Against that Amasis it was that Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, advanced with an army and led others whom he ruled and of the Greeks the Ionians and the Aeolians on account of a reason like this: Cambyses, having sent to Egypt a herald, demanded from Amasis a daughter and demanded that at the advising of an Egyptian man, who, finding fault with Amasis, did that, since him out of all the physicians in Egypt he had drawn away from wife and offspring and given over to the Persians, when Cyrus, having sent to Amasis, demanded a physician for the eyes, who was the best of those in Egypt. Because with that indeed the Egyptian found fault, he induced and bade Cambyses to demand from Amasis a daughter, that either he might give her and be grieved or not give her and incur Cambyses’ enmity. Then Amasis, vexed by and afraid of the power of the Persians, was able neither to give nor deny; for he knew well that Cambyses was to have her not as a wife, but as a concubine. Since that indeed he took account of, he did this: of Apries the former king was a daughter, very tall and a possessor of good looks, the only one left of the house, and her name was Nitetis. That child it was that Amasis adorned with clothing and gold and sent off to the Persians as his own daughter. So after a time, when her Cambyses greeted and named with a father’s name, the child said to him, “O king, you have not learned that you have been deceived by Amasis, who me for you with adornment did deck out and send off, as if his own daughter he were giving, although I am in truth Apries’, whom, albeit he was his master, he with the Egyptians revolted against and killed “. That word it was and that cause that arose and led Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, greatly angered, against Egypt.

Now, thus say the Persians, but the Egyptians claim Cambyses as their own, as they assert of that daughter of Amasis it was that he was born, because Cyrus was he who sent to Amasis for his daughter and not Cambyses, and giving that account, not correctly they give the account. And yet it has not escaped their notice (for if in fact any others, the Egyptians indeed know the Persians’ usages) that first it is not their law for a bastard to become king, a legitimate child being present, and in turn that Cambyses was the child of Cassandane, the daughter of Pharnaspes, an Achaimenid man, and not born of the Egyptian, but they turn aside their account and pretend they are of the house of Cyrus’ family.

Indeed the above is thus, but also this is given as an account, although it’s not persuasive to me, that of the Persian women one came to Cyrus’ wives and, when she had seen by Cassandane stood offspring, possessors of good looks and tall, gave praise much and marvelled excessively and Cassandane, being Cyrus’ wife, said this: “However, me, although of children like this I am mother, Cyrus holds in dishonor’s place and her lately acquiredfrom Egypt puts for himself in honor’s”; she, vexed at Nitetis, said that, and ofher children the older, Cambyses, said, “Therefore for you, o mother,

whenever I become a man, Egypt’s high places low I will put and its low high”; that he said when he was somewhere around ten years old and the women came to be in a state of marvel; so he distinctly remembered that just then, when he had come to manhood and gotten hold of the kingdom, and made the expedition against Egypt .

There happened to come about also another matter like this with regard to that invasion: of the auxiliaries of Amasis was a man, in race Halicarnassian, and his name was Phanes, both in judgement capable and in what pertains to war valorous. That Phanes, finding some fault, I suppose, with Amasis, ran away by boat from Egypt, because he wanted to come to speeches with Cambyses. Then, seeing that he was among the auxiliaries of no small account and had the most exact knowledge about Egypt, Amasis pursued after and and took pains to take him and pursued after by dispatching the most loyal of the eunuchs with a trireme for him, who took him in Lycia and, having taken him, did not bring him back to Egypt, since Phanes circumvented him with wisdom. For, after he had gotten the guards utterly drunk, he departed to the Persians. So to Cambyses, minded to advance with an army against Egypt and being at a loss about the march, how he was to pass out through the waterless land, when he had come over, he not only pointed all the other affairs of Amasis, but also related the march and advised thus, that he should send to the Arabians’ king and ask him to render his passage out through it safe.

By that way alone then are visible approaches to Egypt; for from Phoenicia up to the borders of the city of Cadytis is the Syrians called Palaestinian’s, from the city of Cadytis that is, as it seems to me, not much smaller than Sardis, from that land the marts on the sea up to the city of Ienysus are the Arabian’s, from Ienysus again is the Syrians’ up to the very lake Serbonis, along which Mount Casium stretches to the sea, and from the very lake Serbonis, in which there’s an account that Typho is hidden, from that place by now is Egypt. What indeed is between the city of Ienysus and Mount Casium and lake Serbonis, being no small place, but one that extends approximately three days of the way, is terribly waterless.

That which a few of the voyagers to Egypt have fixed in mind I am going to point out. To Egypt from all Greece and besides from Phoenicia earthenware is brought in full of wine throughout each year and one empty earthen jar of wine in number it is not possible to see. How then, one might say, is it used up? I will point that out too. Each ruler of a deme must from his own city gather together and bring all the earthenware to Memphis and those from Memphis to those very waterless spots in Syria must convey it, after they have filled it with water. Thus the earthenware that resorts to and is taken out in Egypt to the earlier brought is conveyed, into Syria.

Now thus the Persians are those who prepared that approach to Egypt by equipping it with water precisely in accordance with what has been said, as soon as they had taken over Egypt, but since then water was not yet ready, Cambyses, having acquired instruction by inquiry from the Halicarnassian foreigner, sent to the Arabian messengers and asked for safety in fact and gave pledges and received them from him.

The Arabians reverence pledges similarly to most of human beings and make them in a manner like this: regarding those who want to make sureties, another man, standing in the midst of them both, with a sharp stone cuts the inner part of the hands superficially along the big fingers of those who are making the pledges and thereupon, taking hold of a piece of wool from the cloak of each, he anoints with their blood seven stones that lie in the midst and, doing that, he calls on Dionysus and Urania. Then, after that man has brought that to completion, the maker of the pledges recommends the foreigner to his friends or maybe the townsman, if he makes them to a townsman, and his friends themselves too think just to reverence the pledges. And of gods only Dionysus and Urania they believe exist and regarding their hairs’ cropping they crop them they assert just as Dionysus himself is cropped, as they crop them round about by shaving underneath their temples. And they name Dionysus Orotalt and Urania Alilat.

Therefore after the Arabian had made his pledge to the messengers that had come from Cambyses, he contrived like this: having filled skins of camels with water, he loaded them on all the live ones among the camels and, having done that, he drove to the waterless land and awaited there Cambyses’ army. That more persuasive of the accounts has been said and also the less persuasive must, at least since indeed it is said, be spoken. There is a large river in Arabia, whose name is Korus, and it discharges into the so-called Red sea. It’s that river then from which it is said the king of the Arabians, after he had had sewn a conduit of raw cowhide and other skins that in length reached to the waterless land, led right through it the water and in the waterless land had large receptacles dug, that they might receive and bring the water to safety (a way of twelve days is from the river to that waterless land); he led it through three conduits into three places.

At the so-called Pelousian mouth of the Nile encamped Psammenitus, Amasis’ son, awaiting Cambyses. For Cambyses did not overtake Amasis alive when he drove against Egypt, but Amasis died, after he had been king forty four years, in which no untoward thing had happened to him. Then, dead and mummified, he was buried in the burial-places in the shrine, which he himself had had built. So, in the time when Psammenitus, Amasis’ son, was king of Egypt, quite the greatest phenomenon came about for the Egyptians, as Egyptian Thebes was rained on, which neither previously at all had been rained on nor later was up to my time, as the Thebans themselves say. For indeed the upper parts of Egypt are absolutely not rained on, but in fact then Thebes was rained on with a drizzle.

When the Persians had marched out through the waterless land and sat near the Egyptians with the intention that they would engage in an encounter, thereupon the auxiliaries of the Egyptian, being Greek and Carian men, found fault with Phanes, because he had led an army against Egypt that spoke a foreign language, and contrived a matter in regard to him like this: there were Phanes’ children left behind in Egypt, whom they led into the camp and into their father’s sight, and they set a bowl in the midst of both camps and afterward they led out each of the children, one by one, and cut their throats over the bowl. Then after they had gone through all the children, they poured wine and water into it and, when they had imbibed of the blood, all the auxiliaries right then engaged in an encounter. And, the battle having become fierce and there having fallen of both camps many in multitude, the Egyptians got put to rout.

Now, I saw a great marvel, after I had learned of it by inquiry from the natives; for, the bones having been heaped separately of each of the groups who had fallen in that battle, since the Persians’ bones lay separately as they had been separated at the beginning, and on the other side the Egyptians’, the Persians’ heads are so lacking in strength that, if you should wish with a pebble alone to hit them, you will bore through them, whereas those of the Egyptians are somewhat so very hard, with difficulty, should you smite them with a stone, you would break through them. And they said the following’s the cause of that, and they persuaded me at least easily, that the Egyptians, beginning immediately from when they’re small children, shave their heads and against the sun the bone is thickened. Moreover, that same act is also cause of their not going bald; for among the Egyptians one can see the fewest bald people out of all human beings. For those then that is cause of having heads that are hard and for the Persians, that they have heads that lack strength, here’s the cause: they stay in the shade from the beginning and wear tiaras as caps. Now, those sights are like that and I saw also others similar to those in Papremis among those who perished with Achaimenes at Inaros the Libyan’s hand.

So the Egyptians after the battle, when they had been put to rout, fled with no order. And, after they had been cooped up in Memphis, Cambyses sent up the river a Mytilenian ship that brought a Persian man as herald to call forth the Egyptians for an agreement. But they, when they had seen the ship had gone into Memphis, after they had poured out all together from the wall, destroyed the ship and, after they had drawn asunder its men by working off their flesh, they carried them to the wall. Then, as the Egyptians, beseiged a time after that, made themselves over, so the adjacent Libyans in fear of what had been done concerning Egypt gave themselves over without a battle and they imposed tribute on themselves and sent gifts. And thus the Cyrenians and the Barcians, in fear similarly as the Libyans, did other deeds like that. But Cambyses, although he received kindly the gifts that had gone from the Libyans, yet found fault with those that had come from the Cyrenians, as it seems to me, because they were few (for indeed the Cyrenians sent five hundred minae of silver) and he grasped and with his own hand dispersed them to his host.

The tenth day after Cambyses had taken over the wall in Memphis, he seated down in the suburb for insult the king of the Egyptians, Psammenitus, who had reigned six months --he seated down that man with other Egyptians and made thorough trial of his soul by doing this: after he had dressed his daughter with the clothing of a slave, he sent her out with a water-jar for water and sent along other maidens too, children of the first men, after he had selected them out, similarly dressed as the king’s daughter. And when with crying and weeping the maidens went by their fathers, all the other men cried in answer and wept in answer as they saw their offspring treated badly, but Psammenitus, on looking forward and learning of that, bent to the earth. Then, the water-bearers having gone by, he next sent his son with two thousand other Egyptians who had the same age, bound with a rope round their necks and bridled in their mouths, and they were led to pay the penalty for those of the Mytilenians who had perished in Memphis with the ship; for the king’s judges came to that judgement, that for each man ten of the first Egyptians should perish in turn. So, after he had seen them go out by and learned his son was being led to death, although all the other Egyptians who were sitting down round him were weeping and took it terribly, he did the same thing that he had also in his daughter’s case. And, when those had gone by, it so happened that from among his symposiasts a man somewhat beyond his youth, having fallen from what was his and having nothing except all that a beggar has and so asking for something from the host, went by Psammenitus, Amasis’ son, and those of the Egyptians who were sitting down in the suburb. Then, when Psammenitus had gotten a look, after he had let out a loud wail and called by name his companion, he struck his head. And lo! there were guards over him, who indicated everything that was done by him at each going forth to Cambyses. So Cambyses, marvelling at what was done, sent a messenger and asked him a question in these words: “Lord Cambyses asks you, Psammenitus, on just what account, when you saw your daughter treated badly and your son going to death, you neither let out a cry nor let out a sob, but the beggar, although he is not at all related to you, as he has learned by inquiry from others, you honored?” The one then asked about that and the other replied with this: “O son of Cyrus, my own evils were too great for weeping out, but my companion’s sorrow was worth tears, who, having fallen from many happy things, has come to beggary at old age’s threshold.” And when that had been brought back, the story goes that it seemed to them well to have been spoken. And, as is said by the Egyptians, Croesus shed tears (for he too had in fact followed Cambyses to Egypt) and those of the Persians who were present shed tears, and some pity entered into Cambyses himself and immediately he bade bring his son to safety from those who were perishing and, after they had made him stand up from the suburb, lead him to him.

Then indeed those who went after his son found he no longer survived, but had been the first to be chopped up, and they made Psammenitus stand up and brought him to Cambyses, where he dwelled the remaining time and suffered no violence. And if indeed he had known how not to be busy with many affairs, he would have regained Egypt so as to be its guardian, since the Persians are wont to honor the sons of kings and, even if they revolt from them, nevertheless to their sons at least they give back their rule. Now, it is possible to form an estimate by many others’ case that they have the custom of doing that thus and morever by that of Inarus’ son, Thannyras, who took back the rule his father had, as well as by that of Amyrtaeus’ son, Pausiris, as he too took back his father’s rule; yet than Inarus and Amyrtaeus none yet had worked greater evils against the Persians. But, as it was, since Psammenitus was contriving evils, he paid the price; for he was caught revolting from the Egyptians and, because he had become detected by Cambyses, he drank bull’s blood and died forthwith. Thus indeed he met with his end.

Then Cambyses came from Memphis to the city of Sais, because he wanted to do what he in fact actually did. For, after he had gone into Amasis’ house, he immediately bade from its burial-place Amasis’ dead body bring out, outside, and when that had come to completion for him, he bade whip it, pluck its hairs, prick it and maltreat it all the other ways. And when they were tired of doing that in fact, since indeed the corpse, seeing that it was mummified, held out and would not at all flow its contents out, Cambyses bade burn it up and so enjoined what’s not holy. For the Persians believe fire to be a god. Accordingly to burn up corpses is in no way in law’s place for either, for the Persians, on account of the very reason that has been spoken, since they say apportioning a human being’s corpse to a god is not just, whereas by the Egyptians fire is believed to be an animate beast and itself to consume all the very things that it gets hold of and, filled with its food, to die with what is consumed. Accordingly not to beasts is it their law in any way to offer one’s corpse and on that account they mummify it that it may not lie and be eaten up by worms. Thus indeed Cambyses gave the injunction to do what was lawful to neither. However, as the Egyptians say, the one who suffered that was not Amasis, but another of the Egyptians with the same age as Amasis, whom by maltreating the Persians thought they maltreated Amasis. For they say that, when Amasis had learned by inquiry from the seat of prophecy what was to come about concerning himself after he was dead, then indeed, trying to find remedy for what was coming on, he buried that human being, who had been whipped after he was dead, at the doors within his tomb and enjoined on his son to put him as far as possible in the inmost part of the tomb. Now, those injunctions from Amasis that relate to the burial and the human being seem to me not to have come about to begin with, but the Egyptians seem merely to make the matter august.




After that Cambyses took counsel about three expeditions, against the Carchedonians, against the Ammonians and against the long-lived Ethiopians, who have their settlements in Libya at the south sea. And to him in his taking counsel it seemed good to dispatch the army of ships against the Carchedonians, one of the foot, after he had separated it, against the Ammonians and watchers at first against the Ethiopians to see what is spoken of as the sun’s table among the Ethiopians, whether it truly exists, and in addition to that to be on watch for all other matters, while by their account they brought gifts for their king.

The table of the sun is said to be something like this: a meadow exists in the suburb filled up with boiled pieces of meat of all the quadrupeds, into which during the nights each group of those of the townsmen who are in charge, put the meats, as they have it as their care, while during the day whoever wants comes forward and feasts, and the natives assert the earth itself gives that forth on each occasion. So indeed what is called the table of the sun is said to be like this.

So when it had seemed good to Cambyses to send the watchers, he immediately summoned from the city of Elephantine those of the Fish-eating men who knew the Ethiopian tongue. And in that time, in which they went after those, he bade the army of ships to sail against Carchedon, but the Phoenicians asserted that they would not do that, because they had bound themselves in great oaths and would do unholy acts against their own children, should they advance with an army. Hence, the Phoenicians not wanting, the remaining proved not worthy of battle. Now, the Carchedonians thus escaped slavery at the Persians’ hands. For Cambyses thought not just to apply violence to the Phoenicians, in that they had given themselves to the Persians and the army of ships in its entirety was dependent on the Phoenicians. And the Cyprians too gave themselves to the Persians and advanced with an army against Egypt.

