Miltiades (1)

The son of Kypselus (Cypselus) and a descendant of Aias (Ajax).

Miltiades was a man who was in the right place at the right time; the Thrakian (Thracian) tribe, the Dolonki (Dolonci), were the rulers of the Khersonese (Chersonese) and were under constant attack by the Apsinthians; to find a solution to their problems, the Dolonki sent an envoy to the oracle at Delphi for advice; the pythia told the envoy to ask the first person they met, who offered them hospitality, to become the “founder” of their nation.

The Dolonki were ignored by everyone they encountered until they came to the city of Athens where Miltiades greeted them and offered them shelter and food; they told him of the oracle’s command and Miltiades, being a religious man, also consulted the oracle at Delphi where he was told to accept the Dolonki offer.

Miltiades gathered some followers and became the tyrant of the Khersonese (circa 540 BCE); he built a wall across the isthmus and successfully stopped the attacks by the Apsinthians; Miltiades, being an athletic and aggressive man, initiated a war with the Lampsakenes (Lampsacenes); he was captured in battle but was released unharmed when the king of Lydia, Kroesus (Croesus) threatened the Lampsakenes with utter destruction.

When Miltiades died he had no sons; his half-nephew, Stesagoras, became ruler of the Khersonese and continued the war with the Lampsakenes; the people of the Khersonese had the greatest respect for Miltiades and, after his death, instituted a festival with athletic games and chariot racing in his honor but no Lampsakenes were allowed to participate.

Stesagoras was murdered by a man who claimed to be a deserter from the Lampsakenes; Stesagoras was childless when he died and the leadership fell to his brother who was also named Miltiades and commonly referred to as Miltiades the Younger.

• Histories, book 6, chapters 34-39