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 on Cyrus's army and reporting its advent to the king。 The proposal seemed plausible to Cyrus; who accordingly authorised Orontas to take a detachment from each of the generals; and be gone。 He; thinking that he had got his horsemen ready to his hand; wrote a letter to the king; announcing that he would ere long join him with as many troopers as he could bring; he bade him; at the same time; instruct the royal cavalry to welcome him as a friend。 The letter further contained certain reminders of his former friendship and fidelity。 This despatch he delivered into the hands of one who was a trusty messenger; as he thought; but the bearer took and gave it to Cyrus。 Cyrus read it。 Orontas was arrested。 Then Cyrus summoned to his tent seven of the noblest Persians among his personal attendants; and sent orders to the Hellenic generals to bring up a body of hoplites。 These troops were to take up a position round his tent。 This the generals did; bringing up about three thousand hoplites。 Clearchus was also invited inside; to assist at the court…martial; a compliment due to the position he held among the other generals; in the opinion not only of Cyrus; but also of the rest of the court。 When he came out; he reported the circumstances of the trial (as to which; indeed; there was no mystery) to his friends。 He said that Cyrus opened the inquiry with these words: 〃I have invited you hither; my friends; that I may take advice with you; and carry out whatever; in the sight of God and man; it is right for me to do; as concerning the man before you; Orontas。 The      6 prisoner was; in the first instance; given to me by my father; to be my faithful subject。 In the next place; acting; to use his own words; under the orders of my brother; and having hold of the acropolis of Sardis; he went to war with me。 I met war with war; and forced him to think it more prudent to desist from war with me: whereupon we shook hands; exchanging solemn pledges。 After that;〃 and at this point Cyrus turned to Orontas; and addressed him personally〃after that; did I do you any wrong?〃 Answer; 〃Never。〃 Again another question: 〃Then later on; having received; as you admit; no injury from me; did you revolt to the Mysians and injure my territory; as far as in you lay?〃〃I did;〃 was the reply。 〃Then; once more having discovered the limits of your power; did you flee to the altar of Artemis; crying out that you repented? and did you thus work upon my feelings; that we a second time shook hands and made interchange of solemn pledges? Are these things so?〃 Orontas again assented。 〃Then what injury have you received from me;〃 Cyrus asked; 〃that now for the third time; you have been detected in a treasonous plot against me?〃〃I must needs do so;〃 he answered。 Then Cyrus put one more question: 〃But the day may come; may it not; when you will once again be hostile to my brother; and a faithful friend to myself?〃 The other answered: 〃Even if I were; you could never be brought to believe it; Cyrus。〃

At this point Cyrus turned to those who were present and said: 〃Such has been the conduct of the prisoner in the past: such is his language now。 I now call upon you; and you first; Clearchus; to declare your opinionwhat think you?〃 And Clearchus answered: 〃My advice to you is to put this man out of the way as soon as may be; so that we may be saved the necessity of watching him; and have more leisure; as far as he is concerned; to requite the services of those whose friendship is sincere。〃〃To this opinion;〃 he told us; 〃the rest of the court adhered。〃 After that; at the bidding of Cyrus; each of those present;   10 in turn; including the kinsmen of Orontas; took him by the girdle; which is as much as to say; 〃Let him die the death;〃 and then those appointed led him out; and they who in old days were wont to do obeisance to him; could not refrain; even at that moment; from bowing down before him; albeit they knew he was being led forth to death。

After they had conducted him to the tent of Artapates; the trustiest of Cyrus's wand…bearers; none set eyes upon him ever again; alive or dead。 No one; of his own knowledge; could declare the manner of his death; though some conjectured one thing and some another。 No tomb to mark his resting…place; either then or since; was ever seen。



