The Athenians received the news of this fatal siege with the deepest sorrow, and Herodotus records an anecdote illustrative of the character of that impassioned people, and interesting to the history of their early letters.

Phrynichus, a disciple of Thespis, represented on the stage the capture of Miletus, and the whole audience burst into tears.

The art of the poet was considered criminal in thus forcibly reminding the Athenians of a calamity which was deemed their own: he was fined a thousand drachmae, and the repetition of the piece forbidden--a punishment that was but a glorious homage to the genius of the poet and the sensibility of the people.
After innumerable adventures, in which he exhibited considerable but perverted abilities, Histiaeus fell into the hands of Artaphernes, and died upon the cross.

Darius rebuked the zeal of the satrap, and lamented the death of a man, whose situation, perhaps, excused his artifices.
And now the cloud swept onward--one after one the Ionian cities were reduced--the islands of Chios, Lesbos, Tenedos, depopulated; and all Ionia subjugated and enslaved.

The Persian fleet proceeded to subdue all the towns and territories to the left of the Hellespont.