Datis served as a commander during the
Ionian Revolt (499–493 BC), and likely coordinated efforts to suppress the revolt during the
Battle of Lade in early 494 BC. During the
Greco-Persian Wars, Datis and Artaphernes replaced the commander
Mardonius, whose ships had fallen victim to a huge storm when sailing round
Mount Athos. Datis was ordered to reduce Athens and
Eretria to slavery, and bring the Greek slaves before the Achaemenid king. To achieve this, Datis sought to establish a
bridgehead on the eastern coast of
Greece. In 490 BCE, Datis sailed from the Ionian shoreline to
Samos, and then he travelled through the
Icarian sea to the islands of
Delos and
Naxos. When Datis arrived the inhabitants of the islands fled. Datis then sent the inhabitants a message telling them he did not seek to harm them. Datis burnt large amounts of incense at the altar of
Apollo. Datis's forces travelled along the Greek coast taking town after town. One town named
Carystus resisted Datis. So his army of 80,000 soldiers and 200 triremes lay siege to the city. He began the siege by destroying the crops around the city. Eventually, the city was overwhelmed and surrendered. During Datis's
siege of Eretria in 490 BCE, the Eretrians had many conflicting strategies. Some Eretrians wished to surrender the city and wage
guerrilla warfare in the mountains of Greece. Some Eretrians wanted to surrender the city to the Persians. Four thousand Athenian colonists arrived from
Chalcis to help defend Eretria. Datis attacked the Eretrians in battle, resulting in high numbers of casualties. On the seventh day of the siege the Eretrians surrendered, and all of the temples in the city were burned to exact revenge for the earlier burning of
Sardis by the Greeks. Datis commanded the Persian assault force against the Athenians at the
Battle of Marathon in the same year.
Ctesias of
Cnidus relates that Datis was slain at Marathon and that the Athenians refused to hand over his body. However, this conflicts with
Herodotus' claim that Datis survived the battle. == Family ==