τὴν ἐς Σάρδις ἐσβολήν. For the ‘attack on Sardis’ cf. 8. β 3 and especially v. 99 f.
κατὰ πόλις. H. writes like a Greek here, though at times (e.g. 8. γ 3) he remembers that there are tribes as well as cities in the East. No real attempt was made to ‘urbanize’ the interior of Asia before Alexander.
πολλῷ πλέω. Nothing is said in iii. 89f. of Persian subjects furnishing contingents, but no doubt this had been part of Darius' organization. Cf. App. VI. 8.
νέας: war-ships, and especially triremes (cf. viii. 1, 2).
πλοῖα: transports, to carry horses (ἱππαγωγά, cf. 21. 2, 97) and provisions (σιταγωγά, cf. 186. 1, 191. 1).
ἐπὶ τρία ἔτεα. For the chronology cf. vii. 20 n.