When the Fish-eaters had come to Cambyses from Elephantine, he sent them to the Ethiopians, when he had given the injunction about what they had to say and they were bringing as gifts a purple garment, a torque for round the neck and bangles of gold, an alabaster vase of perfume and a jar of palm wine. Those Ethiopians then, to whom Cambyses sent off are said to be the tallest and most beautiful of all human beings and as to laws they assert that they use both others that are separate from those of all other human beings and, particularly, concerning the kingship one like this: whomever of the townsmen they judge to be tallest and in proportion to his height to have strength, they think that one worthy to be king.

When indeed to those men then the Fish-eaters had come, they, offering the gifts to their king, said this: “The king of the Persians, Cambyses, since he wants to become both your friend and foreign tie, sent us off on bidding us to come to speeches with you and offers you as gifts those things that even he himself takes most pleasure in using.” Then the Ethiopian, because he had learned that they had come as watchers, spoke to them like this: ”Neither the king of the Persians sent you as bearers of gifts, since he preferred at much cost to become my foreign tie nor do you speak truths, as you are watchers of my rule, nor is he a just man; for, if he were just, he would neither have conceived a desire for a country other than his own nor be leading to slavery human beings, by whom he has been done no injustice. But, as it is, offer him this bow here and say these words here: ‘The king of the Ethiopians advises the Persians’ king, whenever the Persians draw so easily bows that are so great in size, then against the long-lived Ethiopians, while he excels in multitude, to advance with an army, but until that time to acknowledge gratitude to the gods, who work no change on the mind of the Ethiopians’ sons to acquire another land in addition to their own.” And, after he had said that and let go the bow, he gave it over to those who had come. Then he took hold of the garment of purple and asked what it was and how made and, when the Fish-eaters had spoken the truth about the purple and its dyeing, he asserted that the human beings were deceitful and their garments deceitful. Then second he asked about the gold, the torque for round the neck and the bangles, and, when the Fish-eaters were relating its ornament, the king, with a laugh and in the belief that they were fetters, said that among them were stronger fetters than those. Then the third thing he asked about, the perfume, and, when they had spoken about its making and anointing, he spoke the same speech that he had also spoken about the garment. At length, when he had come to the wine and learned by inquiry of its making, having taken excessive pleasure in the drink, he asked what the king ate and what is the longest time a Persian man lived and they said that he ate bread with a relation of the nature of the kinds of wheat and that eighty years is put forth as the longest full complement of life for a man. In light of that the Ethiopian asserted he marvelled not at all if, eating dung, they live few years, as they would not be able to live even so many years, if they were not recovering themselves with that drink. And he pointed out the wine to the Fish-eaters, since in respect to that they themselves were worsted by the Persians.

When the Fish-eaters in response had asked the king about their life and diet, he said that the greater number of them came to one hundred and twenty years and some exceed even that and their food was boiled pieces of meat and their drink milk. Then, when the spies were marvelling about the years, he led them to a stream, from which, bathing themselves, they became sleeker, just as if it should be of olive oil, and it gave off an odor from itself as if of violets. Moreover the spies said the water of that stream was indeed somewhat so lacking in strength as for nothing to be able to float on it, neither wood nor all of what is lighter than wood, but they all went to the bottom. So if that water of theirs is truly of such a kind as it is said, on that account they would be, should they use it in all repects, long-lived. Then, when they departed from the stream, he led them to the men’s prison, where all were bound in gold fetters, as among those Ethiopians bronze is the rarest and most honored of all things. After they had beheld the prison, they beheld what is spoken of as the sun’s table.

After that they finally beheld their tombs, which are said to be prepared out of transparent stone in a manner like this: whenever they dry the dead body, either probably just as the Egyptians or in some other way, they chalk and adorn by painting all of it together in an attempt to make its looks similar to the degree possible and thereupon set a hollow pillar made of transparent stone round it (a large and easily worked one is dug up for them); then in the middle of the pillar is the corpse and it shows through, without either furnishing any unagreeable odor or anything else unpleasant and it has everything visible similarly to the corpse itself. A year indeed the closest relatives have the pillar in their houses and they offer of the first-fruits of everything to and bring sacrifices for it. After that they convey out and set them round the city.

After they had beheld everything, the spies departed back. And those having made announcements of that back, immediately Cambyses became angry and advanced with an army against the Ethiopians without either announcing orders for any preparation of grain or taking into account that he was to advance with an army to the farthest parts of the earth, and seeing that he was mad and not sane, when he had heard from the Fish-eaters, he advanced with an army, after he had arrayed those of the Greeks who were present to abide right there, at the same time as he was taking with himself all the foot. When in advancing with an army he had come to be in Thebes, he selected out of the army about five myriads and enjoined on those to lead the Ammonians into captivity as slaves and burn down the oracle of Zeus, while he himself led the remaining army and went against the Ethiopians. But before the host had gone through the fifth part of the way, immediately all that they had which was of the character of foods had failed them and after the foods also the yoke-animals failed as they were being consumed. Now, if, when Cambyses had learned that, he would have battled with his judgement and led the army back, after the failing that had come about at the beginning he would have been a wise man, but, as it was, considering it of no account, he went on each and every occasion to the farther point. So as long as the soldiers were able to take something from the earth, they were living on by eating grass, but when they had come to the sand, some of them did an awful deed; for they chose by lot one of them from a decade and ate him. Having learned of that by inquiry, Cambyses, in fear of cannibalism, on letting the expedition against the Ethiopians go, made his way back and came to Thebes with the loss of many from his army. Then from Thebes he went down to Memphis and let the Greeks go sailing off.

Installment 16               
  The expedition against the Ethiopians fared thus, while those of them dispatched to advance with an army against the Ammonians, when they had set out from Thebes and were making theIr way with guides, were manifestly come to the city of Oasis, which the Samians, who are said to be of the Aeschrionian tribe, have, and were seven days’ way distant from Thebes through the sand. That place is named in the Greeks’ tongue the Islands of the Blest. To that place indeed it is said the army came, but thereafter, except for the Ammonians themselves and their hearers, no others are able to say anything about them; for they neither came to the Ammonians nor returned back. And this is said by the Ammonians: when they were going from that Oasis through the sand against them and came to be somewhere pretty nearly between them and Oasis, while they were taking themselves breakfast, a great and extraordinary south wind blew on them and, carrying piles of the sand, it heaped it up on them, and in a manner like that they disappeared. The Ammonians say thus it happened concerning that host.

When Cambyses had come to Memphis, Apis appeared to the Egyptians, whom the Greeks call Epaphus, and when he had become manifest, immediately the Egyptians wore their most beautiful garments and were engaged in revelries. Then, having caught sight of the Egyptians’ doing that, in the absolutely firm belief that they were doing that as a feast of joy, because he had fared badly, he called the guardians of Memphis and, after they had come to sight, he asked why the Egyptians did nothing like that previously, when he had been in Memphis, but did then, when he by himself was present after his losing of a multitude of the host. And they pointed out that a god had appeared to them, who was accustomed to be manifest after an interval of much time, and whenever he appeared, then all Egyptians in a state of joy made a festival. Having heard that, Cambyses asserted that they were lying and, on the ground that they were lying, punished them with death.

So, after he had killed those, he next called the priests into sight and, the priests giving an account in the same way, he asserted that it would not escape his notice if a tame god had come to the Egyptians. Then, having said so much, he bade the priests to lead Apis forth. They indeed went after to lead him. Now, Apis, that Epaphus, proves a calf born of a cow who proves no longer able to cast another generation into her womb. And the Egyptians say that a beam of light from the sky bears down on the cow and from that

brings forth Apis. That calf that is called Apis has signs like this: although it is black, on its forehead a white quadrangle, on its back the likeness of an eagle, in its tail double hairs and under its tongue a ‘beetle’.

When the priests had led Apis, Cambyses, seeing that he was somewhat a little crazy, drew his dagger and, although he wished to strike the belly of Apis, smote the thigh. Then with a laugh he said to the priests, “O evil persons, do gods prove like that, bloody inside and fleshy and sensitive to iron implements? That god at any rate is worthy at any rate of the Egyptians, but, let me tell you, you at any rate will not make me a laughingstock.” Having said that, he enjoined on those who did that to whip the priests well and to kill any of the rest of the Egyptians whom they got hold of making a festival. The festival indeed was broken up, the priests brought to justice and Apis struck in his thigh wasted away in his shrine as he was lying down. And him, after he had met with his end from the wound, the priests buried without the notice of Cambyses.

Then Cambyses, as the Egyptians say, immediately on account of that injustice went mad, although he had not even previously been sane. And he worked out the first of his evil deeds against the Smerdis who was his brother of the same father and mother, whom he had sent off to the Persians from Egypt out of envy, because he alone of the Persians had drawn the bow approximately over two fingers’ extent, which the Fish-eaters had brought from the Ethiopian, while no one of the rest of the Persians proved able. Accordingly, when Smerdis was gone away to the Persians, Cambyses saw a vision in his sleep like this: it seemed to him a messenger went from the Persians to announce that Smerdis sat in the king’s chair and with his head touched the sky. Hence, in light of that, because of fear concerning himself lest his brother kill him and rule, he sent Prexaspes to the Persians, who was his most loyal man among the Persians, to kill him. And he went down to Susa and killed Smerdis; some say that when he had led him out to the hunt; some that, when he had led him to the Red sea, he threw him down into its open waters.

Indeed they say that was the first beginning of Cambyses’ evils and next he worked one out against his sister, after she had attended him to Egypt, both with whom he cohabited and who was his sister born of both his parents. And he married her the following way (for the Persians were in no way accustomed previously to cohabit with their sisters): Cambyses fell in love with one of his sisters and thereupon, as he wanted to marry her, because he was setting his mind to do the unaccustomed, called the so-called royal judges and asked them whether there was any law that bade whoever wanted cohabit with a sister. (Chosen men among the Persians are made the royal judges until that time, in which they should die or an injustice be found in their midst, and those judge lawsuits for the Persians and are interpreters of their fathers’ statutes and all is referred to those.) Accordingly, when Cambyses had done his asking, those offered both just and safe answers, as they asserted that they could not find out any law that bade a brother marry his sister; however, they had found out another law, that to whoever is king is permitted to do whatever he wants. Thus they both undid no law in fear of Cambyses and, that they themselves might not perish in maintaining the law, found out besides another law as ally to whoever wished to marry sisters. Then indeed Cambyses married his beloved: yet after no long time he took hold of another sister as well and it was the younger of those, who had attended him to Egypt, that he killed.

So regarding her death a double account is given just as concerning Smerdis’. The Greeks say that Cambyses threw a lion’s cub together with a dog’s pup and that woman too was a spectator and, when the pup was being defeated, his brother broke out of the halter and came to be at his side and they, become two, just then gained mastery over the cub. Cambyses indeed took pleasure in his beholding, while she, sitting beside him, shed tears. Then, when Cambyses had learned of that, he asked on what account she shed tears, and she said that, on seeing the pup take vengeance for his brother, she burst into tears, because she had remembered Smerdis and had come to the knowledge that for him there was no one who would take vengeance. The Greeks indeed assert she perished at Cambyses’ hand on account of that word, but the Egyptians that, while they were sitting down at a table, the woman took hold of and plucked a letuce all round and afterward asked the man whether the lettuce was more beautiful, when it was plucked all round or leafy, and he asserted leafy and she said, “Yet you once made an imitation of that lettuce by stripping away Cyrus’ house.” Then he in anger leapt on her, who was with child in her womb, and she miscarried and died.

Cambyses brought to completion those mad acts against the nearest of his house, either probably on account of Apis or maybe because of another reason, in that many evils like those are accustomed to befall human beings; for in fact Cambyses is said to have had a great illness even from birth, which some name “divine”. Now, you know, it would be nothing irregular, the body being ill with a great illness, for the wits too not to be healthy.

He also brought to completion the following mad acts against all the other Persians; for an account is given that he said a speech to Prexaspes, that man whom he honored most and who was bringing in the messages for him --and that man’s son was Cambyses’ wine-pourer and that too was no small honor-- and he said, an account is given, this speech: “Prexaspes, what kind of a man do the Persians believe me to be and what speeches do they say about me?” And he said, “O master, although you are greatly praised in all the other respects, yet they assert that you are excessively attached to love of wine”. The one then gave that account about the Persians and the other in anger replied with this: “After all the Persians now assert that I, attached to wine, go out of my wits and am not in my right mind, and after all their previous speeches were not true.” For indeed previously after all, when the Persians and Croesus were sitting in council with him, Cambyses asked what kind of a man he seemed to be compared with his father, Cyrus, and they replied that he was better than his father; for he had all of his things and possessed in addition Egypt and the sea. The Persians gave that account, but Croesus, as he was present and not pleased with the decision, said to Cambyses this: ‘’Now to me, o son of Cyrus, you seem not to be similar to your father; for not yet is yours a son of a kind like you whom he left behind”. Cambyses took pleasure in hearing that and praised Croesus’ decision.

Then indeed having remembered that, angrily he said to Prexaspes, “Learn you now whether the Persians give true accounts or they themselves in saying that go out of their wits; for, if, as your son stands here in the doorways, I shoot and hit the middle of his heart, the Persians will come to light as speakers of nothing, but if I miss, assert that the Persians give true accounts and I am not of sound mind”. Then, after he had said that and drawn the bow, he shot the son and, after the son had fallen, bade slit him open and examine the shot; when the arrow had been found to be in his heart, he said to the father of the child, once he had laughed and become very glad, “Prexaspes, that I am not mad and the Persians go out of their wits has become clear to you, and now tell me whom among all human beings by now have you seen shoot arrows so to the mark?”. So since Prexaspes saw the man was not sane and was afraid for himself, he said, “Master, I for my part think not even the god himself could shoot so beautifully”. Then he worked that out and at another time he took hold of those among the Persians similar to the twelve first men for no serviceable reason and interred them alive over the head.

Since he was doing that, Croesus the Lydian thought just to put a warning in his mind with these words: “O king, stop entrusting all to your age and anger and hold back and restrain yourself; being provident’s good for you and forethought’s wise, but you kill men, your own fellow-citizens, after you have taken hold of them for no serviceable reason and you kill sons. If then you perform many acts like those, see to it that the Persians will not revolt from you. Now, on me your father, Cyrus, enjoined and bade many times put in your mind a warning and suggest whatever I find good.” The one showed good-will and offered that advice to him and the other replied with this: “You dare to advise me too, who guarded your own fatherland beneficially and advised my father well by bidding him walk through the Araxes river and go against the Massagetians, although they wanted to walk through into our land, and so you destroyed yourself utterly, because you were chief of your own fatherland badly, and Cyrus utterly, because he obeyed you; well, not at all with impunity, since, you know, I had quite long been needing to take hold on a pretext against you.” Then, having said that, he was taking hold of his bow and arrows with the intent that he would shoot him down, but Croesus darted up and ran outside, and since he could not shoot, he enjoined on his servants to take hold of and kill him. But the servants, knowing his manner, concealed Croesus on the reasoning that, if it repented Cambyses and he sought after Croesus, then they would bring forth to light and receive gifts for saving the life of Croesus, and if he did not repent and did not long for him, then they would use him mortally. Indeed Cambyses did long for Croesus not much time thereafter and his servants learned of that and announced to him that he survived. So Cambyses asserted that, although he took pleasure with Croesus in his survival, those who had brought it about would not go unpunished, but he would kill them, and he did that.

