Hdt. 5.106 Histiaios asks to be returned to Miletus under the pretense of securing the rebelling cities. While he himself was the one who told Aristagoras to revolt in the first place 498 BCE.

Hdt. 5.106 Darius confronts Histiaios about the rebellion of provinces started by Aristagoras in Miletus (Histaios' former governorship) 498 BCE.

Hdt. 5.101 The Ionians burn Sardis to the ground 498 BCE The Achaemenid Empire is not indestructible. Even the Ionians (notorious servant folk) can be convinced to revolt.

Hdt. 5.96 Athenians refuse to take Hippias back, thus making their dispute with the Achaemenid Empire public (so it shall be war between us). The Achaemenid are no longer the only open aggressors on the board, free to build their empire at will. Now the threatened territories challenging their authority. This sets up the conflict between the states and also echoes Herodotus' idea of cyclical nations. Nations move from barbarism to simple, masculine, civilization to effeminate opulence. Once a nation reaches a level of effeminate opulence it will surely fall to a more rugged simple-living people.

Hdt. 5.96 Artaphrenes responds to the pleas of the Athenians with an ultimatum commanding the Athenians to take Hippias back as their tyrant, 500 BCE.

Hdt. 5.96 Athenians sent a message to Artaphrenes in order to dissuade the Persians from believing or helping Athenian exiles (like Hippias), 500 BCE.

Hdt. 5.96 Hippias, the deposed tyrant of Athens, seeks help in re-securing power in Athens from Artaphrenes, the governor of Sardis (half brother to Darius)

Hdt. 5.73 The Athenians come to Sardis to speak to the Persians about becoming allies, -507 BCE. The reader sees the Achaemenids and their past members (current revoltees) being replaced as the active agents in the narrative. Herodotus now has the Athenians and Spartans (Hellenes) speaking for their own interests rather than being dominated by outside forces (Achaemenid or otherwise).

Hdt. 5.49 Aristagaros comes to Sparta to speak with Kleomenes to convince the Spartans to join in his revolt against Darius and the Achaemenids. He brings his famous world map as a prop and visual aid.

Hdt. 5.38 The Mytilenaeans - instigated by Aristagoras - seize and stone Coes/Koes (a representative of the Achaemenid Empire).

Hdt. 5.35 Histiaios sends a messenger to Aristagoras telling him to revolt against Darius (which nicely coincides with Aristagoras' desire to revolt against the Achaemenids since he can't pay back his loan form Artaphrenes and Darius).

Hdt. 5.34 After approving his plan with Darius and Artaphrenes, Aristagoras sets out to attack Naxos. The Naxians surprisingly outlast the attacking Achaemenid forces, enduring a four month siege. The prolonged siege leaves Aristagoras bankrupt...

Hdt. 5.32 Darius grants 200 triremes to Aristagoras to lead his dastardly assault against Naxos.

Hdt. 5.31 After promising to help the Naxians re-gain control of their island, Aristagoras instead tells Artaphrenes (the governor of Sardis) to help him attack it and seize it's wealth. Artaphrenes agrees to attack Naxos provided that Darius approve the plan.

Hdt. 5.30 The Naxians approach Aristagoras (ruler of Miletus in leu of Histiaios) about securing their island [Naxos]. Aristagoras agrees to help them (but he's secretly scheming against the Naxian's interests).

Hdt. 5.25 Otanes follows Megabazos in the line of Darius' generals. He goes on a shopping spree of the Aegean islands capturing Byzantium, Calchedon, Antandrus, Lamponium, Lemnos, and Imbros. This extends Achaemenid control out of Asia and the Hellespont into the Aegean Sea, directly threatening mainland Greece.

Hdt. 5.25 Darius appoints Artaphrenes to governorship of Sardis as he moves to Susa, 510 BCE. The moving of Darius' seat of power from Sardis to Susa sets of the chain reactions of rebellions which follow in the rest of book 5.

Hdt. 5.24 Influenced by the advice of Megabazos, Darius recalls Histiaios to Sardis under the suspicion that Histiaios is plotting a rebelling - fortifying his principate as the seat of his tyranny. Instead of punishing Histiaios outright or letting him continue ruling in Myrcinus Darius makes him part of his personal council. Adhering to the old maxim: keep your friends close and your possibly-duplicitous-generals even closer.

Hdt. 5.21 Alexandros, the son of Amyntas, punishes the Achaemenid messengers of Megabazos for their ill treatment of the Macedonian women. He has them killed and his duplicity is hidden from Darius. Nevertheless, the Macedonians are under the thumb of Darius.

