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The Greek-city states managed to recover quickly, and they were soon able to secure a great level of autonomy. The Persian Empire was a de-centralized Empire, and they did not seek to rule the Ionians directly .<ref>Herodotus, v, 119</ref>. It was a tributary Empire and did not want to conquer lands and peoples but simply demanded that they pay taxes and provide their Satraps with soldiers and ships when requested.  Darius wanted the city-states, to remain prosperous so that they could continue to provide him with tribute and especially ships. The Persian Emperor was a farsighted ruler, and his policy of clemency was to prove to be successful. During the two invasions of Greece, the Ionians provided their Persian overlords with sailors and ships. The number of ships vessels would indicate that they had recovered rapidly after the revolt. The cities continued to prosper for centuries, right down to the Byzantine Empire. They even remained culturally Greek for centuries.