The History of Antiquity, Vol. 6 (of 6) — John Shaqi
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 6 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 6 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
contrary, it rather advanced commerce, which now received the protection
of the Persian king throughout the whole of his wide dominions. The ruin
of Phocaea also aided the trade of Miletus which had suffered neither
war nor siege.
Yet the cities of the Greeks were essentially weakened by the war and
their subjugation. In Phocaea, it is true, a community again grew up.
Half of the emigrants, in spite of their solemn vow, were seized with a
longing for their ancient home; they returned to their desolated city.
But for fifty years after this time the new Phocaea would or could
furnish no more than three ships of war. In Priene also and Teos
sufficient inhabitants gradually assembled to establish small
communities.[46] Other circumstances weighed more heavily even than
their natural losses. Cyrus knew well that it would not be easy to
retain in secure obedience cities so distant in situation, so important
in population and military resources. At such a distance isolated
garrisons would have been exposed to great danger; yet without them the
cities would have closed their gates to the Persians at any moment,
manned their walls, and entered into combinations beyond the sea. Every
rebellion of this kind made new sieges necessary, and these were the
more difficult as Persia had no fleet, and could only use the ships of
the Greeks. Situated at the extreme edge of the kingdom, and supported
by the opposite shore of the Ægean, each of the larger cities could
offer a long resistance. With the unerring political insight which
distinguished him, Cyrus saw that he must gain adherents within the
cities, and have on his side influential interests of sufficient weight
to keep the cities in obedience. Yet he did not aim at supporting one or
other of the parties who contended in the Greek cities for the
leadership of the community; on the other hand, his favour and that of
his viceroys was given to this or that party-leader. His allegiance was
to be secured and certain advantages were held out in prospect to the
city when led by him. Cyrus intended to govern the cities of the Greeks
by Greeks, who were not to be his officers, but to rule the cities as
their lords and princes for their own advantage and profit. By their
position, which they owed to the favour of Persia, and could only
maintain with the help of Persia against their fellow-citizens, by the
interested desire to retain this power in their families and bequeath it
to their children, by the concentration of the princely authority, as
opposed to the republican institutions and republican spirit of their
cities--which authority rested on the Persian court, and was closely
connected with it--these rulers in union with the viceroys and their
troops must be in a position to secure the subjection of the cities.
Thus it came to pass that not in Cyme only, the most important city of
the Aeolians, but in almost all the towns of the Greeks, men were raised
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