Teos reacted in a manner similar to that of Phocaea. When Harpagus brought earthworks up to the city, the citizens sailed to Thrace and refounded the city of Abdera, a city founded earlier by Time­sias of Clazomenae, who was later driven out by the Thracians. The Teians of Abdera nevertheless now honor this Timesias as a hero. Again, Herodo­tus hints at adventures, misfortunes, and suffering that he leaves to the imagination of the reader. The writing is dense enough to show the complex history of even these small places, but the historian is loathe to stray far from his main story. Thracian Abdera will figure in the History only on two more occasions, when Xerxes is going to and coming from Attica (7.120 and 8.120). When Xerxes is on his way to Attica, Megacreon observes wittily that the Abderans should thank the gods that Xerxes was habituated to eating only once a day—for to provide two meals for his army would thoroughly have ruined the city. On his way back from Attica, the Abderans also wittily claim—-though Herodotus doesn’t believe it— that Xerxes did not loosen his girdle until he reached Abdera, for until then he did not feel safe enough. Besides loosening his girdle, Xerxes also makes a treaty of friendship with Abdera and gives the city gifts. Thus we can see how in a span of sixty years the relationship of nations can change from hostility to friendship. The shifting alliances of Herodotus’s own day, the ebbing and flowing of the Greek alliances, would be another instance of this phenomenon.^[1]

All the other Ionians (except the Milesians, who had a compact with Cyrus) chose to fight against Harpagus, and when they lost to endure slavery. Herodotus chooses to compliment the lonians, remarking on the good fight they made (ἄνδρες ἐγένοντο ἀγαθοὶ περὶ τῆς ἑωυτοῦ ἕκαστος μαχόμενοι). Inasmuch as the lonians lost their freedom and as Herodotus gives no details whatsoever of the brave fight, the compliment may be intended to appeal to his current audience and to mitigate the pain of its loss. Herodotus points out that the Ionians were fighting “each for his own city,” a statement that, as How and Wells point out (i.129), emphasizes their disunity. Moreover, Herodotus is perhaps also suggesting that a brave fight is not very effective when there is disunity—also a valuable lesson for his audience. Herodotus concludes with the observation that the Ionians were thus enslaved a second time. The Ionians of the islands, terrified, surrendered themselves without a fight. In view of the comment earlier (143) that the islanders had nothing to fear because the Persians lacked a naval power, this surrender seems particularly craven.