§3.39.1Καμβύσεω δὲ ἐπʼ Αἴγυπτον στρατευομένου ἐποιήσαντο καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι στρατηίην ἐπὶ Σάμον τε καὶ Πολυκράτεα τὸν Αἰάκεος· ὃς ἔσχε Σάμον ἐπαναστάς, §3.39.2καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα τριχῇ δασάμενος τὴν πόλιν τοῖσι ἀδελφεοῖσι Πανταγνώτῳ καὶ Συλοσῶντι ἔνειμε, μετὰ δὲ τὸν μὲν αὐτῶν ἀποκτείνας τὸν δὲ νεώτερον Συλοσῶντα ἐξελάσας ἔσχε πᾶσαν Σάμον, σχὼν δὲ ξεινίην Ἀμάσι τῷ Αἰγύπτου βασιλέι συνεθήκατο, πέμπων τε δῶρα καὶ δεκόμενος ἄλλα παρʼ ἐκείνου. §3.39.3ἐν χρόνῳ δὲ ὀλίγῳ αὐτίκα τοῦ Πολυκράτεος τὰ πρήγματα ηὔξετο καὶ ἦν βεβωμένα ἀνά τε τὴν Ἰωνίην καὶ τὴν ἄλλην Ἑλλάδα·
While Cambyses was marching against Egypt, the Lacedaemonians also made an expedition against Samos and Polycrates, the son of Aeaces; who had seized Samos by rising in rebellion. At first, dividing the state into three parts, he assigned them to his brothers Pantagnotus and Syloson, but later, having killed one of them and banished the younger, Syloson, he held all Samos. Having obtained control, he established a treaty of friendship with Amasis, the king of Egypt, sending gifts and receiving others from him in return. In a short time, the power of Polycrates immediately increased and was celebrated throughout Ionia and the rest of Hellas; for wherever he directed his campaign, everything turned out successfully for him.
ὅκου γὰρ ἰθύσειε στρατεύεσθαι, πάντα οἱ ἐχώρεε εὐτυχέως. ἔκτητο δὲ πεντηκοντέρους τε ἑκατὸν καὶ χιλίους τοξότας, ἔφερε δὲ καὶ ἦγε πάντας διακρίνων οὐδένα· §3.39.4τῷ γὰρ φίλῳ ἔφη χαριεῖσθαι μᾶλλον ἀποδιδοὺς τὰ ἔλαβε ἢ ἀρχὴν μηδὲ λαβών.
He possessed a hundred fifty-oared ships and a thousand archers, and he plundered everyone, making no distinction. For he said that he would gratify a friend more by restoring what he had taken than by not taking it at all in the first place.
συχνὰς μὲν δὴ τῶν νήσων ἀραιρήκεε, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ τῆς ἠπείρου ἄστεα· ἐν δὲ δὴ καὶ Λεσβίους πανστρατιῇ βοηθέοντας Μιλησίοισι ναυμαχίῃ κρατήσας εἷλε, οἳ τὴν τάφρον περὶ τὸ τεῖχος τὸ ἐν Σάμῳ πᾶσαν δεδεμένοι ὤρυξαν.
Indeed, he had captured many of the islands and many cities on the mainland; and in particular, having defeated in a sea-fight the Lesbians who were coming with their entire force to aid the Milesians, he captured them, and they, bound in chains, dug the entire trench around the wall in Samos.