By place Greece •
Alexander I succeeds his father
Amyntas I as king of
Macedonia. •
Athens and
Eretria respond to the
Ionian plea for help against
Persia and send troops. An
Athenian and
Eretrian fleet transports Athenian troops to
Ephesus. There they are joined by a force of Ionians and march upon
Sardis, the capital of
Artaphernes (the
satrap of
Lydia and brother to
Darius I of
Persia). Artaphernes, who has sent most of his troops to besiege
Miletus, is taken by surprise. However, Artaphernes is able to retreat to the citadel and
hold it. Although the Greeks are unable to take the citadel, they
pillage the town and set fires that burn Sardis to the ground. • Retreating to the coast, the Greek forces are met by the Persians under Artaphernes and defeated in the
Battle of Ephesus. •
Kaunos and
Caria, followed by
Byzantium and towns in the
Hellespont also revolt against the Persians.
Cyprus also joins the rebellion, as
Onesilus removes his pro-Persian brother, Gorgos, from the throne of
Salamis.
Sicily • After the assassination of
Cleander, tyrant of
Gela, power is transferred to his brother,
Hippocrates, who subdues the
Sicels and conquers the Chalcidian cities of
Callipoli,
Leontini,
Naxos and
Zancle (now known as
Messina). He also captures the
Syracusan city of
Camarina, but is prevented from capturing Syracuse itself when
Corinth and
Corcyra interferes in the war.
By topic Literature • The Greek poet
Pindar composes his earliest surviving
epinikion (Pythian ode 10). == Births ==