They kept alive their ancient grudge with the Athenians, and, in one of their excursions, landed in Attica, and carried off some of the women while celebrating a festival of Diana.

These captives they subjected to their embraces, and ultimately massacred, together with the offspring of the intercourse.

"The Lemnian Horrors" became a proverbial phrase--the wrath of the gods manifested itself in the curse of general sterility, and the criminal Pelasgi were commanded by the oracle to repair the heinous injury they had inflicted on the Athenians.

The latter were satisfied with no atonement less than that of the surrender of the islands occupied by the offenders.

Tradition thus reported the answer of the Pelasgi to so stern a demand-- "Whenever one of your vessels, in a single day and with a northern wind, makes its passage to us, we will comply." Time passed on, the injury was unatoned, the remembrance remained-- when Miltiades (then in the Chersonese) passed from Elnos in a single day and with a north wind to the Pelasgian Islands, avenged the cause of his countrymen, and annexed Lemnos and Imbros to the Athenian sway.
The remembrance of this exploit had from the first endeared Miltiades to the Athenians, and, since the field of Marathon, he united in himself the two strongest claims to popular confidence--he was the deliverer from recent perils, and the avenger of hereditary wrongs.
The chief of the Chersonese was not slow to avail himself of the advantage of his position.