the history-第13章

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ired　them　to　build　a　single　great　city；　and；　disregarding　the　petty　towns　in　which　they　had　formerly　dwelt；　make　the　new　capital　the　object　of　their　chief　attention。　The　Medes　were　again　obedient；　and　built　the　city　now　called　Agbatana；　the　walls　of　which　are　of　great　size　and　strength；　rising　in　circles　one　within　the　other。　The　plan　of　the　place　is　that　each　of　the　walls　should　out…top　the　one　beyond　it　by　the　battlements。　The　nature　of　the　ground；　which　is　a　gentle　hill；　favours　this　arrangement　in　some　degree；　but　it　was　mainly　effected　by　art。　The　number　of　the　circles　is　seven；　the　royal　palace　and　the　treasuries　standing　within　the　last。　The　circuit　of　the　outer　wall　is　very　nearly　the　same　with　that　of　Athens。　Of　this　wall　the　battlements　are　white；　of　the　next　black；　of　the　third　scarlet；　of　the　fourth　blue；　of　the　fifth　orange；　all　these　are　coloured　with　paint。　The　two　last　have　their　battlements　coated　respectively　with　silver　and　gold。　　　　　All　these　fortifications　Deioces　caused　to　be　raised　for　himself　and　his　own　palace。　The　people　were　required　to　build　their　dwellings　outside　the　circuit　of　the　walls。　When　the　town　was　finished；　he　proceeded　to　arrange　the　ceremonial。　He　allowed　no　one　to　have　direct　access　to　the　person　of　the　king；　but　made　all　communication　pass　through　the　hands　of　messengers；　and　forbade　the　king　to　be　seen　by　his　subjects。　He　also　made　it　an　offence　for　any　one　whatsoever　to　laugh　or　spit　in　the　royal　presence。　This　ceremonial；　of　which　he　was　the　first　inventor；　Deioces　established　for　his　own　security；　fearing　that　his　compeers；　who　were　brought　up　together　with　him；　and　were　of　as　good　family　as　he；　and　no　whit　inferior　to　him　in　manly　qualities；　if　they　saw　him　frequently　would　be　pained　at　the　sight；　and　would　therefore　be　likely　to　conspire　against　him；　whereas　if　they　did　not　see　him；　they　would　think　him　quite　a　different　sort　of　being　from　themselves。　　　　　After　completing　these　arrangements；　and　firmly　settling　himself　upon　the　throne；　Deioces　continued　to　administer　justice　with　the　same　strictness　as　before。　Causes　were　stated　in　writing；　and　sent　in　to　the　king；　who　passed　his　judgment　upon　the　contents；　and　transmitted　his　decisions　to　the　parties　concerned：　besides　which　he　had　spies　and　eavesdroppers　in　all　parts　of　his　dominions；　and　if　he　heard　of　any　act　of　oppression；　he　sent　for　the　guilty　party；　and　awarded　him　the　punishment　meet　for　his　offence。　　　　　Thus　Deioces　collected　the　Medes　into　a　nation；　and　ruled　over　them　alone。　Now　these　are　the　tribes　of　which　they　consist：　the　Busae；　the　Paretaceni；　the　Struchates；　the　Arizanti；　the　Budii；　and　the　Magi。　　　　　Having　reigned　three…and…fifty　years；　Deioces　was　at　his　death　succeeded　by　his　son　Phraortes。　This　prince；　not　satisfied　with　a　dominion　which　did　not　extend　beyond　the　single　nation　of　the　Medes；　began　by　attacking　the　Persians；　and　marching　an　army　into　their　country；　brought　them　under　the　Median　yoke　before　any　other　people。　After　this　success；　being　now　at　the　head　of　two　nations；　both　of　them　powerful；　he　proceeded　to　conquer　Asia；　overrunning　province　after　province。　At　last　he　engaged　in　war　with　the　Assyrians…　those　Assyrians；　I　mean；　to　whom　Nineveh　belonged；　who　were　formerly　the　lords　of　Asia。　At　present　they　stood　alone　by　the　revolt　and　desertion　of　their　allies；　yet　still　their　internal　condition　was　as　flourishing　as　ever。　Phraortes　attacked　them；　but　perished　in　the　expedition　with　the　greater　part　of　his　army；　after　having　reigned　over　the　Medes　two…and…twenty　years。　　　　　On　the　death　of　Phraortes　his　son　Cyaxares　ascended　the　throne。　Of　him　it　is　reported　that　he　was　still　more　war…like　than　any　of　his　ancestors；　and　that　he　was　the　first　who　gave　organisation　to　an　Asiatic　army；　dividing　the　troops　into　companies；　and　forming　distinct　bodies　of　the　spearmen；　the　archers；　and　the　cavalry；　who　before　his　time　had　been　mingled　in　one　mass；　and　confused　together。　He　it　was　who　fought　against　the　Lydians　on　the　occasion　when　the　day　was　changed　suddenly　into　night；　and　who　brought　under　his　dominion　the　whole　of　Asia　beyond　the　Halys。　This　prince；　collecting　together　all　the　nations　which　owned　his　sway；　marched　against　Nineveh；　resolved　to　avenge　his　father；　and　cherishing　a　hope　that　he　might　succeed　in　taking　the　town。　