He indeed kept doing many mad acts like those against the Persians and their allies, while he remained in Memphis and opened ancient tombs and examined their corpses. And thus indeed he went also into Hephaestus’ shrine and laughed many times at the image; for Hephaestus’ image is very similar to the Phoenician Pataici, which the Phoenicians carry round on the prows of their triremes. And for him, who has not seen those, I will make an indication: it is an imitation of a dwarfish man. Then he went into the Cabeiri’s shrine too, into which it is not lawful for one to go other than the priest, and he even burnt down those images, after he had made many jokes about them. And they are similar to Hephaestus’ and they say they are his children.

In every way therefore it is clear to me that Cambyses was greatly mad; for otherwise he would not have set his hand to laugh at sacred matters and customs. For if anyone should propose to and bid all human beings to select the most beautiful laws out of all the laws, after thorough examination each group would choose their own; thus each group believes their own laws to be somewhat far the most beautiful. Hence it is not reasonable for one to make matters like that an object of laughter other than a madman. And that all human beings have that belief in regard to what’s concerning laws, it is possible to form an estimate from many other proofs and moreover indeed from the following: Darius in the time of his rule called those of the Greeks who were present and asked for how much money would they want to devour their fathers, when they die, and they asserted they would not do that for any. Then after that Darius called those of the Indians called Callatians, who consume their begetters, and asked, while the Greeks were present and learning what was being said through an interpreter, for what amount of money they would prefer to burn up their fathers with fire, when they met with their end, and they let out a loud cry and bade him hush. Now thus those beliefs are held and correctly Pindar seems to me to write in his poetry when he asserts that law is king of all.




While Cambyses was advancing with an army against Egypt, the Lacedaemonians also made an expedition against Samos and Polycrates, the son of Aeaces, who had gotten hold of Samos, after he had stood up against it. And at the first he had divided the city three ways and distributed it to his brothers, Pantagnotus and Syloson, and afterward he killed the former of them and drove out the younger, Syloson, and got hold of all Samos and in possession of it he made an agreement of foreign friendship with Amasis, the king of Egypt, by sending gifts and receiving others from him. Then in a short time immediately Polycrates’ affairs grew and were shouted about throughout Ionia and the rest of Greece; for wherever he purposed to advance with an army, all went with good fortune for him. And he possessed a hundred penteconters and a thousand bowmen and he was carrying away and leading off property from all without any exception; for he asserted that he would gratify his friend more by giving back what he had taken than by not even taking it to begin with. Indeed he had taken numerous of the islands and also many towns of the mainland and moreover, when the Lesbians were coming to the Milesians’ rescue with their whole army, he prevailed over and took them, who, bound, dug the ditch all round the wall on Samos.

And somehow Polycrates escaped not the notice of Amasis with his great good fortune, but that was his care. Then, when his good fortune was coming to be still far greater, he wrote on paper the following and dispatched it off to Samos: “Amasis to Polycrates speaks thus. Pleasant is to learn by inquiry that a man who’s a friend and a foreign acquaintance fares well, but your great good fortunes please me not, since I know the divine, that it is jealous. Indeed somehow I want both myself and whomever I care for, on the one hand, to have some good fortune in affairs and, on the other, to stumble and thus for me to pass through life by faring changeably rather than to have good fortune in all things. For I have not yet heard of in speech and know anyone who in the end did not meet with a bad end, torn up by the roots, if he had good fortune in all things. Accordingly obey you me now and do in regard to your good fortunes deeds like this: think of whatever you find is worth most to you and at whose loss you will most pain your soul and throw that away so that it will no longer come to human beings. In short, if by now from that time good fortunes befall you not changeably with sufferings, in the manner laid down by me provide a remedy.”

When Polycrates had read that and grasped in mind that Amasis suggested well to him, he tried to seek out at the loss of which of his laid up valuables he would be grieved in his soul and, seeking that out, he found this: his was a signet ring set in gold, which he wore; it was of emerald stone and was the work of Theodorus, the son of Telecles, a Samian. Accordingly, since it seemed good to him to throw away that, he performed an act like this: he filled a penteconter with men and entered it and afterward he bade set sail into the open sea; then, when he had come to be far from the island, he took off the signet ring and, while all those sailing along saw, cast it into the open sea. So having done that, he sailed away and, having come to his house, he experienced the misfortune.

The fifth or sixth day after that this happened to come about for him: a fisherman caught a large and beautiful fish and thought right that it be given as a gift to Polycrates. Indeed he brought it to the doors and asserted that he wished to come into Polycrates’ sight and, when that man had come to him, he said, as he offered the fish, “O king, I caught this here and thought not just to bring it to the public square, although I am living by my hand, but it seemed to me to be worthy of you and your rule; to you indeed I bring and offer it.” Then he took pleasure in the words and replied with this: “You have done very well and my gratitude’s double, for the expressions and the gift, and we call you to dinner.“ The fisher then, considering that great, went to his house and the servants cut the fish and found in its belly was Polycrates’ signet ring. So, as soon as they had seen and taken hold of it, they brought it in a state of joy to Polycrates and, offering him the signet ring, they gave an account of the manner, in which it had been found. And when it had entered into him that the matter was divine, he wrote on paper all that he had done and the kinds of things that had befallen and, after he had done the writing, he dispatched it to Egypt.

Then, when Amasis had read the paper that had come from Polycrates, he learned that it is impossible for a human being to convey out of that matter which is to come about and that Polycrates was not to meet with a good end, when he had good fortune in all things, who found even what he had thrown away. So he sent him a herald to Samos and asserted that the treaty of foreign friendship was broken off. And he did that for this reason, that, when a terrible and great occurrence befell Polycrates, he himself might not pain his soul as concerning a man who was a foreign friend.

It was that Polycrates then, who had good fortune in all things, against whom the Lacedaemonians advanced with an army, when the Samians, who after the above had founded Cydonia on Crete, had summoned. Then Polycrates sent a herald without the Samians’ notice to Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, when he was gathering together an army against Egypt, and asked that he might also send to Samos to him and ask for an army. And Cambyses heard that and eagerly sent to Samos to ask Polycrates to send a naval army together with him against Egypt. So he picked out those of the townsmen whom he viewed with the most suspicion with regard to rebellion and sent them off with forty triremes, after he had enjoined on Cambyses not to send them off back.

Some indeed say that those of the Samians sent off came not to Egypt, but when they had come to be on Carpathus in their sailing, they deliberated among themselves and it pleased them to sail no longer farther, while others say that, after they had come to Egypt and were under guard, they ran away from there. Then they sailed down to Samos and Polycrates met them with ships and was established for battle. And those who had returned prevailed and went off onto the island and, after they had battled on land, they were worsted and right then sailed to Lacedaemon. And there are those who say that those from Egypt defeated Polycrates, although they speak, as far as it seems to me, not correctly. For they would not have summoned the Lacedaemonians, if in fact they themselves had been sufficient to make Polycrates surrender. Moreover, in addition to that, reason too demands that that man, whose were many mercenary auxiliaries and native bowmen in multitude, not be worsted by those few Samians who had returned. And Polycrates crowded together the offspring and wives of the citizens who were under him into the shiphouses and held them ready, if after all they betrayed him to those who had returned, to set fire to with the shiphouses and all.

Then, when those of the Samians who had been driven out by Polycrates had come to Sparta, they took up a position before the rulers and said many words, seeing that they wanted very much. But they at their first taking up a position answered that what had been said first they had forgotten and what later they could not comprehend. So after that, taking up a position a second time, they said nothing else, but brought a sack and asserted that the sack wanted meal. And they answered them that they had acted superfluously with their “sack”, but anyhow it seemed good to them to come to the rescue.

And thereupon the Lacedaemonians prepared themselves and advanced with an army against Samos; they were repaying benefactions, as the Samians say, because they themselves previously had come to their rescue with ships against the Messenians, or, as the Lacedaemonians say, they advanced with an army, since they wanted not so much to take vengeance for the Samians in their want as to inflict punishment for the seizing of the bowl that they were taking to Croesus and for the breastplate that Amasis, the king of Egypt, had sent as a gift. For in fact the Samians had carried off a breastplate a year earlier than the bowl, which was linen and in which numerous figures had been woven and which was adorned with gold and pieces of wool from wood. And this because of which it’s worth marvelling each thread produces; for, although it is fine, it has three hundred and sixty threads in itself, all visible. There is also another like that which Amasis dedicated in Lindos to Athena.

The Corinthians, too, eagerly joined in taking hold of the campaign against Samos so as for it to come about; for an outrage related to them too, which had been done by the Samians, a generation earlier than that campaign and had happened at the same time as the bowl’s seizing. Periander, Cypselus’ son, sent off the sons of three hundred of the first Cercyrians to Sardis to Alyattes for castration. When the Corinthians who were bringing the sons had touched at Samos, the Samians learned by inquiry the account of the purpose, for which they were being brought to Sardis, and first taught the sons to lay hold of the shrine of Artemis. Then afterwards, since they were not overlooking attempts to drag the suppliants from the shrine and the Corinthians were keeping the sons from food, the Samians celebrated a festival, which they still enjoy even now in the same fashion; for at night’s coming on, all the time that the sons were suppliants, they set up choruses of maidens and unmarried youths and, while they set up the choruses, they established a law to bring themselves eatables of sesame and honey, that the sons of the Cercyrians might seize and have them as sustenance. And this came to that point, where the Corinthian guards of the sons left and were gone and the Samians led the sons away to Cercyra.

Now, if at Periander’s meeting with his end the Corinthians had had friendly relations with the Cercyrians, then they would not have taken part in the campaign against Samos for that reason, but as it was, on each and every occasion since they had founded the city, they were differing with each other among themselves. Therefore because of that the Corinthians were mindful of the evil of the Samians, as Periander picked out and sent off to Sardis the sons of the first Cercyrians for castration, and so was taking vengeance; for previously the Cercyrians made a beginning by doing a presumptuous deed against him.

For when Periander had killed his wife, Melissa, another misfortune like this happened to come about in addition to the one that had come about: two sons were his from Melissa, in age one seventeen years old and one eighteen. Their mother’s father, Procles, being Epidaurus’ tyrant, summoned those to him and treated them kindly, as was reasonable, since they were his daughter’s sons. And when he was sending them away, he said as he sent them forth, “Do you know, o sons, who killed your mother?” That word the older of them considered in no account, but the younger, whose name was Lycophron, felt such pain on hearing it that, after he had come to Corinth, seeing that his father was his mother’s killer, he both did not address him and neither engaged in any coversation with him, when he was trying to converse nor gave any opportunity for speech, when he was making inquiry. Then finally being very angry, Periander drove him from his house.

So having driven that one out, he inquired of the older what conversations their mother’s father had had with them. And he related to him that he had received them kindly, but that word that Procles, as he dispatched them off, had said, seeing that he had not grasped it in mind, he could not remember. Then Periander asserted that there was no way of contriving that he had made no suggestion to them and persisted in making inquiry. So he called back to memory and spoke of that too. Then, since Periander had grasped it in mind and wanted to give in to nothing soft, he sent a messenger to those, where the son driven away by him was dwelling, and forbade receiving him in a house. Hence, whenever he was driven away and came to another home, he was driven away from that one as well, because Periander was threatening those who received him and bade keep him away. So, being constantly driven away, he went to another house of his companions and, seeing that he was Periander’s son, although they were afraid, they nevertheless received him.

Finally Periander had a proclamation made that, whoever entertained him in a house or conversed with him, that one owed a sacred penalty to Apollo, and he said such and such an amount. Indeed it was that proclamation then in light of which no one wished either to converse with him or to receive him in a house and moreover not even he himself thought just to make trial, it being forbidden, but persevering, he roamed in the porticos. The fourth day, when Periander had seen him worn out by want of bathing and want of food, he took pity ; then having abated from his anger, he went nearer and said, “O son, which of those is preferable, that which you now do continually or the tyranny and the goods that I now have --to be well-disposed to your father and inherit those-- you who, although you are my son and king of happy Corinth, choose a wandering life by standing in opposition to and being angry at him whom you should have least? For if any misfortune has happened in the past, from which you have suspicion of me, that has happened to me and I am a participant in it more, inasmuch as I myself worked it out. You then learn how much better it is to be envied than to be pitied and at the same time what kind of a thing’s to be angry at one’s begetters and at one’s superiors and go away to my house.” Periander tried to coax him with that, but he made no other reply to his father and only asserted that he owed a sacred penalty to the god, since he had come into speeches with him. So Periander, having learned that the evil of his son was something inaccessible and unconquerable, sent him away from himself out of eye by dispatching a boat to Cercyra; for he was master of that too. Then, having dispatched that one off, Periander advanced with an army against his father in law, Procles, on the ground that he was the greatest cause of his present affairs, and he took Epidaurus and took Procles himself and captured him alive.

When, time going forward, Periander was beyond his prime and admitting to himself that he was no longer able oversee and manage his affairs, he sent to Cercyra and called away Lycophron for the tyranny; for in the older of his sons he could not see anything, but he was clear to him as being duller. Yet Lycophron thought the bearer of the message worthy of not even an answer. So Periander, clinging to the young man, second dispatched his sister and his own daughter, away to him, because he thought he would obey that woman most. That woman came and said, “O child, do you want the tyranny to fall to others and the house of your father, after it has been plundered, rather than for yourself to go away and have them? Go away to your house. Stop punishing youself. Love of honor’s a maladroit possession; stop curing evil with evil. Many put what’s more reasonable before what’s just and many by now, searching for their mother’s part, have lost their father’s. Tyranny’s a perilous thing, many are its lovers and he’s old by now and beyond his prime; give not your own goods to others.” She indeed, taught what was most attractive by her father, spoke it before him, and he in answering asserted that he would in no way come to Corinth, as long as he should learn by inquiry that his father survived. And when that woman had announced that back, third Periander sent a herald and he wanted himself to come to Cercyra, while he bade him to come to Corinth and become successor to the tyranny. After his son had consented on those terms, Periander dispatched himself to Cercyra and his son did to Corinth. But the Cercyrians learned of each of those things and that Periander might not come to their country killed the youngster. In revenge for that Periander attempted to punish the Cercyrians.




When the Lacedaemonians had come with a great force, they began to beseige Samos. Having made an attack on the wall, they set foot on the tower that stood near the sea at the suburb of the city and afterward, when Polycrates himself had come to the rescue with a large band, were driven away. Then at the tower above that was on the ridge of the mountain the auxiliaries and numerous of the Samians themselves went out in opposition and, having received the Lacedaemonians for a short time, they fled back and those who attended them killed them.

Now, if those of the Lacedaemonians who were present had proven that day similar to Archias and Lycopes, Samos would have been taken. For Archias and Lycopes, who were the only to fall in with the Samians as they fled to the wall and to be shut off from the way back, died in the city of the Samians. I myself in Pitane met with a third generation descendant from that Archias, another Archias, the son of Samian, the son of Archias (for he was of that deme), who honored the Samians most of all foreigners and asserted that the name Samian was given to his father because his father, Archias, had been the best and met with his end on Samos. Moreover, he asserted that he honored the Samians on account of the fact that his grandfather had been buried at public expense by the Samians.

The Lacedaemonians, when forty days had passed for them who were beseiging Samos and none of their affairs were progressing farther, departed for the Peloponnessus. Then, as the more idle account has begun to be given, Polycrates struck local coin by gilding a large amount of lead and gave them it and they received it and right then departed. That was the first campaign against Asia the Lacedaemonians, Dorians, conducted.

Those of the Samians who advanced with an army against Polycrates, when the Lacedaemonians were to leave them behind, themselves too sailed away to Siphnos; for they wanted money, while the affairs of Siphnos were at their prime during that time and they were the wealthiest of the islanders, seeing that theirs on their island were gold and silver mines so that from the tithe of the money that came to be from that very spot a treasury at Delphi was dedicated similarly to the wealthiest ones, as they themselves distributed from themselves the money that came to be each year. Hence when they were having the treasury made, they consulted the oracle whether their present goods were able to abide much time and Pythia proclaimed to them this:

Well, whenever town-halls become white in Siphnos
And square white-browed, just then there’s need for a shrewd man
To point out wooden ambush and herald of red.

The public square and the town-hall of the Siphnians was then adorned with Parian stone.