Hdt. 5.18 Amyntas of Macedon surrenders to the Achaemenid messengers peacefully knowing that the forces of Macedonia are no match for the huge armies of Darius.

Hdt. 5.17 Megabazos, a proxy for Darius and the Achaemenid Empire, sends messengers to the Macedonians demanding their supplication. The messengers converse with Amyntas of Macedon.

Hdt. 5.15 The Paionians, attempting to defend themselves against the advancing Persians, are defeated due to local squabbles and all are routed and captured by the Achaemenid forces, led by Megabazos.

Hdt. 5.14 Darius orders his general Megabazus to capture the Paeonians, furthering the Achaemenid incursion into the Hellespont.

Hdt. 5.11 Darius gifts the gift of governorships to two of his most loyal men, Histiaios/Histiaeus of Miletus and Coes/Koes of Mytilene. 512 BCE

Hdt. 5.1 Megabazus, as a proxy of Darius and the Achaemenid Empire, subdues the Perinthians living near the Hellespont.

1.214 Queen Tomyris stuffs Cyrus head in a wineskin filled with blood.

1.214 The persian Army is destroyed and Cyrus is killed in a great battle with the Massagetai.

1.213 Spargapises kills himself after Cyrus cuts his bonds.

1.212 Queen Tomyris asks Cyrus to return her son and leave the country.

1.211 Croesus' stratagem succeeds. the Persians destroy one third of the Massagetai force and capture Tomyris' son, Spargapises.

1.208 Cyrus sends a message to Queen Tomyris after deciding to attack her within her own city. Bold move bro.

1.207 Of all Cyrus' generals and advisors Croesus speaks out against the agreed upon plan of 1.206 He instead advises Cyrus to cross the Araxes River and seek battle in the enemy territory.

1.206 Cyrus consults his generals and other leading men about Queen Tomyris' response to his marriage proposal.

1.206 Queen Tomyris responds to Cyrus' marriage proposal. It's a no. She thinks her troops can defeat Cyrus' in battle and save her city without loosing power over her holding to a political alliance.

1.205 Cyrus sends a marriage proposal to Queen Tomyris of the Massegetai in order to capture her holdings through political alliance rather than through battle. Tomyris is not feeling it though.

1.201 After concurring the Babylonians Cyrus turns his attention to the Massegetai, determined to add them to his growing Achaemenid Empire.

1.191 Cyrus and the Persian army attack Babylon by lowering the level of the Euphrates and takes the city by surprise.

1.188 Cyrus attacks Nitokris' son Labynetos of Babylon as part of his conquest of Assyria.

1.178 Cyrus decides to attack Babylon and all of Assyria. This passage marks the end of Harpagos's conquering of Asia Minor (all of which has now come under the power of the Achaemenids).

1.175 The Pedaseans are the only one among the Carians to hold out against Harpagos for an extended period of time. Herodotus demarcates them from the rest of the subjugated peoples of Asia Minor.

1.174 In Harpagos's conquest of Ionia and Aeolia for the Achaemenid Empire, he engaged the Lacedaemonian settlers in Triopion and conquered them without too much trouble.

1.171 Harpagos goes on a veritable shopping spree of acquisitions for the Achaemenid Empire, including the Lycian in the region of Lycia in Asia Minor.

1.171 Harpagos goes on a veritable shopping spree of acquisitions for the Achaemenid Empire, including the Carians in the region of Caria in Asia Minor.

1.171 Harpagos goes on a veritable shopping spree of acquisitions for the Achaemenid Empire, including the Caunuans in the city of Caunus .

1.169 The Ionian islands and the rest of Ionian are conquered by Harpagos and Cyrus for the growing Achaemenid Empire.

1.168 The Teians of the island Teos pull the same disappearing act the Phocaeans pulled in 1.164, escaping the siege of Harpagos and the Persian Army by abandoning the city to the Achaemenid general.

1.164 The Phocaeans escape from Harpagos and the Persian Army as the siege lines retreat.

1.162 In response to Harpagos's terms of surrender, the Phocaeans send back terms of their own terms, requesting time to deliberate.

1.164 Before the siege can really get underway, Harpagos preemptively allows the Phocaeans to surrender.

1.163 Harpagos, a general and representative of the Achaemenids, begins his conquest of Ionia in the name of Cyrus. His conquest starts at Phocaea and captures the city with a siege.