VII

From this place Cyrus marched through Babylonia three stagestwelve    1 parasangs。 Now; on the third stage; about midnight; Cyrus held a review of the Hellenes and Asiatics in the plain; expecting that the king would arrive the following day with his army to offer battle。 He gave orders to Clearchus to take command of the right wing; and to Menon the Thessalian of the left; while he himself undertook to the disposition of his own forces in person。 After the review; with the first approach of day; deserters from the great king arrived; bringing Cyrus information about the royal army。 Then Cyrus summoned the generals and captains of the Hellenes; and held a council of war to arrange the plan of battle。 He took this opportunity also to address the following words of compliment and encouragement to the meeting: 〃Men of Hellas;〃 he said; 〃it is certainly not from dearth of barbarians to fight my battles that I put myself at your head as my allies; but because I hold you to be better and stronger than many barbarians。 That is why I took you。 See then that you prove yourselves to be men worthy of the liberty which you possess; and which I envy you。 Libertyit is a thing which; be well assured; I would choose in preference to all my other possessions; multiplied many times。 But I would like you to know into what sort of struggle you are going: learn its nature from one who knows。 Their numbers are great; and they come on with much noise; but if you can hold out against these two things; I confess I am ashamed to think; what a sorry set of folk you will      4 find the inhabitants of this land to be。 But you are men; and brave you must be; being men: it is agreed; then if you wish to return home; any of you; I undertake to send you back; in such sort that your friends at home shall envy you; but I flatter myself I shall persuade many of you to accept what I will offer you here; in lieu of what you left at home。〃

Here Gaulites; a Samian exile; and a trusty friend of Cyrus; being present; exclaimed: 〃Ay; Cyrus; but some say you can afford to make large promises now; because you are in the crisis of impending danger; but let matters go well with you; will you recollect? They shake their heads。 Indeed; some add that; even if you did recollect; and were ever so willing; you would not be able to make good all your promises; and repay。〃 When Cyrus heard that; he answered: 〃You forget; sirs; my father's empire stretches southwards to a region where men cannot dwell by reason of the heat; and northwards to a region uninhabitable through cold; but all the intervening space is mapped out in satrapies belonging to my brother's friends: so that if the victory be ours; it will be ours also to put our friends in possession in their room。 On the whole my fear is; not that I may not have enough to give to each of my friends; but lest I may not have friends enough on whom to bestow what I have to give; and to each of you Hellenes I will give a crown of gold。〃

So they; when they heard these words; were once more elated than ever themselves; and spread the good news among the rest outside。 And there came into his presence both the generals and some of the other Hellenes also; claiming to know what they should have in the event of victory; and Cyrus satisfied the expectations of each and all; and so dismissed them。 Now the advice and admonition of all who came into conversation with him was; not to enter the battle himself; but to post himself in rear of themselves; and at this season Clearchus put a question to him: 〃But do you think that your brother will give battle   9 to you; Cyrus?〃 and Cyrus answered: 〃Not without a battle; be assured; shall the prize be won; if he be the son of Darius and Parysatis; and a brother of mine。〃

In the final arming for battle at this juncture; the numbers were as follows: Of Hellenes there were ten thousand four hundred heavy infantry with two thousand five hundred targeteers; while the barbarians with Cyrus reached a total of one hundred thousand。 He had too about twenty scythe…chariots。 The enemy's forces were reported to number one million two hundred thousand; with two hundred scythe…chariots; besides which he had six thousand cavalry under Artagerses。 These formed the immediate vanguard of the king himself。 The royal army was marshalled by four generals or field…marshals; each in command of three hundred thousand men。 Their names were Abrocomas; Tissaphernes; Gobryas; and Arbaces。 (But of this total not more than nine hundred thousand were engaged in the battle; with one hundred and fifty scythe…chariots; since Abrocomas; on his march from Phoenicia; arrived five days too late for the battle。) Such was the information brought to Cyrus by deserters who came in from the king's army before the battle; and it was corroborated after the battle by those of the enemy who were taken prisoners。

From this place Cyrus advanced one stagethree parasangswith the whole body of his troops; Hellenic a

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