That oracular response they were unable to understand either then immediately or at the Samians’ coming. For, as soon as the Samians were putting in at Siphnos, they sent one of their ships that brought ambassadors to the city. Anciently all their ships were painted with ochre and that was what Pythia proclaimed to the Siphnians, when she bade to guard themselves against the wooden ambush and herald of red. Hence, on coming, the messengers asked the Siphnians to lend them ten talents and, when the Siphnians said they would not make them a loan, the Samians began to plunder their lands. Having learned of it by inquiry, the Siphnians immediately were present as they had come to the rescue and they gave them battle and were worsted. And many of them were shut out of the town by the Samians and after that they exacted a hundred talents from them.

From the Hermionians they took over an island instead of money, Hydrea off the Peloponessus, and deposited it with the Troizenians. Then they themselves founded Cydonia on Crete, athough they were sailing not for that, but to drive out the Zacynthians from the island. And they remained in it and were happy for five years so that those are the makers of the shrines that are now in Cydonia and the temple of Dictyne. The sixth year the Aeginetians, having prevailed over them in a naval battle, captured them for slavery with the Cretans and, their ships having prows that were boar-shaped, cut off their tips and dedicated them in the shrine of Athena in Aegina. The Aeginetians did that because they bore a grudge against the Samians. For earlier the Samians in the time when Amphicrates was king in Samos advanced with an army against Aegina and did great evils against the Aeginetians and suffered them at their hands. That was the cause.




I went on at length about the Samians more because by them the three greatest works among all Greeks have been worked out, of a mountain tall as a hundred and fifty fathoms, of that an excavation that begins from below with mouths at both ends. The length of the excavation is seven stades and its height and breadth are eight feet each. And through it all another excavation of twenty cubits in depth has been dug and its breadth is three feet, through which the water is channelled through pipes and arrives at the city, which is led from a great spring. The master builder of that excavation a Megarian, Eupalinus, Naustrophus’ son, came to be. That indeed is one of the three and the second’s a mound round a harbor in the sea, in depth even twenty fathoms, and the mound’s length is greater than two stades. Third the greatest temple of all temples that we know of has been worked out by them, of which Rhoicus, Phileus’ son, a native, was the first to come to be the master builder. Because of that somewhat more about the Samians I went on at length.
 
Installment 17            
  Against Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, who was spending time round Egypt and was out of his senses, stood up Magian men, two brothers, the one of which Cambyses had left behind as the caretaker of his house. Indeed that one then stood up against him, after he had learned of the death of Smerdis, that it was hidden when it had happened, and that those of the Persians who knew him were few, but the many thought he survived. Thereupon he planned the following and set his hand to the king’s affairs: a brother was his, who I have said joined him in his standing up against, resembling very much in his looks Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, whom Cambyses, although he was his brother, had killed. Indeed he was similar in looks to Smerdis and, what’s more, he had the same name, Smerdis. The Magus Patizeides, having convinced that man that he himself would perform all for him, lead him to and seated him on the royal seat. Then having done that, he sent heralds in various directions everywhere else and in particular to Egypt to proclaim to the army that they must listen to Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, for the future, but not Cambyses.

Then indeed all the other heralds proclaimed that and especially the one appointed to Egypt, since he found Cambyses and his army were in Syria in Agbatana, proclaimed, as he stood in their midst, what had been enjoined by the Magus. So when Cambyses had heard that from the herald and supposed that he gave true accounts and that he himself had been betrayed by Prexaspes, because sent to kill Smerdis, he did not do that, he cast a glance at Prexaspes and said, “Prexaspes, thus you performed for me the deed that I had put on you?”. And he said, “O master, that is not true, how at any time your brother, Smerdis, has stood up against you, and not how any contention will be for you from that man, either large or small. For I myself did what you were bidding me and I buried him with my own hands. Now. if the dead stand up, expect that Astyages the Mede too will stand up against you, but if it is just as before, nothing new, at least from him, will ever spring up for you. Hence now it seems best to me for men to pursue after the herald and examine him closely by asking from whom he has come and proclaims to us to listen to Smerdis as a king”.

At Prexaspes’ saying that, since it pleased Cambyses, immediately the herald came to be pursued after and was present. Then on his coming, Prexaspes asked this: “O human being, as you assert that you have come a messenger from Smerdis the son of Cyrus, therefore say now the truth and go away with impunity, whether Smerdis himself appeared to your sight and enjoined that or one of his underlings”. And he said, “Since King Cambyses drove against Egypt, I have not yet seen Smerdis, but the Magus, whom Cambyses had shown forth as guardian of his house, that man enjoined that and asserted that Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, was he who had laid on the speaking of that before you”. He indeed spoke to them with the addition of no lie and Cambyses said, “Praxaspes, you have escaped blame, seeing that as a good man you have done what was commanded, but against me who of Persians could be he who has stood up and is setting his foot on Smerdis’ name?”. And he said, “I seem to myself to comprehend that which has happened, o king; the Magians are those who have stood up against you, he whom you left as caretaker of your house, Patizeithes, and his brother, Smerdis”.

Thereupon, when Cambyses had heard Smerdis’ name, the truth of the speeches and the vision in sleep struck him, who thought in his sleep that someone announced out to him that Smerdis sat on the royal chair and touched with his head the sky. So, having learned that he had destroyed his brother in vain, he wept for Smerdis and, when he had finished weeping and being very aggrieved at his misfortune, he leapt up on a horse as he had in mind the quickest way to advance with an army to Susa against the Magus. And as he leapt up on the horse the tip fell off of the scabbard of his sword and the sword, laid bare, smote his thigh. So, wounded at that spot where he himself previously had struck the god of the Egyptians, Apis, as it seemed to him that he had been hit aptly, Cambyses asked what was the city’s name. Still earlier an oracle had been given to him from the city of Bouto that he would meet with his end in Agbatana. He indeed thought he would meet with his end in old age in the Median Agbatana, in which were all his affairs, but the oracle was saying in the Agbatana in Syria after all. And indeed, when then he had asked about and learned by inquiry the city’s name, utterly struck by the misfortune from the Magus and the wound, he became sane and, comprehending the divine response, he said, “Here Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, is fated to meet with his end”.

Then so much, but about twenty days later he summoned the greatest to speak of the Persians who were present and said this to them: “O Persians, it has befallen me to bring out to light for you that which I was trying to hide most of all affairs. For, while I was in Egypt, I saw a vision in my sleep, which I would I had not seen at all, as I thought to myself that a messenger had come from my house and was announcing that Smerdis sat on the royal chair and touched with his head the sky. So in fear lest I be taken away from my rule by my brother, I acted more quickly than wisely; for in human nature there is not after all to turn away what is to come about and I, the foolish, sent Prexaspes away to Susa to kill Smerdis. Then, so great an evil having been worked out, I dwelt without fear and considered not at all that with Smerdis taken off any other among human beings should stand up against me. Hence having missed the mark of everything that was to be, I have become a fratricide, it being nothing necessary, and am bereft of my kingdom none the less. For Smerdis of course was the Magus, who the divinity was bringing forth to light in the vision would stand up against me. Indeed the work has been worked out by me and reckon that Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, no longer exists for you; the Magians then to your disadvantage have power over the royal domains, he whom I left as the guardian of my house and his brother, Smerdis. Now, that man, who most should have taken vengeance for me, because I had experienced shameful sufferings at the hands of the Magians, through an unholy doom has met with his end by the nearest of his house’s agency. Hence, since that one is no longer, the next best thing of the remaining, on you, o Persians, it proves most necessary for me to enjoin what I wish to come about for me, as I am meeting with the end of my life, and so on you this I let fall and I call on the royal gods, both on all of you and most on those of the Achaimenids who are present, to not overlook the leadership’s coming back round to the Medes, but if they acquired and have it through treachery, for it to be taken back through treachery by you, and if maybe they worked it back and do through some strength, to bring it back to safety for yourselves with force through strength. And if you do that, may earth put out fruit and women and flocks bring forth, while you are free for all time, but if you do not bring back to safety for yourselves the rule and do not put your hand to bringing it back to safety, I pray that the contrary of that come about for you and further in addition to that that the end supervene for each of the Persians such as has supervened for me.” So, at the same time as he said that, Cambyses was bewailing all his faring.

When the Persians had seen the king had let out wailing, they all rent that which they had that had the nature of clothing and made continual use of unbegrudged lamentation. Then after that, as soon as the bone had become gangrenous and the thigh had rotted, it carried off Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, who had been king the whole of seven years and five months and was entirely childless, without male or female generation. Yet in those of the Persians who were present much disbelief was spread that the Magians had control of the affairs, but they thought Cambyses had said what he had said about Smerdis’ death for slander that the whole Persian people might be stirred up to war against him.

Now, those thought that Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, stood in as king, since Prexaspes also was terribly a denier that he indeed had killed Smerdis, as it was not safe for him, Cambyses having met with his end, to assert that Cyrus’ son had perished with his own hand. And the Magus indeed at Cambyses’ meeting with his end was king without fear, as he set his foot on his namesake, Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, the seven months remaining of the filling out of Cambyses’ eight years, in which he had shown forth great benefactions for all his subjects so as for all those in Asia, when he had died, to have a longing for him besides the Persians. For the Magus had sent in different directions to every nation over which he ruled and proclaimed that there should be freedom from taxes for military service and tribute for three years.

He proclaimed that immediately he stood in for the rule, but the eighth month he came to be discovered in a manner like this: there was an Otanes, Pharnaspes’ son and in race and money similar to the first of the Persians. That Otanes was the first to suspect the Magus, that he was not Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, but the very one who he was, by reckoning in this way, that he wouldn’t go out of the acropolis and that he wouldn’t call to his sight any of the Persians to speak of. So with a suspicion of him he did this: Cambyses had taken his daughter as a wife, whose name was Phaidymia; that very same woman the Magus then had and with her cohabited and with all the other wives of Cambyses. Therefore indeed Otanes sent to that daughter and inquired by whom of human beings she slept, whether with Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, or with some other. Then she sent in reply to him and asserted that she could not know; for she neither had seen the son of Cyrus, Smerdis, at all nor knew who was he who cohabited with her. Otanes sent a second time and said, “If you yourself do not know Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, then inquire you from Atossa who is that man with whom she herself cohabits as well as you; for indeed in every way doubtless she knows her own brother at least.” His daughter thereupon sent in reply, “I am neither able to come into speeches with Atossa nor see any other of the women who sit down with him; for as soon as that man, whoever he is, had taken up the kingdom, he dispersed us and stationed one in one place, another in another.”

So, when Otanes was hearing that, the matter was more clear to him. Then he sent a third message within to her that said that following statement: “O daughter, you must, since you are well born, take up for yourself whatever danger your father bids undertake; for, if indeed he is not the son of Cyrus, Smerdis, but who I firmly believe, look you, he in sleeping with you and having the Persians’ power must not get off with impunity, but pay the penalty. Therefore now do this: whenever he lies with you and you learn that he is asleep, feel for his ears and, if he manifestly has ears, believe that you cohabit with Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, but if he manifestly has not, then you do with the Magus Smerdis.” Thereupon Phaidymia sent in reply and asserted that she would run the risk greatly, if she did that; for, if indeed he in fact had not ears and she would be caught feeling for them, she knew well that he would make her unseen; however nonetheless she would do that. She indeed promised that she would work that out for her father, and of that Magus, Smerdis, Cyrus, the son of Cambyses, when he was ruling, had cut off the ears for not a small reason indeed. Then indeed that Phaidymia, Otanes’ daughter, was bringing to completion all that she had promised to her father and, when her turn was come about for coming into the Magus (for indeed in rotation do their women go into the Persians), on coming. she lay by him and, after the Magus was soundly asleep, felt for his ears. So, since she had learned not difficultly but easily that the man had no ears, as soon as day had come, she sent and indicated to her father what had happened.

Then Otanes took along Aspathines and Gobryes, who were the first of the Persians and most well-disposed to him for trusting, and he related the whole matter. And they, even themselves, after all were suspecting that was so and, when Otanes had brought it up, they accepted his words and it seemed good to them for each to take as a companion that man among the Persians, in whomever they put the most trust. Now, Otanes brought in for himself Intaphrenes, Gobryes, Megabyxus and Aspathines, Hydarnes. So, those having become six, Darius, the son of Hystaspes, arrived in Susa, as he had come from the Persians; for indeed his father was the governor of those there. Hence when he had come, it seemed good to the six of the Persians to take up as a companion Darius as well.

After those, being seven, had gone together, they offered words and pledges among themselves and, when it had come to Darius to bring forth to light an opinion, he said this to them: “I thought I myself alone knew that, that the Magus was the king and Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, had met with his end, and for that very reason I have come in haste with the intention that I will muster death against the Magus. But since it happened so as for you too to know and not me alone, it seems good to me to act immediately and not to delay; for it’s not better.” Thereupon Otanes said, “O son of Hystaspes, you are of a good father and seem to bring out to light that you are nothing less than your father; however, stop hurrying that laying on of hands so without counsel, but try to take hold of it on a more reasonable basis; for we must become more and thus lay on hands.” Thereupon Darius spoke, “You men who are present, of this manner spoken of by Otanes, if you will make use, know that you will perish in the worst way; for someone will bring it out to the Magus in an attempt to cast profits round himself privately. Now, most of all you ought to have cast on yourselves and done that, but since it seemed good to you to bring it to more men and you communicated it to me, either let us act today or know for you that, if the present day passes over, how no other than I will be an accuser first, but I myself will make those accusations to the Magus.”

Thereupon Otanes spoke, when he saw Darius was heated, “Since you make necessary for us to hurry and don’t allow us to delay, come expound in what manner we will go into the royal palace and lay our hands on them. For indeed you, even yourself, doubtless know guards stand at intervals, if not by seeing, then by hearing. Them in what manner will we pass?” Darius replied with this: “Otanes, many things exist that, although it’s not possible to make clear by speech, yet it’s by deed, while others exist that, although it’s possible by speech, yet no brilliant deed comes about from them. So know you that the established guards are nothing difficult to go by. For, on the one hand, since we are of this sort, there’s no one who will not let us by, partly because doubtless they respect us, partly because doubtless they also fear, and on the other hand I myself have a most specious pretext, by which we will go by, as I will assert that I have just come from the Persians and want to indicate a word from my father to the king. For, where a falsehood must be spoken, let it be spoken, since we, those who lie and those who constantly use the truth, strive after the same. Some in fact lie then whenever they are to have any profit by persuading through their falsehoods; some tell the truth that they may draw on themselves a profit by their truth and someone may turn to them more. Thus, although we have not the same practices, we embrace the same. And if they should have no profit, alike he who tells the truth would be false and he who lies true. Now, whoever of the gatekeepers willingly lets us go by, for him by himself it will be better at the time, but whoever tries to stand in opposition, let him be shown clearly then to be an enemy and thereupon let us thrust ourselves within and set to work.”

Gobryes spoke after that, “Dear men, for us when will it be possible to bring back to safety for ourselves the rule more beautifully or, if in fact we will not be able to take it back, to die, when in fact we are ruled, although we are Persians, by a Mede, a Magian man, and that without ears? In short, they of you who came to be by Cambyses in his illness, in every way doubtless you remember what he had let fall on the Persians as he was meeting with the end of his life, if they would not try to acquire back the rule, which then we would not take in, but we thought Cambyses had said for slander. I now then place my voting-pebble for obeying Darius and not for being parted from this assembly except as we go against the Magus immediately.” That Gobryes said and all expressed agreement by that way.

Then, while those were taking that counsel, this was happening by coincidence: to the Magians it seemed good in their taking counsel to gain over Prexaspes as a friend, because he had undergone untoward sufferings at Cambyses’ hands, who had shot an arrow at and destroyed his son, and on account of the fact that he alone knew of Smerdis the son of Cyrus’ death, since he had killed him by his own hand, and further in addition in that he was in the greatest repute among the Persians. Indeed, because of that they called him and tried to win him over as a friend by taking him with a pledge and oaths that yea verily he would keep by his side and not bring out to any among human beings the deceit done by them against the Persians and they promised they would give him in all countless gifts. So, as Prexaspes undertook to do that, after the Magians had convinced him, they next put forward a proposal and they asserted that they themselves would call together all Persians under the royal wall and bade him to go up to the tower and proclaim that they were ruled by the son of Cyrus, Smerdis, and by no other. And they enjoined that thus on the ground that forsooth he was the most trusted man among the Persians and often had shown forth the opinion that the son of Cyrus, Smerdis, survived and denied his killing.