1.80 After the battle, the defeated Medes retreat and the Persian Army lays siege to the city of Sardis.

1.76 The forces of Cyrus and Croesus engage in battle near Pteria , Cappadocia. Neither side is victorious but there were huge losses on each side.

1.124 Harpagos sends a secret message to Cyrus encouraging him to rebel against Astyages.

1.128 Another battle ensues and Astyages is defeated once again by Cyrus. This time he is taken prisoner by Cyrus and loses his army.

1.128 In his defeat, sour-grapes Astyages sends another message to Cyrus

1.127 A battle between the forces of Astyages and Cyrus occurs

1.127 Cyrus gives a sassy response to Astyages that he will meet the Medes on the field of battle.

1.127 Astyages sends a messenger to Cyrus before the start of fighting.

1.161 The Chians of the island Chios surrender Pactyes to Mazares thus ending this vignette of rebellion within the Achaemenid Dynasty.

1.160 Pactyes is finally traded back to his Achaemenid pursuers.

Pactyes is shuffled between cities and islands. He is sent to Mytilene who will eventually barter him to new captors. Mazares still wants him back to answer for his crimes and rebellion against Cyrus.

1.159 Aristodikos the Cymean re-asks the Oracle at Branchidai about Pactyes and receives a direct response the god. This direct contact with the divine is a rarity in Herodotus's histories. In the conversation between the god and Aristodikos, the god reprimands Aristodikos for questioning the divine in a "how dare you even ask that question" fashion.

1.158 the Cymeans consult the oracle at Branchidae before they decide whether or not to give up Pactyes, their prisoner and suppliant, back to Mazares and the Achaemenids.

Mazares sends a message to the Cymeans to negotiate the return of Pactyes the rabble-rouser.

1.157 Pactyes escapes to Cyme in order to avoid the wrath of Cyrus and the approaching Persian army. This vignette of conflict within the Achaemenids/Persians is still a long way from its conclusion.

1.155 Cyrus consults Croesus on what he should do about the rebellion of Pactyes. Croesus gives a respectable and helpful answer but is still seen as looking after the well-being of his former dominion: Sardis. He doesn't want to see the city sacked.

1.154 Division within the Persians. Pactyes revolts against Cyrus, taking over the treasury of Sardis and leading a rebellion.

1.152 The Lacedaemonians send a herald to Cyrus to give an order/ultimatum that no Greek cities be harmed or destroyed in conquest. Cyrus responds to this missive with confusion (and some derision) as he has no idea who the Spartans are.

1.141 Herodotus singles out the relationship Cyrus establishes with the Milesians (distinct from the one formed with the Ionians and Aeolians). It is one definitively more favorable terms having been previously set down in a treaty rather than bartered for.

1.141 The Ionians and Aeolians attempt to make a defensive alliance with Cyrus and his Persians (in order to avoid destruction and plundering). They seek the same favorable terms they had under Croesus. Cyrus sees this as presumptuous, when neither of these nations came to his aid and now expected favors from him.

1.125 This is the first mention of the "Achaemenid Empire" in Herodotus. It is referenced as the chief tribe among the Persians and the house to which Cyrus himself belongs. This mentions comes after the back story of the birth, abandonment, then ascendancy of Cyrus, and his victory over his estranged father Astyages.

1.88 Cyrus makes Croesus his royal advisor, consulting him on points of conquest and statecraft. Croesus, as a conquered royal, doesn't seem to resent this lower position. Herodotus portrays him as placid and serviceable in his new vocation: living to serve the rule of Cyrus as he takes over the former Median kingdom and its neighbors.

1.86 Cyrus redacts his orders to burn Croesus on a pyre. Whether he does this to be in good standing with the gods or through some realization of humanity is up for debate (according to Herodotus).

1.86 Croesus is captured after the siege is broken and taken to Cyrus to be sacrificed. All this in fulfillment of prophecy.

The Persian army lays siege to Sardis, the capitol and last foothold of Croesus and the Medes. In the culmination of this siege, Croesus's forces will be overcome and the monarch himself will be captured by his enemies, fulfilling the prophecy from 1.13 and reiterated in 1.53.

1.80.5 Cyrus scores a definitive victory over the forces of Croesus, employing camel cavalry corps. This is the beginning of the end for Croesus who begins grasping at strings and looking for allies to help him defeat the Persians.

1.46 This is the first mention on Cyrus in Herodotus. Cyrus's conflict against Croesus and the subsequent spread of his empire become the subject of the rest of book 1.