The Persians' Return to Eubia

Persians had just burned all of the sanctuaries of Naxos. Datus now intended to show clemency to the other islands, and he sent a herald to the deeleans: "It is my own desire ... to do no harm to the land where the two gods were born" The Persians then proceeded to island hop across the rest of the Aegean on its way to Eretria,. forcing the people to submit to Persian rule; taking hostages and troops from each island. By implication, the Persians were saying that they are not at war with the Greeks or their gods, but they just wanted revenge against Athens and Eretria.