Then, since Prexaspes asserted that he was ready to do that too, having called the Persians together, the Magians caused him to go up to the tower and bade him make a proclamation. But he that which indeed they requested of him willingly forgot and, beginning from Achaimenes. he genealogized the paternal lineage of Cyrus and afterward, when he had come down to him, in ending he spoke of all the good that Cyrus had done the Persians and, having gone through that, he brought forth to light the truth, as he asserted that previously he was hiding it, because it was not safe for him to speak of what had happened, but in the present necessity overtook him to bring it to light. And so he spoke of the son of Cyrus, Smerdis, how he himself, compelled by Cambyses, had killed him and that the Magians were king. At length, after he had put many curses on the Persians, if they did not acquire the rule back again and punish the Magians, he let himself go to land on his head from the tower above. Now, Prexaspes, who was an esteemed man all the time, thus met with his end.

Indeed the seven of the Persians, as soon as they had taken counsel to lay their hands on the Magians and not delay, went, after they had prayed to the gods, with no knowledge of what had been done concerning Prexaspes. Right in the middle of the way they came to be in their going and they learned by inquiry of what had happened concerning Prexaspes. Then they stood out of the way and again exchanged speeches among themselves and those round Otanes absolutely bade delay and not, while the affairs were in a ferment, make an attack, while those round Darius bade go immediately and do what had seemed good and not delay. As they were wrangling, there appeared seven pairs of hawks who two pairs of vultures pursued and plucked and scratched them. So, having seen that, the seven all praised the opinion of Darius and thereupon went to the royal palace emboldened by the birds.

When they stood at the gates, there came about something like Darius’ opinion imported; for, since the guards respected the first men among the Persians and supected that nothing like that would be from them, they let them go by as divinely sent and no one asked a question. And when they had even entered into the court , they met with the eunuchs who were bringing in the messages, who inquired of them with what wish had they come and at the same time as they were inquiring of them they were threatening the gatekeepers because they had let them go by and they tried to restrain the seven who wanted to enter farther in. But after they had cheered each other on and drawn their daggers, they stabbed at once right there those who were trying to restrain them and they themselves in a rush went into the men’s apartment.

Now, both the Magians in fact were at that time within and were in deliberation about what had been done by Prexaspes. Hence, when they had seen the eunuchs alarmed and shouting, they jumped back up and after they had learned what was being done, they turned to resistance. Indeed one of them took down his bow and arrows in time and the other turned to his spear. Right then they joined battle with each other. Indeed to the one of them, who had taken up his bow and arrows, since his enemies were near and pressing hard, they were not at all useful, but the other was defending himself with his spear and, on the one hand, smote Aspathines at his thigh and, on the other, Intaphrenes at his eye and, although Intaphrenes was bereft of his eye from the wound, yet at any rate he did not die. So indeed one of the Magians wounded those and the other, since his bow and arrows proved not at all serviceable, because indeed there was a chamber that entered into the men’s apartment, fled down into that and wished to shut the leaves of its door. And with him rushed in two of the seven, Darius and Gobryes. Then, when Gobryes had become intertwined with the Magus, Darius, standing near, was at a loss, seeing that he was in darkness, out of concern lest he strike Gobryes. So, seeing he was standing near idle, Gobryes asked why he didn’t use his hand and he said, “Out of concern for you lest I strike”. Then Gobryes replied, “Thrust the sword even through both”. And Darius, obeying, thrust his dagger and somehow hit the Magus.

Then, after they had killed the Magians and cut off their heads, they left their wounded there both because of their powerlessness and for the purpose of guarding the acropolis and the five of them, shouting and making noise, ran outside with the heads of the Magians and called on all the other Persians and related the deed and showed the heads. And at the same time they killed every one of the Magians who had come to be at their feet. So, when the Persians had learned what had been done by the seven and the Magians’ deceit, they thought just, even they themselves, to do other acts like that and they drew their daggers and performed a killing, wherever they found a Magian. And if night had not fallen and held so, they would have left not even one Magian. To that day the Persians jointly tend most among the days and on it they conduct a great festival that is called Killing of the Magians by the Persians, on which it is not permitted for even one Magian to appear in the daylight, but at home the Magians keep themselves that day.

So, when the commotion had settled down and had been done outside of five days, they who had stood up against the Magians took counsel concerning all their affairs and although speeches were spoken incredible to some of the Greeks, they were spoken anyhow. Otanes for his part bade put down their affairs in the midst of the Persians and said this: “It seems good to me for one of us no longer to become monarch, since it’s neither pleasant nor good. For you saw Cambyses’ insolence over how great an extent it went out and have had a share of the Magian’s insolence too. Moreover how could monarchy be an ordered thing, by which it is permitted to one who is not accountable to do what he wants? For in fact the best of all men, should he stand in that rule, it would stand outside of his wonted thoughts, because insolence arises in him through the agency of the goods that are present and envy from the beginning grows in a human being. And, if he has those two things, he has every kind of badness, since partly, when glutted with insolence, and partly, when with envy, he does many presumptuous acts. Now, a man who’s a tyrant should be without envy, because at any rate he has all the goods, but he is by nature the opposite of this to his fellow-citizens; for he envies the best, when they survive and live, rejoices in the worst of the townsmen and is best at taking in slanders. And most discordant of all: if you marvel at him moderately, he is vexed in that he is not ministered to very much, and if anyone ministers very much, he is vexed as if at a flatterer. And indeed I am going to speak of his greatest acts; he changes his fathers’ usages, violates women and kills the untried. A multitude’s ruling, however, first has the most beautiful name of all, equality before the law,and next does none of those deeds that the monarch does; it rules what it rules by lot, has a rule that’s accountable and refers all plans to the commonwealth. Therefore, I propose as my opinion that we should let go of monarchy and exalt the multitude; for all is in the the greater number.” Otanes indeed brought forward that opinion.

But Megabyxus bade entrust to oligarchy and said this: “What Otanes said in his attempt to stop tyranny, let that be said by me too, but in respect to the command that he gave to bring the power to the multitude, he has missed the mark of the best opinion; for nothing is more unintelligent and more insolent than a useless crowd. Now, for men to flee a tyrant’s insolence and fall to an unruly people’s insolence is in no way tolerable, since, if the one does anything, he does knowingly, but in the other there is not even knowing; for how could it know that neither was taught nor saw anything beautiful of its own and rushes in and thrusts on its affairs mindlessly, similar to a winter-flowing river? Now, let those who have bad in mind for the Persians make use of the people and let us for our part pick out a band of the best men and put the power round them, because indeed among them we, even ourselves, will be and from the best men it’s reasonable for the best plans to come about.” Megabyxus indeed brought forward that opinion.

Then third Darius showed forth an opinion and said: “To me, what Megabyxus said that relates to the multitude, it seems he spoke correctly, but that relates to oligarchy, not correctly. For, when the three are put forth and all are the best in speech, the best people, oligarchy and monarch, that latter excels by much I say, because nothing would appear better than the one man who’s the best, since, should he use an opinion of that sort, he would blamelessly be guardian of the multitude and plans against men of ill will would be silenced thus most, but within an oligarchy in many, who make a practice of virtue in regard to the commonwealth, strong private enmities love to come about, because, as each himself wants to be a chief and prevail with opinions, they come to great enmities with each other, from which factions arise, and from the factions killing and from the killing things result in monarchy, and in that it appears clearly by how much that is best. And on the other hand, when the people rule, it’s impossible for badness not to arise; then, badness arising for the commonwealths, enmities arise not among the bad, but strong friendships, as they treat badly the commonwealths and act in concert. Then that proves like that until someone should stand at the head of the people and stop those like that and on the basis of that action that one indeed is marvelled at by the people and, marvelled at, he then quite manifestly is monarch, and in that he also makes clear that monarchy is best. So, to comprehend all in one word and say it, whence did freedom come about for us and at whose giving? From the people or an oligarchy or a monarch? I have then an opinion that, since we were made free on account of one man, we should maintaiin that sort of thing and, apart from that, not break our fathers’ laws, because they are good; for it’s not better.”

Those indeed were the three opinions put forth and four of the seven attached themselves to that latter. And, since Otanes had been worsted in respect to his opinion, who was eager to bring about equality before the law for the Persians, he spoke in their midst this: “Men of faction, as it’s quite clear that some one of us in fact must become king, either probably by being chosen by a lot or by our entrusting to the Persians’ multitude whomever it chooses or by some other device, now, I for my part will not compete among you; for I wish neither to rule nor be ruled, and on that condition I stand apart from the rule, on condition that I will not be ruled by any of you, neither I myself nor those descended from me on each and every occasion.” After he had said that, when the six were agreeing to that condition, that one indeed would not compete among them, but sat down out of their midst. Even now that house continues to be the only free one among the Persians and so many rules are held as it wishes without its trangressing the laws of the Persians.

The remaining of the seven took counsel how they would set a king over themselves most justly and it seemed good to them to Otanes and those descended from Otanes on each and every occasion, if the kingdom came to another of the seven, there should be offered as perquisites Median clothing each year and the entirety of the gift that proves most honored among the Persians. And for the following reason they took counsel that that should be offered to him, because he was the first to give counsel about the deed and muster them. Those indeed were Otanes’ perquisites and they took the following counsel in general, that every one of the seven who wanted should enter into the royal palace without one to announce in, if the king in fact was not sleeping with a wife, and it should not be permitted to the king to marry from somewhere other than from among those who joined in the standing up against. Moreover, they took a counsel of this sort: whosever horse at the sun’s rising up was first to make a sound in the suburb after they had mounted, that one should have the kingdom.

Now, Darius’ horsegroom was a wise man, whose name was Oebares. To that man, when they had broken up, Darius said this: “Oebares, it has been decided by us concerning the kingdom to act after this fashion: whosever horse is first to make a sound together with the sun’s going up after they had mounted up, that one should have the kingdom. If then you now have any piece of wisdom, contrive that we may have that prize of honor and no one else.” Oebares replied with this: “If indeed, o lord, there is in that for you either to be king or not, be bold because of that and maintain a good spirit that no other will be king before you; I have drugs like that.” Darius said, “If then you have a wise device like that, it’s the hour to contrive and not delay how in the oncoming day the contest will be ours.” Having heard that, Oebares acted like this: when night was coming, having led one of the female horses, that which Darius’ horse was most fond of, into the suburb, he tied it up and led it to Darius’ horse and more often he led it near round the mare and brought it near the female and finally let the horse go to mount.

Then, together with day’s dawning, the six, according as they had covenanted, were present on their horses and, as they were taking a ride out and through in the suburb, when they were coming to be at that place, where the night gone by the female horse had been tied up, then Darius’ horse ran forward and let out a whinny. And together with the horse’s doing that from a clear sky lightning and thunder were produced. So that supervened for Darius and confirmed him just as if it had been produced by a covenant and the others leapt down from their horses and bowed to Darius.

Some indeed assert that Oebares contrived that and others like this (for in fact an account is given by the Persians for both sides), that that mare’s genitals he touched with his hand and kept it by concealment in his pants and, when together with the sun’s going up they were to let their horses go, that Oebares put forth his hand and brought it to Darius’ horse’s nostrils and it, on perceiving that, snorted and whinnied.

Indeed Darius, the son of Hystaspes, was shown forth as king and all in Asia were his subjects except the Arabians, since Cyrus had subjected them and later afterward Cambyses. The Arabians, however, were in no way subject to the Persians with a view to slavery, but became foreign friends, because they had let Cambyses go by against Egypt; for, should the Arabians have been unwilling, the Persians could not have made an attack against Egypt. And Darius made his first marriages among the Persians with Cyrus’ two daughters, Atossa and Artystone, the one, Atossa, her who previously had cohabited with Cambyses, her brother, and afterward with the Magian and the other, Artystone, a maiden. Moreover, he married another, Smerdis the son of Cyrus’ daughter, whose name was Parmys, and had as wife also Otanes’ daughter, who had caused the Magian to be discovered. In short all was filled with power for him. Now, he first made a stone model and set it up and on it was a figure, a horseman, and he had inscribed letters that said this: “Darius, the son of Hystaspes, with his horse’s virtue” --and he had the name said-- “and Oebares his horsegroom’s acquired the Persians' kingdom.”
 
 Then having done that among the Persians, he established himself twenty dominions, which they themselves call satrapies and, once he had established the dominions and put rulers in charge, he imposed the coming in of tributes for him on each of the nations and arranged their neighbors with the nations and, passing over those adjacent, he apportioned the farther nations variously to various ones. And he distributed dominions and the annual income of tributes after the following fashion; to those of them who were bringing away silver it was said to bring away a Babylonian talent in weight and to those who were bringing away gold a Euboean. And the Babylonian talent amounts to seventy eight minae of Euboea. For in the time when Cyrus was ruling and thereafter Cambyses nothing was established concerning tribute, but people were bringing gifts, and on account of that imposition of tribute and other things pretty near to that the Persians say that Darius was a retailer, Cambyses a lord and Cyrus a father, in that the first made all his affairs retailing, in that the next was difficult and belittling and in that the last was gentle and contrived all goods for them.

Indeed from the Ionians, the Magnetians in Asia, the Aeolians, the Carians, the Lycians, the Milyians and the Pamphylians, as that was one tribute imposed by him, there came in four hundred talents of silver; that indeed was the first district to be established by him and from the Mysians, the Lydians, the Lasonians, the Cabalians and the Hytennians five hundred talents; that was the second district. Next from the Hellespontians on the right for one sailing in, the Phrygians, the Thracians in Asia, the Paphlagonians, the Mariandynians and the Syrians the tribute was three hundred sixty talents; that was the third district and from the Cilicians three hundred sixty white horses that amounted to one each day and five hundred talents of silver. And of them a hundred forty were used up on the horse that guarded the Cilician country and the three hundred sixty came in for Darius; that was the fourth district.

From the city of Posideium, which Amphiloxus the son of Amphiareus had founded on the boundaries of the Cilicians and the Syrians, from its beginning at that country up to Egypt, except for the portion of the Arabians as that was free of tax, the tribute was three hundred fifty talents and there is in that district all Phoenicia, the Syria that is called Palaestinian and Cyprus; that was the fifth district. And from Egypt and the Libyans adjacent to Egypt, Cyrene and Barce, as those were ordered with the Egyptian district, seven hundred talents came in, except for the silver that came to be from the lake of Moiris, which came to be from the fish. Indeed apart from that silver and the grain that was measured besides there came in the seven hundred talents; for they measured out twelve myriads of grain to those of the Persians settled down within the white wall in Memphis and to their auxiliaries: that was the sixth district. And the Sattagydians, the Gandarians, the Dadicians and the Aparytians, put together for the same purpose, brought in a hundred seventy talents --that was the seventh district-- and from the Susians and the rest of the country of the Cissians were three hundred --that was the eighth district.

Next from Babylon and the remaining part of Assyria a thousand talents of silver came in for him and five hundred castrated boys --that was the ninth district-- and from the Agbatanians, the rest of the Median country, the Paricanians and the Orthocorybantians three hundred fifty talents --that was the tenth district. The Caspians, the Pausicians, the Pantimathians and the Dareitians for the same purpose carried together and brought away two hundred talents; that was the the eleventh district. And from the Bactrianians up to the Aeglians the tribute was three hundred sixty talents --that was the twelfth district-- and from the Pactyician country, the Armenians and the adjacent up to the Euxine sea four hundred talents --that was the thirteenth district. Next from the Sagartians, the Sarangians, the Thamanians, the Outians, the Mycians and those settled on the islands in the Red sea, on which the king had settled down those called “the drawn up”, from all those, the tribute was six hundred talents; that was the fourteenth district. And the Sacians and the Caspians brought away two hundred fifty talents --that was the fifteenth district-- and the Parthians, the Chorasmians, the Sogdians and the Areians three hundred talents --that was the sixteenth district.

