... not have a leader for the people, they could not hold ties with their allies. The Ionian people were scattered, and not organized because of this. And finally, the Ionians failed against the Persians because of the immense power of the Persian Navy. The Ionian cities, prior to the revolt, were mostly ruled by tyrants. In today's sense we see the word tyrant the same as saying an "evil dictator", but in Herodotus' day the word tyrant was the same as an absolute ruler. The Ionian tyrant's were merely upper-class citizens with favor from the King or another higher power. The Ionian people, fairly, thought this governing system unjust, and wanted a system which gave them freedom as well2. Aristagoras of the Miletus gave up his tyrannical hold on Miletus and joined the views of his people by joining the revolt against Darius, King of Persia. This new form of ...

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