Citation with stable link: Philip A. Harland, 'Medes: Diodoros on Datis and legends of an Athenian-Median connection (mid-first century BCE),' Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World, last modified March 26, 2024, https://philipharland.com/Blog/?p=18207.
Ancient authors: Diodoros of Sicily (mid-first century BCE), Library of History 10.27, fragment drawn from the excerpts of Constantine Porphyrogennetos (link).
Comments: In the midst of the fragmentary remains of Diodoros’ account of the Persian invasion (ca. 490 BCE), Diodoros presents this little legend about a supposed connection between the Medes and the Athenians. As the story goes, the general Datis, a Mede, claimed that a Median ancestor had rightfully been the leader of Athens in the long past. However, that Mede had been wrongly refused his own leadership role and therefore went east to establish the Median kingdom. In this competitive legend, the Athenian generals under Miltiades then turn the tables by suggesting that, if that was the case, then the Athenians should rightly control the entire Median-Persian empire. Ethnic competition and claims of preeminence get expressed by way of legend. On Datis (though not this later legend), see also passages from Ktesias of Knidos’ Persian Matters (link).
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[For Diodoros’ preceding discussion of Persians and expansionism, go to this link.]
Book 10
27 Datis was the general of the Persians and a Mede by descent [imagined to take place ca. 490 BCE]. After receiving from his ancestors the tradition that the Athenians were descendants of Medon, who had established the kingdom of Media, Datis sent a message to the Athenians declaring that he had come with an army to demand the return of the empire which had belonged to his ancestors. For Medon, he said, who was the oldest of his own ancestors, had been deprived of the kingship by the Athenians, and departing for Asia had founded the kingdom of Media. (2) Consequently, he went on to say, if they would return the kingdom to him, he would forgive them for this guilty act and for the campaign they had made against Sardis. But, if they opposed his demand, the Athenians would suffer a worse fate than had the Eretrians.
(3) Miltiades, voicing the decision reached by the ten generals, replied that according to the statement of the envoys it was more appropriate for the Athenians to dominate over the empire of the Medes than for Datis to hold it over the city of the Athenians. For, it was a man of Athens who had established the kingdom of the Medes, whereas no man of Median descent had ever controlled Athens. Datis, on hearing this reply, made ready for battle.
[For Diodoros’ subsequent discussion of the Sikelians of Sicily in the fifth century BCE, go to this link.]
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Source of the translation: C. H. Oldfather, Diodorus Sicilus: Library of History, volumes 1-6, LCL (Cambridge, MA: HUP, 1935-1952), public domain (passed away in 1954), adapted by Victoria Muccilli and Harland.