Next the Paricanians and the Ethiopians from Asia brought away four hundred talents; that was the seventeenth district. And on the Matienians, the Saspeirians and the Alarodians two hundred talents had been imposed; that was the eighteenth district. Next for the Moschians, the Tibarenians, the Macronians, the Mossynoecians and the Marians three hundred talents had been proclaimed; that was the nineteenth district. Finally the Indians’ multitude is far the greatest of all the human beings that we know and compared with all the rest they brought away a tribute of three hundred fifty talents of gold dust; that was the twentieth district.

The Babylonian silver, when it is compared to the Euboean talent, amounts to nine thousand eight hundred eighty talents and, the gold, being reckoned at thirteen times more in value, the gold dust is found to be four thousand six hundred eighty Euboean talents. Accordingly, when all those are put together, the multitude, as Euboean talents, are for Darius’ annual tribute a myriad, four thousands, five hundreds, and six tens gathered together, and I let go and speak not of the grouping still less than those.

That came in for Darius as tribute from Asia and from a few places in Libya. But, as time went forward, both from islands came in other tribute and from those who were in settlements in Europe up to Thessaly.That tribute the king stored in treasuries in a manner like this: he melted and poured it down into earthen jars and, after he had filled the vessel, he took the earthenware off. Then, whenever he needed money, he chopped up however so much as he needed on each occasion.

Now. those were the dominions and the impositions of tributes and the Persian land alone has not been spoken of by me as tributary; for the Persians inhabit a country free from tax. But the following, although they were appointed to carry no tribute, yet were bringing gifts: the Ethiopians bordering on Egypt, whom Cambyses in driving against the long-lived Ethiopians had subjected, who are settled down round the sacred Nyse and conduct their festivals for Dionysus. Those Ethiopians and their neighbors have the use of the same seed that the Callantian Indians do too and possess underground buildings. Both of those together were bringing at intervals of three years and were bringing also the period up to my time two choenixesof unsmelted gold, two hundred logs of ebony, five Ethiopian children and twenty large elephant tusks. And what the Colchians and those adjacent up to Mount Caucasus had undertaken to pay for a present --for rule was extended under the Persians to that mountain, but what’s in the direction of the North wind from the Caucasus no longer had thought of the Persians-- the gifts that they had undertaken to pay then those were bringing still even to my time every fifth year, a hundred boys and a hundred maidens. And the Arabians were bringing a thousand talents of frankincense every year. Those were conveying that as gifts for the king apart from their tribute.

That large amount of gold, from which they conveyed the said gold dust for the king, the Indians acquired in a manner like this: there is in the Indian country, in what’s at the sun’s going up, sand; for of those whom we know, even concerning which anything exact is said, the first to be settled to the east and the sun’s rising of the human beings in Asia are the Indians, as what’s to the east of the Indians is desert on account of the sand. Moreover, many nations of Indians exist and they’re not speaking the same as each other. Some of them indeed are pastoral and some not and some are settled in the marshes of the river and eat fish raw, which they take by making a base from reed boats; one ‘knee’ of reed makes each boat. Indeed those of the Indians wear clothing of rush; whenever they reap rush from the river and cut it, thereafter in a basket’s manner they plait it together and put it on like a breastplate.

Moreover, others of the Indians, who are settled to the east of those, are pastoral, eaters of raw pieces of meat, and they are called Padaeans. They then are said to practice customs like this: whoever falls ill among their townspeople, whether woman or man, the man the men who consorted with him most kill, since they assert that he, if melted by his illness, is destroyed for them as meat (and, although he is a denier of being ill, yet they, making no admission themselves, kill off and and feast on him), while whichever woman falls ill, in the same way the women who associated with her most do the same as the men. For indeed him who comes to old age they sacrifice and feast on, but some, not many of them, come to an estimation of that, as before it everyone who falls to illness they kill.

And of other Indians is this other manner: they neither kill anything inanimate nor sow anything nor are accustomed to possess homes, but eat grass and theirs is a thing as large as a millet seed in its size that in a calix comes to be of its own from the earth, which they, gathering it together with the calyx and all, boil and eat. And whoever of them falls to illness, comes to the desert land and lies down, while no one has a thought for him neither when he dies nor while he is ill.

Also the intercourse of all those Indians, of whom I have given a relation, is in the open, just according as the cattle’s, and they have a complexion similar or pretty near to the Ethiopians. Their genital fluid too that they discharge into their women is not white, just according as all the other human beings’, but black, just according as their complexions, and the Ethiopians also discharge a seminal stream like that. Those of the Indians are settled farther than the Persians and toward the South wind and were not at all subject to King Darius.

Others of the Indians too are bordering on the city of Caspatyrus and the Pactyan country in settlements toward the Bear and the North wind relative to all the other Indians, who have a way of life pretty near to the Bactrians; both those are the most fit for battle of the Indians and they who are sent for the gold are those, since at that spot is the desert on account of the sand. In that desert then and the sand it is, in which ants come to be with sizes less than dogs, but larger than foxes; for there are of them even at the king of the Persians’ court thence ones caught by hunting. Those ants then build under the earth and bring up the sand, just according as the ants among the Greeks, according to the same manner, and are also most similar in their looks, while the sand that is being brought up is gold-bearing. To that sand indeed the Indians are sent into the desert land, after each has yoked himself three camels, a male on each side that carries a cord to draw near and a female in the middle; on her indeed he himself mounts up, when he has sought out how he will draw away from offspring as young as possible and yoke her, because their camels are not inferior to horses in speed and besides are far more capable of carrying burdens. Indeed what kind of a look the camel has, for the Greeks, since they know, I do not record, but that aspect of it which they know not I will point out. A camel in its hind legs has four thighs and four knees as well as its pudenda turned through its hind legs toward its tail.

The Indians use a manner like that and a way of yoking like that and drive to the gold with the calculation that, when the hottest burning heats are, they will be involved in the seizure; for by the burning heat’s agency the ants become invisible under the earth. The sun then is hottest for those human beings in the early morning, not just according as for all the others at midday, but rather when it rises above until the dispersal of the public square. And during that time it burns far more than it does Greece in the midday so that there is an account that they wet themselves in water at that time and the day, when it is in its middle, burns pretty nearly almost all the other human beings as the Indians. So, at the declining of midday, the sun becomes for them just according as it’s in the early morning for all the others and from then on it departs over a greater extent and is cold, until it is at its setting points and is very cold.

So, whenever the Indians come to the place with little sacks, they fill those up with the sand and the quickest way drive back; for immediately the ants because of an odor, just as is said by the Persians, learn of and pursue them and their quickness is similar to nothing else so that, if the Indians do not get a start on the way in the time when the ants are gathering themselves together, none of them would be brought away to safety. Now, the males among the camels, as they are inferior in running to the females, are detached, because they are drawn behind, not both together, but the females, since they remember the offspring that they left, give in to nothing soft. Indeed the greater part of the gold thus the Indians acquire, as the Persians say, and there is other rarer that is dug up in the country.

Now, the extremities of the inhabited earth somehow obtained by lot the most beautiful things, just according as Greece obtained by lot the seasons that were blended somewhat far most beautifully. For on the one hand the Indian country is the last of the inhabited countries toward the east, just as I have said a little earlier --in that land on the one hand the animate, quadrupeds and the winged, are far larger than in all the other places, except for the horses (those are worsted by the Median, the horses that are called Nesaean) and on the other hand there is abundant gold in that very spot, some that is dug up, some that is brought down by rivers and some, just as I have indicated, that is seized, and the wild trees in that very spot bear as fruit wool that excels in beautiful quality and virtue that from the sheep and the Indians use clothing made from those trees-- and in turn toward the south Arabia is the farthest of the inhabited countries and in that alone of all countries is growing frankincense, myrrh, cassia, cinnamon and gum-resin. All that except the myrrh the Arabians acquire with difficulty. The frankincense they collect by burning as incense the storax gum that the Phoenicians export to the Greeks; by burning that as incense they take it, since those trees that bring forth frankincense winged serpents, small in their sizes, many-colored in their looks, guard, many in multitude round each tree, those very ones that advance as an army against Egypt, and they are driven away from the trees by nothing other than the storax gum’s smoke.

And the Arabians say this too, that all earth would be filled with those serpents, if there were not coming about concerning them a thing like I knew came about concerning the vipers too. Indeed somehow the divine’s forethought, just as is in fact reasonable, since it is wise, has made all those that are timid in soul and edible prolific, that they may not become extinct by being eaten up, and that are cruel and noxious unprolific. On the one hand, because the hare is hunted by every beast, bird and human being, thus indeed somewhat it is prolific --alone of all beasts it becomes pregnant at one pregnancy’s end and one of its offspring’s furred in its belly and one’s hairless, as one is just then being moulded in its womb and one is being conceived; that indeed is like that-- but on the other, the lioness indeed, being the strongest and boldest animal, brings forth a single offspring once in her life; for as it brings forth, together with her offspring she casts out her womb. And the reason for that is this: whenever the cub, while its in its mother, begins moving about, then it with far the sharpest claws of all beasts scratches the womb and finally indeed, growing far greater, it enters into and utterly tears it and finally indeed the bringing forth is near and absolutely none of it is left sound.

So, thus both regarding the vipers and the winged serpents among the Arabians, if they were being born as nature belongs to them, it would not be livable for human beings, but as it is, whenever they perform mounting in pairs and the male is engaged in procreation itself, as he discharges his generative fluid, the female lays hands on his neck and, clinging like a growth, does not let go until she should gnaw through it. The male indeed dies in the said manner and the female pays retribution like this to the male: in their taking revenge for their parent, while they are still in the belly, the offspring eat through their mother and, after they have gnawed through her stomach, thus they slip out. All the other serpents however, since they are not harmful to human beings, bring forth eggs and hatch a large quantity of their offspring. Now, the vipers are throughout all earth, but the winged ones, being gathered together, are in Arabia and nowhere else. Because of that they are thought to be many.

That frankincense the Arabians acquire thus and the cassia this way: whenever they bind up with oxhides and other skins their whole body and their face except for the eyes themselves, they go after the cassia, as it grows in no deep lake and round it and in it here and there lodge feathered beasts, very much like the bats, and they squeal awfully and are valorous in valor. They must keep them away from their eyes and thus pluck the cassia.

And the cinnamon indeed they collect still more marvellously than those things; for where it comes about and what is the earth that nurtures it they are not able to say, except that speaking reasonably, some say it grows in these places, in which Dionysus was nurtured. And they say large birds carry those sticks that we learned of from the Phoenicians and call cinnamon and the birds carry them to nests stuck with mud against precipitous mountains, where there is no way of approach for a human being. Then thereupon indeed the Arabians devise this wise course: after they have cut through the limbs as large as possible of cattle and asses that have passed away as well as of all the other yoke-animals, they convey them to those places and, after they have put them near the nests, they depart far from them. Then the birds fly down and carry up the limbs of the yoke-animals to the nests, they, not able to bear them, become broken and fall down to earth and the men go after and collect them. Thus indeed the cinnamon is collected by those and comes to all the other countries.

And the gum-resin, “ledanon”, which the Arabians call “ladanon”, comes into being still more marvellously than that; for, although it comes into being in the most foul smelling place, it is most good smelling, as it is found coming into being in he-goats’ beards like gum from the wood. Moreover, it is useful for many of the perfumes and the Arabians burn that as incense most.

Let so much be said concerning incenses and how pleasant is the divine smell in the Arabian country. Further, two kinds of sheep are theirs worth marvelling at that are nowhere else. One of them has their tails long, no shorter than three cubits, on which, if one should permit them to drag them after, they would have wounds as the tails are worn down near by the earth, but as it is, every one of the shepherds know how to work wood to that great a degree: namely, they make little wagons and bind them under the tails by binding down the tail of each animal singly to each little wagon; the other kind among the sheep carry their tails broad and the breadth’s over a cubit.

Then, at noon’s declining, extends to the sun’s setting the Ethiopian country as the farthest of the inhabited ones and that bears much gold, abundant elephants, all wild trees, ebony and the tallest, most beautiful and most long-lived men.

Now, those are the extremities in Asia and in Libya, but concerning the extremities in Europe toward the west I am able to speak not exactly, as neither do I for my part take in that a river is called Eridanus by the barbarians that discharges into the sea in the direction of the north wind, from which there is an account that amber comes, nor do I know that the Tin islands exist, from which tin comes for us. For on the one hand, Eridanus, the name itself, declares that it is Greek and not barbarian and made up by a poet and, on the other hand, from no one who proves an eyewitness am I able to hear, although I have a care for that, how a sea exists on the other side of Europe. Anyhow, from the farthest land tin and amber come for us.

Further, toward the Bear in Europe manifestly is somewhat far the most gold. Although, as to how it was coming into being, I am not able to say exactly even that, yet it is said that one-eyed Arimaspian men seize it out from under the griffins. And I am persuaded not of that too, how one-eyed men grow with all the rest of their nature similar to all the other human beings. So the extremities then are likely, since they enclose the rest of the country and keep it within, to have the things that seem to us most beautiful and most rare themselves.

There is a plain in Asia enclosed by a mountain from all sides and the chasms of the mountain are five. Although that plain was once the Chorasmians’, since it is in the boundaries of the Chorasmians themselves, the Hyrcanians, the Parthians, the Sarangians and the Thamanians, yet, since the Persians have had the power, it is the king’s. From that enclosing mountain then it is indeed, from which flows a great river and its name is Aces. Although it previously, divided into five ways, was watering the countries of those said by being led through each chasm to each group, yet, since they have been under the Persian, they have undergone a suffering like this: after the king had walled in the chasms of the mountains, he set gates on each chasm and, the water shut off from a way through and out, the plain within the mountains became open sea, because the river discharged and had nowhere a way of going out. Hence the very ones who before were wont to use the water, are not able to use it and meet with great misfortune. For during the winter the god rains for them just as also for all the other human beings, but in the summer they sow millet and sesame-seed and have need of the water. Accordingly, whenever none of the water is given over to them, they go to the Persians, themselves and wives, and, standing near the doors of the king, they shout and howl, and the king on the ones who have the greatest need enjoins to open the gates that lead to those. And whenever their earth becomes satiated by drinking the water, those gates are shut off and others he enjoins to open on all the others among the remaining who have the greatest need. So, as I know by hearing, after exacting much money apart from the tribute he has the opening done. That indeed is thus.

It befell one of the seven men who had stood up against the Magian, Intaphrenes, because he had done the following insolent deed, to die immediately after the standing up against: he wished to go into the royal palace and negotiate with the king; for in fact the law too indeed was thus, that for those who had stood up against the Magian there should be a way in to the king without a messenger, if the king in fact was not having intercourse with a wife. Accordingly Intaphrenes indeed thought just for no one to announce him in, but because he was of the seven, he wished to go in. However, the gatekeeper and the bearer of messages would not overlook it and asserted the king was having intercourse with a wife. Then Intaphrenes, thinking they spoke falsehoods, acted like this: he drew a short sword and cut off their ears and noses and then, after he had threaded them round the bridle of his horse, he tied it round their necks and let them go forth.

Then they showed themselves to the king and said the reason on account of which they had suffered. And Darius, afraid lest by common consent the six had done that, sent for each one and made trial of their opinion about whether they were joint praisers of what had been done and, when he had thoroughly learned that he had not done that with them, he took hold of Intaphrenes himself, his children and all those of his house, since he had great expectations that he would plot a standing up against him with his kindred, and after he had arrested them, he bound them for the way to death. So the wife of Intaphrenes, going constantly to the doors of the king, wept and lamented and by performing that same action on each and every occasion she persuaded Darius to pity her and he sent a messenger and said this: “O woman, King Darius grants you to rescue one of those of your house who have been bound, whom you want from among all”. And she took counsel and answered this: “If indeed the king grants me the soul of one, I choose from among all my brother”. Then, after Darius had learned that by inquiry and marvelled at her speech, he sent and said publicly, “O woman, the king asks you with what opinion did you abandon within your husband and your offspring and chose your brother to survive for you, who ls both more distant to you than your children and less pleasing than your husband”. And she replied with this: “O king, another would become a husband, if a divinity should wish, and others offspring, if I should lose those, but since my father and mother live no longer, another would become a brother in no manner. Opining thus, I said that.” Indeed the woman seemed to Darius to speak well and he let go forth to her that man whom she was begging for and the oldest of her children, because he took pleasure in her, and all the others he killed. Indeed one of the seven immediately in the said manner had perished.

Now, somewhere near the time of Cambyses’ illness this was happening: appointed by Cyrus, Oroetes, a Persian man, was a subordinate ruler of the Sardians. That man conceived a desire for no holy deed; for, although he had neither suffered anything nor heard a foolish word from Polycrates the Samian --he had not even seen him previously-- he was desiring to take hold of and destroy him, as the greater number say, on account of a reason like this: sitting down at the king’s doors, Oroetes and another Persian, whose name was Mithrobates, ruler of the district in Dascyleium, those men from words fell together into quarrels and, when they were wrangling, Mithrobates spoke and was reproaching Oroetes, “For it’s you in men’s estimation, who for the king the island of Samos that lies near your district acquired not, although it was somewhat indeed so very easy to be worsted, which one of the natives with fifteen hoplites stood up against and got hold of, and now he is tyrant of it”. Some indeed assert that, after he had heard that and felt pain at the rebuke, he conceived a desire not so much to punish its speaker as to destroy Polycrates by all means, on whose account he was spoken ill of.

The lesser number say Oroetes sent a herald to Samos to request some thing or other (for indeed now that at any rate is not said) and Polycrates in fact was lying down in the men’s apartment, while Anacreon the Teian too was pesent with him, and somehow either with forethought he despised Oroetes’ affairs or maybe a chance like that following supervened: namely, the herald of Oroetes entered and was trying to converse and Polycrates, since he was in fact turned away to the wall, neither turned around nor answered anything.

Those indeed are said to prove the two conflicting causes of the death of Polycrates and it is permitted to be persuaded by whichever of them one wants. And hence Oroetes, while he had his seat in Magnesia that has its settlements over the river Meander, sent Myrsus, the son of Gyges, a Lydian man, to Samos with a message, after he had learned Polycrates’ mind. For Polycrates is the first of the Greeks, whom we know of, who put his mind to gain power over the sea, except Minos the Cnossian and any other, if indeed before that man he got the rule of the sea, as Polycrates is the first of the age that is spoken of as the human with great expectations to rule Ionia and the islands. Accordingly, when Oroetes had learned that he had that in mind, he sent a message and said this: “Oroetes speaks to Polycrates this way: I have learned by inquiry that you are forming a plot for great matters and money is not yours in accordance with your thoughts. Now, if you act this way, you will raise yourself and bring me as well to safety, since King Cambyses plots death against me and that is announced out to me distinctly. Now, convey you out me myself and money and have some of it you yourself and allow me to have some. But if you put no faith in me in respect to what concerns my money, send whoever is in fact most faithful to you, to whom I will show it forth”.

Having heard that, Polycrates took pleasure and wanted that and, because somehow he was greatly desirous of money, he sent off at first Meandrius, son of Meandrius, a man of his townspeople, to spy, who was his scribe, him who not much time later than that dedicated all the adornment of the men’s apartment of Polycrates, since it was worth beholding, to the temple of Hera. Then, when Oroetes had learned that the spy was expected, he acted like this: he filled eight chests with stones except for a very shallow part round the very lips, cast on top of the stones gold and, after he had fastened up the chests, kept them ready. So, Meandrius, having come and beheld, announced back to Polycrates.

Then he, although his prophets forbade many times and his friends many times, set forth to go away by himself, and in addition even though his daughter had seen a vision of a dream like this: it seemed to her that her father, while he was raised up in the air, was washed by Zeus and anointed by the Sun. Having seen that vision, she used all her devices to stop Polycrates’ going abroad to Oroetes and in particular, when he went to the penteconter, she spoke ill-omened words. Then he threatened her that, if he returned back safe and sound, she would be a maid a long time and she prayed that that become brought to completion; for she wanted to be a maid a longer time than to be bereft of her father.

Polycrates, disregarding all advice, set sail to Oroetes and at the same time brought with him many others of his companions and indeed moreover also Democedes, the son of Calliphon, a Crotonian man, who was a physician and practiced the art best of those in his time. Then, having come to Magnesia, Polycrates was destroyed evilly, in a manner worthy neither of himself or his thoughts; for except for those who became tyrants of the Syracusians, not even one of all the other Greek tyrants is worthy to be compared to Polycrates in magnificence. And having killed him in a manner not worthy of description, Oroetes impaled him and let all of his followers who were Samians go away and bade them acknowledge gratitude to him, since they were free, but considered and kept in the accounting of prisoners of war all who were foreigners and slaves of the followers. So Polycrates, hanging, brought to completion the whole vision of his daughter, as he was washed by Zeus, whenever he rained, and anointed by the Sun by giving off himself moisture from his body. Of Polycrates indeed the many good fortunes came to that end.

Then, not a long time later, after Oroetes too came retributions for Polycrates. For after Cambyses death and the Magians’ kingdom, while Oroetes remained in Sardis, he performed no benefit for the Persians, who had been removed by the Medes from the rule, but he in that disturbance killed Mitrobates, the subordinate ruler from Dascyleium, who had reproached him in respect to what related to Polycrates, and killed Mitrobates’ son, Cranaspes, esteemed men among the Persians, and he broke out into other insolent acts of all kinds and regarding even a courier of Darius’, since what was announced was not for his pleasure, he killed him, while he was conveying himself back by setting men in ambush for him in the way and, after he had killed him off, he made him disappear horse and all.

So, when Darius had gotten hold of the rule, he was desiring to punish Oroetes for all his injustices and especially Mitrobates and his son. Indeed in the open he thought not good to send an army against him, seeing that his affairs were in a ferment still and he had the rule recently and had learned by inquiry that he had great strength, of whom a thousand of the Persians were lance-bearers and who had the Phrygian district as well as the Lydian and Ionic. Then indeed thereupon Darius contrived this: he called together the greatest of the Persians to speak of and said to them this: “O Persians, who of you for me would undertake and bring to completion that with wisdom and not violence and confusion? For, where there is required wisdom, of violence is no need. Of you indeed then who for me would either bring back alive or kill off Oroetes, who performed no benefit for the Persians yet, but has done great evils; bringing to light an intolerable insolence, on the one hand he made unseen two of us, Mitrobates and his son, and on the other hand he killed those who called him up and were sent by me? Hence, before he works out a greater evil against the Persians, he must be taken down by us through death.”


Installment 19            
  Darius asked that and among them thirty men undertook it, each wishing himself to do that. Then Darius restrained their disputing by bidding them to cast lots and, when they cast, from among all Bagaeus, the son of Artontes, obtained the task by lot. So Bagaeus, having obtained it by lot, acted like this: after he had many documents written that related to many matters, he impressed the signet-ring of Darius on them and afterwards he went with them to Sardis. Then, having come and gone to Oroetes’ sight, he opened up each one of the documents and gave them to the royal scribe to read --all the subordinate rulers have royal scribes-- and by way of making trial of the lance-bearers Bagaeus gave the documents, on the chance that they should consent for him to a standing apart from Oroetes. So,since he saw that they were reverencing the documents greatly and what was said by the documents still more greatly, he gave them another, in which these words were: “O Persians, King Darius forbids you to be lance-bearers of Oroetes”. And, after they had heard that, they put aside their spears for him and when Bagaeus had seen they were persuaded of that by the document, then indeed he took courage and gave the last of the documents to the scribe, in which had been written “King Darius enjoins on the Persians in Sardis to kill Oroetes”. And when the lance-bearers had heard that, they drew their short swords and killed him forthwith. Thus indeed after Oroetes the Persian for Polycrates the Samian retributions came.

When Oroetes’ money had come and been conveyed up to Susa, it happened not a long time after that King Darius in hunting beasts leapt from a horse and was sprained in his foot. And it was sprained somehow rather violently; for his ankle-bone went out of its socket. Then, because he was accustomed even earlier to have those of the Egyptians who were thought to be first in the physician’s art round him, he made use of those. But they by twisting and forcing the foot worked a greater evil. Indeed for seven days and seven nights by the present evil Darius was held by insomnia and indeed on the eighth day to him, who was in a poor state, someone who in Sardis still earlier incidentally had heard of Democedes the Crotonian’s art announced it to Darius and he bade bring him the quickest way to him. So, when they had found him out, despised somewhere or other among Oroetes’ prisoners of war, they brought him, dragging fetters and clad in rags, into his midst.

Then, as he stood in his midst, Darius asked him whether he knew the art and he would not admit it, afraid lest by bringing himself out to light he be bereft absolutely of Greece. But he was clearly to Darius acting artfully, although he had the knowledge, and he bade those who had brought him to carry near whips and goads in their midst. So hence indeed then he brought to light and asserted that he had the knowledge not exactly; rather he had associated with a physician and had the art poorly. Then afterwards, when he had entrusted to him, by using Greek remedies and applying gentle ones after the violent, he caused him to obtain some sleep as his lot and in a short time produced his being healthy, although he expected no longer at all to be sound of foot. Darius after that indeed presented him with two pairs of golden fetters and he asked him whether he apportioned him twice as great an evil on purpose, because he had made him healthy. And Darius, taking pleasure in the saying, sent him away to his own wives. Then the eunuchs led him near and said to the wives that that man was he who had given back Darius his soul. Hence each of them dipped with a bowl into the chest of gold and presented Democedes with somewhat quite so lavish a present that the staters that fell from the bowls the household slave, whose name was Sciton, as he followed, was gathering up for himself and for him a large quantity of gold was collected.

That Democedes, having come from Croton the following way, associated with Polycrates: in Croton he was entangled with a father difficult in anger; when he could not bear him, he left him behind and was gone to Aegina. Then, after he had taken up his position in that place, the first year he excelled all the other physicians, although he was without implements and had none of all the instruments that are concerned with his art. And the second year the Aeginetians hired him at the public’s expense for a talent, the third year the Athenians for a hundred minae and the fourth year Polycrates for two talents. Thus he came to Samos and because of that man not least Crotonian physicians were of good repute.

Right then, since Democedes in Susa had utterly cured Darius, he had the largest house and had come to be at the same table as the king; in short, except for one thing, going away to the Greeks, all else was at hand for him. And on the one hand the Egyptian physicians, who previously had been curing the king, when they were to be fixed on a pole because they had been worsted by a Greek physician --those by begging the king he rescued and on the other hand an Elean prophet, who had attended on Polycrates and was despised among the prisoners of war, he rescued. Democedes then was the biggest deal at the king’s court.

So in a short time after that these other events happened to come about: for Atossa, Cyrus’ daughter and Darius’ wife, a growth grew on her breast and afterwards it broke out and spread farther. Indeed all the time that it was smaller, she then, hiding it and being ashamed, pointed it out to no one, but when she was in a bad state, she sent for Democedes and showed it to him. Then he asserted that he would make her healthy and made her swear that yea verily in return she would work out for him that service whichever he requested of her, and he said that he would not request any of all the things that are leading to shame.

When lo! after that by administering a cure he had rendered her healthy, then indeed, taught by Democedes, Atossa in her bed brought forward to Darius a speech like this: “O king, with so great a power you sit down idle, without attempting to acquire in addition any nation or power for the Persians. But it is reasonable for a man, both young and lord of much money, manifestly to show forth something, that the Persians too may utterly know that they are ruled by a man. Moreover to do that tends toward two ends, not only that the Persians may know that he who is chief of them is a man, but also that they may be worn out by war and not have leisure and plot against you. For now in fact you should show forth some deed, while you are young in age, as with the body’s increase the wits too increase and with its getting old they get old and are blunted completely in respect to all matters”. She indeed said that in consequence of a teaching and he replied with this: ”O woman, all the very deeds that I myself have in mind to do you have spoken; for I have taken counsel to join a bridge from this mainland to the other mainland and advance with an army against the Scythians and that in a short time will be coming to completion”. Atossa said this: “Look now, leave off going your first way against the Scythians, since they, whenever you want, will be yours, and for me advance you with an army against Greece. For I desire Lacaenian maidservants to become mine, since I have learned of them by inquiry through speech, as well as Argive, Attic and Corinthian. And you have the most suitable man of all men to show the details of Greece and lead the way, that one who utterly cured your foot”. Darius replied, “O woman, then since it seems good to you for us first to make a trial of Greece, it seems to me to be better first to send watchers from among the Persians together with that one, whom you have spoken of, to them, who, after they have learned and seen, will announce out the details of them to us and thereafter with thorough knowledge I will turn to them”. He said that and at the same time brought about word and deed.

For, as soon as day had shone forth, he called fifteen esteemed men of the Persians and enjoined on them to follow Democedes and go out through the places of Greece by the sea and that Democedes should not flee away from them, but they should lead him away back by all means. And having enjoined that on those, he next called Democedes himself and requested of him that, after he gave a relation of and displayed all Greece to the Persians, he should be present back and he bade him to take hold of and bring all his movables as gifts for his father and his brothers and asserted he would give him in exchange many times more other. Moreover besides he asserted he would contribute to the gifts a merchantman for him, after he had filled it with goods of all kinds, which would sail together with him. Although Darius indeed, as far as it seems to me, announced that for him out of no treacherous intention, yet Democedes in fear lest Darius were making thorough trial of him, not at all ran after and received all that was being offered, but he asserted he would leave behind his possessions in place, that on his having gone back he might have them; the merchantman however that Darius announced to him for a present to his brothers he asserted he was receiving. And Darius enjoined on that one too the same and dispatched them away to the sea.

So, after those men had gone down to Phoenicia and in Phoenicia to the city of Sidon, at once they filled two triremes and together with them a large round vessel too with all kinds of goods. And having prepared everything, they set sail to Greece and, touching at ports, they beheld and wrote down its places by the sea, until they beheld the greater number and most named and came to Tarentum in Italy. Then there from mildness to Democedes, Aristophilides, the Tarentians’ king, on the one hand detached the rudders of the Medic ships and on the other hand kept the Persians locked up, on the ground that forsooth they were watchers, and while those suffered that, Democedes came to Croton. And when that man had came by then to his country, Aristophilides freed the Persians and what he had taken over from their ships he gave back to them.

The Persians in their sailing thence and pursuing Democedes came to Croton and, when they had found him walking abroad, they laid hold of him. Then of the Crotonians some in utter dread of the Persian power were ready to let him go and others laid hold in turn and with their staffs struck the Persians as they put forward these words: “Crotonian men, see what you are doing! You are taking away a man who has become the king’s runaway. And how will to have done that insolent act satisfy King Darius? And how will what is being done be beautiful for you, if you take him from us? And against what city earlier than this will we advance with an army and what earlier will we try to sell as slaves?” Although they said that, they could not however persuade the Crotonians; rather, having been taken away from Democedes and having been taken from the round vessel that they were bringing with them at the same time, they set sail back off to Asia and no longer sought to come to and learn thoroughly of the farther part of Greece, since they were bereft of their leader. However Democedes enjoined so great an injunction on them as they were conducting themselves off: he bade them say to Darius that Democedes had had betrothed to him Milon’s daughter as a wife. For indeed the wrestler Milon’s name was prevalent at the king’s court. And because of that following reason Democedes seems to me to have spent a large sum of money and have hastened that marriage, that he might manifestly be in Darius’ eyes esteemed in his own country too.

Then having been conducted off from Croton, the Persians were cast ashore with their ships to Iepygia and there Gillus, a Tarentinian man, an exile, rescued them, who were slaves, and led them away to King Darius. And he in return for those was ready to offer that whatever he himself wanted. So Gillus chose a return from exile to Tarentum be made for him, after he had earlier related his misfortune and that he might not confound Greece, if on his account a large force sailed to Italy, he asserted that it sufficed for him for the Cnidians alone to be made those who returned him from exile, since he thought through those who were friendly to the Tarentinians quite most his return from exile would be. So Darius promised and brought to completion; for he sent a messenger to Cnidos and bade them bring back from exile Gillus to Tarentum and, although they were persuaded by Darius, the Cnidians could not however persuade the Tarentinians and were unable to apply violence. Now, that was done thus and those were the first Persians to come from Asia to Greece and those became watchers on account of a matter like this above.




Then after that King Darius took Samos, the first of all cities, Greek and barbarian, on account of a cause like this: when Cambyses, Cyrus’ son, was advancing with an army against Egypt, numerous others from among the Greeks came to Egypt, some, as is reasonable, for trade, some who advanced with the army and also some certain ones as beholders of the country itself, among whom was Syloson, Aiaces’ son, who was Polycrates’ brother and an exile from Samos. That Syloson a piece of good fortune like this befell: after he had taken hold of and thrown round himself a red mantle, he was in the public square in Memphis and on seeing him Darius, who was Cambyses’ lance-bearer and not yet of any great account, conceived a desire for the mantle and, when he had approached, offered to buy it. So Syloson, since he saw Darius was greatly desiring the mantle, with divine fortune said, “I am selling that for no sum of money, but am merely giving it, if in fact thus it must become yours by all means”. Having praised that, Darius took the outer garment. Indeed Syloson knew that was lost to him on account of simplicity.

Then after, as time went forward, Cambyses had died, the seven had stood up against the Magian and out of the seven Darius had gotten hold of the kingdom, Syloson learned by inquiry that the kingdom had devolved to that man, to whom once in Egypt he had given at his requesting the outer garment. So having gone up to Susa, he sat at the doorways of the king’s house and asserted he was Darius’ benefactor. The gatekeeper heard and announced that to the king and he marvelled and said to him, “And who among the Greeks is a benefactor, to whom I for my part have an obligation, although I have the rule recently? But either few or none of them yet have come up to us and I have no debt, to exaggerate, to a Greek man. However, nevertheless, lead him near within, that I may know wishing what he says that”. The gatekeeper lead Syloson near and, as he stood in their midst, the interpreters asked who he was and having done what he asserted he was a benefactor of the king. Therefore Syloson said everything that had happened concerning the mantle and that he himself was the giver. Darius thereupon replied, “O noblest of men, you are he who made me gifts, when I had no power yet, even though small, and accordingly my gratitude is at any rate similarly equal as if now I should take hold of something big from somewhere. In exchange for that I offer you abundant gold and silver, that never it may repent you, because you have treated well Darius, Hystaspes’ son”. Syloson thereupon said, “Me neither gold, o king, nor silver offer, but bring back to safety for me my fatherland, Samos, which now at my brother Polycrates’ death at Oroetes’ hand our slave has, and give that to me without killing and leading into captivity”.

Having heard that, Darius dispatched off host and a general, Otanes who had come to be among the seven men, and enjoined all that that Syloson had requested they should cause to be brought to completion for him. So Otanes went down to the sea and dispatched the host.

Now, of Samos Meandrius, Meandrius’ son, had the mastery, since he had taken hold of the rule entrusted to him by Polycrates. To him who wanted to become the most just of men it was not granted; for, when Polycrates’ death had been announced out to him, he acted like this: first he set up an altar to Zeus of Freedom and established as a border round it that precinct, which is now in the suburb and afterwards, when it had been done by him, he gathered together an assembly of all the townspeople and said this: “To me, as you too know, the scepter and all the power of Polycrates has been entrusted and it is possible for me now to rule you, but what I for my part rebuke my neighbor for, I myself will not do according to my ability; for neither Polycrates pleased me by being lord over men similar to himself nor any other who acts like that. Now, Polycrates fulfilled his portion, but I put the rule in your midst and proclaim equality before the law for you. However, I think just for so many privileges to become mine, namely, from Polycrates’ money as perquisites six talents’ becoming mine, and in addition to that a priesthood I choose for myself and those who are descended from me on each and every occasion of Zeus of Freedom, for whom I myself set up a shrine and confer freedom on you”. He indeed announced that for the Samians, but one of them stood up apart and said, “But you at any rate are not even worthy to rule us, since you have been born badly and are a plague, and instead see how you will give account of the money that you had in hand”.

He said that who was esteemed among the townspeople, whose name was Telesarchus. Then Meandrius grasped with his mind that, if he would let go of the rule, some other would be set up as tyrant in his stead, and indeed had in mind in no way to let it go, but when he had gone back to the acropolis and sent for each one with the intention that indeed he would give account of the money, he arrested and bound them up. They indeed were bound up and after that illness befell Meandrius. So expecting he would die, his brother, whose name was Lycaretus, that more easily he might get complete hold of the affairs in Samos, killed all the bound; for not indeed, as they seemed, did they want to be free.

Therefore, when the Persians had come to Samos and were bringing Syloson back from exile, both no one raised their hands against them and under truce the men of Meandrius’ faction and Meandrius himself asserted they were ready to go out of the island. And after Otanes had given consent on those conditions and poured libations to ratify, those of the Persians worth most had seats placed over against the acropolis and sat down.

Meandrius the tyrant’s was a somewhat crazy brother, whose name was Charileos. That man made some error or other and was bound up in a dungeon and indeed then, having overheard what was being done and leaned through the dungeon, when he had seen the Persians were sitting down peaceably, he shouted and asserted by speaking that he wished to come to speeches with Meandrius. Then Meandrius, having overheard, bade men free him and lead him to himself. And as soon as he had been led, hurling abuse and representing him as bad, he tried to produce a conviction to attack the Persians by speaking like this: “Although me, o worst of men, who am your own brother and have done no injustice worthy of bonds, you bound and thought worthy of a dungeon, yet, when you see the Persians trying to banish and make you homeless, you dare not punish them, albeit they are thus indeed somewhat easy to be worsted? Well if, mind you, you are in utter dread of them, give me the auxiliaries and I shall take vengeance on them for their coming hither; moreover, I am ready to send you yourself from the island”.

Charileos said that and Meandrius took up the speech not because, as I for my part think, he had come to that degree of senselessness as to think his own power would survive the king’s, but more because he begrudged Syloson that he was to take back untoilsomely the city unharmed. Accordingly, by rousing the Persians to anger he wished to make the Samian affairs as without strength as possible and thus hand it over, since he had good full knowledge that the Persians, if they suffered evilly, were to be embittered against the Samians and he knew there was a safe way of slipping off the island for himself then whenever he himself wanted, as a hidden trench had been made by him that led from the acropolis to the sea. Indeed Meandrius himself sailed away from Samos and Charileos and, having armed all the auxiliaries and spread open the gates, he sent them out against the Persians who both expected nothing like that and thought of course everything was in agreement. Then the auxiliaries made an attack and those of the Persians who rode in two-man chariots and were of most account they killed. Those in fact did that and all the rest of the Persian host came on to the rescue; so the auxiliaries were oppressed and got cooped up back in the acropolis.

Then, when Otanes the general had seen the Persians had suffered with great suffering, regarding the injunctions that Darius while he dispatched him off enjoined on him, to neither kill nor sell into slavery anyone and to give back to Syloson the island without its suffering evils, remembering, he forgot those injunctions and he announced to the host everyone whom they took hold of, both man and child alike, they should kill. Thereupon some of the host began to besiege the acropolis and some to kill everyone that came to be in the way, alike in a shrine and out of a shrine.

So Meandrius ran away from Samos and sailed off to Lacedaemon; then, after he had come to it and brought up that, with which he went out, he acted like this: whenever he put forth silver and gold drinking vessels, his servants scoured them out and he, during that time being engaged in speeches with Cleomenes, the son of Anaxandrides, who was king of Sparta, brought him forth to his house and, whenever Cleomenes saw the drinking vessels, he marvelled and was astonished and the other bade him bring away for himself all of them that he wanted. And when Meandrius had said that not only twice but also thrice, Cleomenes proved the most just of men, who thought just not to take hold of what was being offered and, after he had learned that by making offers to others of the townspeople he would find succour, he walked to the ephors and asserted it was better for Sparta for the Samian stranger to depart from the Peloponnesus, that he might not convince either him or any other of the Spartiates to prove bad.

So they listened to him and heralded the departure of Meandrius. And the Persians made round-ups in Samos and handed over to Syloson a land bereft of men. However, at a later time the general Otanes joined in making settlements on it because of a vision in a dream and an illness that befell him so as to be ill in his pudenda.

Then, when the naval army was gone against Samos, the Babylonians, very well prepared, revolted; for in all that time and disturbance, in which the Magian was ruler and the seven had stood up against him, they prepared themselves for the siege and somehow in doing that escaped notice. And when they had revolted out in the open, they acted like this: having taken out their mothers, each man took out for himself in addition one woman that he wanted from his house and, after he had brought together quite all the remaining women, he strangled them; for each took out for himself the one as a foodmaker, but they strangled them, that they might not use up their food.

So Darius, having learned of that by inquiry and collected all his force, advanced with an army against them and, after he had driven against Babylon, he besieged them, who thought nothing of the siege. For the Babylonians walked up to the battlements of the wall and they insultingly danced before and insultingly joked about Darius and his host, and one of them said this word: “Why sit you, o Persians, there and depart not? For you will take hold of us, when mules bring forth”; one of the Babylonians said that, since he expected that a mule would bring forth not at all. Then seven months and a year having gone by by then, Darius was vexed as well as the whole host, since it was not able to take hold of the Babylonians. And yet Darius had perrformed all pieces of wisdom and all contrivances on them and not even thus could he take hold of them, although he had made attempts with other pieces of wisdom and in particular had made an attempt also with that, with which Cyrus had taken hold of them. But, since the Babylonians were terribly on their guards, he was in fact not capable of taking hold of them.

Then the twentieth month for Zopyrus, the son of that Megabyxus, who had come to be of the seven men that had taken the Magian down, for that Megabyxus’ son, Zopyrus, came about this portent: one of his food-carrying mules brought forth. So after it had been announced out to him and out of disbelief Zopyrus himself had gotten a look at the newborn, he forbade those who had seen to point out to anyone what had happened and took counsel. And to him in view of the Babylonian’s sayings, who at the beginning had asserted that, right whenever mules brought forth, then the wall would be taken, in view of that assertion to Zopyrus Babylon seemed to be capturable by then, as with a god’s aid that man had spoken and the mule had brought forth for him.

Then since it seemed to him to be fated by then for Babylon to be taken, he went forward to Darius and inquired away whether he considered worth very much to take hold of Babylon. And having learned by inquiry that he estimated it of much value, he took another counsel how he himself would be the one who took hold of it and the deed would be his, as very much among the Persians benefactions are honored to the farther degree of greatness. Now, he could not consider he was capable of causing it to be in his power by another deed but only if he mutilated himself and deserted to them. Thereupon considering it as a light thing he mutilated himself with an uncurable mutilation; for having cut off his nose and ears, shaved his hair all round evilly and whipped himself, he went to Darius.

So Darius bore very heavily seeing the most esteemed man mutilated and, having leapt from his chair, let out a shout and asked him who was his mutilator and because he had done what. And he said, “That is no man except you, whose power is so great as to dispose me indeed this way and no one of men of other kinds, o king, has done this, but I myself to myself, since I considered something terrible for the Assyrians to laugh at the Persians”. And he replied, “O cruelest of men, you put for yourself on the most shameful deed the most beautiful name, since you asserted on account of the besieged you disposed yourself incurably. Why, o foolish one, because you have been mutilated, will the enemies stand aside more quickly? How did you not sail out of your senses by destroying yourself?“ And he said, “If in fact I had put over to you what I was to do, you would not have overlooked me, but as it is I cast on myself and did it. Hence by now, if there is no need of your things, we take Babylon. For I, as I am, will desert to the wall and assert to them that I have suffered this at your hand. And I think, if I persuade them that is thus, I will obtain a host. You then from that day, from whichever I go to the wall, to a tenth day of that host of yours, of whom there will be no care, if it is destroyed, station a thousand by the so-called gates of Semiramis, afterward in turn from the tenth to the seventh station me two thousand others by the so-called gates of the Ninians and from the seventh leave twenty days wholly and thereupon sit down four thousand others, after you have led them by the so-called gates of the Chaldeans. Moreover let neither the earlier have anything of what will ward off nor the latter, except short swords; that however let them have. Then after the twentieth day straightway bid the rest of the host to attack all round, round the wall, and station me Persians by the so-called Belian and Cissian gates; for, as I think, after I have showed forth great deeds, the Babylonians will entrust all else to me and, in particular, the gates’ hooks and thereafter for me and the Persians it will be a care what we must do”.

Having enjoined that, he went to the gates and kept turning round as if forsooth truly a deserter. Then, when those stationed at that time saw, they ran down, down from the towers, and opening the other gate slightly a little, they asked who he was and wanting what he was present. So he publicly said to them that he was Zopyrus and was deserting to them. The gatekeepers indeed led him, when he had heard that, to the commonwealth of the Babylonians and he took up a position before them and lamented by asserting that he had suffered at Darius’ hands what he had suffered at his own and that he had suffered that because he had advised him to stand the host up and away, since indeed there appeared no way of making a capture. “Now in short”, he asserted by speaking, “I to you, o Babylonians, am present the greatest good and to Darius and his host the greatest evil; for indeed he will not go unpunished for mutilating this way me at any rate. I know all the goings out and through of his counsels”. Like that he spoke.

Now, the Babylonians, seeing the most esteemed man among the Persians, bereft of nose and ears, was confounded with whips and blood, completely supposed he gave true accounts and was present an ally to them and they were ready to entrust him with what he asked for from them; so he asked for a host. And when he had taken over that from them, he did the very deeds that he had covenanted with Darius; for having led out the tenth day the host of the Babylonians and encircled the first thousand that he had enjoined Darius to station, he killed those completely. Hence after the Babylonians had learned that he was putting forward deeds of his similar to his words, they were certainly very glad and were ready to perform quite every service. So he, having left off the covenanted days again, made a selection among the Babylonians and killed the two thousand of Darius’ soldiers and all the Babylonians, having seen that deed too, had Zopyrus in their mouths and were offering praise. Finally he, again having left off the covenanted days, performed their leading out to the forementioned place and encircled and killed the four thousand. And when he had worked out that too, Zopyrus was quite all among the Babylonians and that man was shown forth by them as army-commander and guardian of the wall.

But when Darius was attacking in accordance with what had been covenanted all round the wall, then indeed Zopyrus brought out to light all his treachery. For the Babylonians went up to the wall and defended themselves against Darius’ host as it attacked, while Zopyrus spread open the so-called Cissian and Belian gates and let the Persians go to the wall. Then of the Babylonians those who saw what had been done fled to Belian Zeus’ shrine and who saw not remained each at his station right until those too had learned that they had been given over.

Now, Babylon thus was taken for the second time and when Darius had gotten mastery over the Babylonians, on the one hand he took down their wall all round and drew away all the gates, since having taken Babylon the earlier time, Cyrus did neither of those deeds, and on the other hand Darius impaled the heads of the men to the number of approximately three thousand and gave away to the remaining Babylonians the city to be settled in. And how the Babylonians would have women, that for them a generation might arise, Darius looked to and did this (for their own, as has been made clear at the beginning too, the Babylonians strangled, since they were looking to their food): he imposed on the nations settled round to settle women down in Babylon and imposed on each group so and so many women so that the sum of five myriads of the women came together. So from those women the present Babylonians have been descended.

Hence none of the Persians excelled Zopyrus in benefaction with Darius as judge, of neither those born after nor those before, except Cyrus alone; for none of the Persians thought worthy yet to compare himself to that man. And often it is said Darius showed forth this opinion, that he would want Zopyrus free of suffering from his uncomeliness rather than twenty Babylons to accrue to the existing. So he honored him greatly, as in fact every year he offered him those gifts that are most honored among the Persians, granted him to draw revenue from Babylon free of tax during his life and gave in addition many other gifts. Now, of that Zopyrus was born Megabyxus, who was general in Egypt against the Athenians and their allies and of that Megabyxus was born Zopyrus, who deserted to Athens from the Persians.



end of Book 3