A　battle　was　fought；　in　which　the　Assyrians　suffered　a　defeat；　and　Cyaxares　had　already　begun　the　siege　of　the　place；　when　a　numerous　horde　of　Scyths；　under　their　king　Madyes；　son　of　Prtotohyes；　burst　into　Asia　in　pursuit　of　the　Cimmerians　whom　they　had　driven　out　of　Europe；　and　entered　the　Median　territory。　　　　　The　distance　from　the　Palus　Maeotis　to　the　river　Phasis　and　the　Colchians　is　thirty　days'　journey　for　a　lightly…equipped　traveller。　From　Colchis　to　cross　into　Media　does　not　take　long…　there　is　only　a　single　intervening　nation；　the　Saspirians；　passing　whom　you　find　yourself　in　Media。　This　however　was　not　the　road　followed　by　the　Scythians；　who　turned　out　of　the　straight　course；　and　took　the　upper　route；　which　is　much　longer；　keeping　the　Caucasus　upon　their　right。　The　Scythians；　having　thus　invaded　Media；　were　opposed　by　the　Medes；　who　gave　them　battle；　but；　being　defeated；　lost　their　empire。　The　Scythians　became　masters　of　Asia。　　　　　After　this　they　marched　forward　with　the　design　of　invading　Egypt。　When　they　had　reached　Palestine；　however；　Psammetichus　the　Egyptian　king　met　them　with　gifts　and　prayers；　and　prevailed　on　them　to　advance　no　further。　On　their　return；　passing　through　Ascalon；　a　city　of　Syria；　the　greater　part　of　them　went　their　way　without　doing　any　damage；　but　some　few　who　lagged　behind　pillaged　the　temple　of　Celestial　Venus。　I　have　inquired　and　find　that　the　temple　at　Ascalon　is　the　most　ancient　of　all　the　temples　to　this　goddess；　for　the　one　in　Cyprus；　as　the　Cyprians　themselves　admit；　was　built　in　imitation　of　it；　and　that　in　Cythera　was　erected　by　the　Phoenicians；　who　belong　to　this　part　of　Syria。　The　Scythians　who　plundered　the　temple　were　punished　by　the　goddess　with　the　female　sickness；　which　still　attaches　to　their　posterity。　They　themselves　confess　that　they　are　afflicted　with　the　disease　for　this　reason；　and　travellers　who　visit　Scythia　can　see　what　sort　of　a　disease　it　is。　Those　who　suffer　from　it　are　called　Enarees。　　　　　The　dominion　of　the　Scythians　over　Asia　lasted　eight…and…twenty　years；　during　which　time　their　insolence　and　oppression　spread　ruin　on　every　side。　For　besides　the　regular　tribute；　they　exacted　from　the　several　nations　additional　imposts；　which　they　fixed　at　pleasure；　and　further；　they　scoured　the　country　and　plundered　every　one　of　whatever　they　could。　At　length　Cyaxares　and　the　Medes　invited　the　greater　part　of　them　to　a　banquet；　and　made　them　drunk　with　wine；　after　which　they　were　all　massacred。　The　Medes　then　recovered　their　empire；　and　had　the　same　extent　of　dominion　as　before。　They　took　Nineveh…　I　will　relate　how　in　another　history…　and　conquered　all　Assyria　except　the　district　of　Babylonia。　After　this　Cyaxares　died；　having　reigned　over　the　Medes；　if　we　include　the　time　of　the　Scythian　rule；　forty　years。　　　　　Astyages；　the　son　of　Cyaxares；　succeeded　to　the　throne。　He　had　a　daughter　who　was　named　Mandane　concerning　whom　he　had　a　wonderful　dream。　He　dreamt　that　from　her　such　a　stream　of　water　flowed　forth　as　not　only　to　fill　his　capital；　but　to　flood　the　whole　of　Asia。　This　vision　he　laid　before　such　of　the　Magi　as　had　the　gift　of　interpreting　dreams；　who　expounded　its　meaning　to　him　in　full；　whereat　he　was　greatly　terrified。　On　this　account；　when　his　daughter　was　now　of　ripe　age；　he　would　not　give　her　in　marriage　to　any　of　the　Medes　who　were　of　suitable　rank；　lest　the　dream　should　be　accomplished；　but　he　married　her　to　a　Persian　of　good　family　indeed；　but　of　a　quiet　temper；　whom　he　looked　on　as　much　inferior　to　a　Mede　of　even　middle　condition。　　　　　Thus　Cambyses　（for　so　was　the　Persian　called）　wedded　Mandane；　and　took　her　to　his　home；　after　which；　in　the　very　first　year；　Astyages　saw　another　vision。　He　fancied　that　a　vine　grew　from　the　womb　of　his　daughter；　and　overshadowed　the　whole　of　Asia。　After　this　dream；　which　he　submitted　also　to　the　interpreters；　he　sent　to　Persia　and　fetched　away　Mandane；　who　was　now　with　child；　and　was　not　far　from　her　time。　On　her　arrival　he　set　a　watch　over　her；　intending　to　destroy　the　child　to　which　she　should　give　birth；　for　the　Magian　interpreters　had　expounded　the　vision　to　foreshow　that　the　offspring　of　his　daughter　would　reign　over　Asia　in　his　stead。　To　guard　against　this；　Astyages；　as　soon　as　Cyrus　was　born；　sent　for　Harpagus；　a　man　of　his　own　house　and　the　most　faithful　of　the　Medes；　to　whom　he　was　wont　to　entrust　all　his　affairs；　and　addressed　him　thus…　〃Harpagus；　I　beseech　thee　neglect　not　the　business　with　which　I　am　about　to　charge　thee；　neither　betray　thou　the　interests　of　thy　lord　for　others'　sake；　lest　thou　bring　destruction　on　thine　own　head　at　some　future　time。　Take　the　child　born　of　Mandane　my　daughter；　carry　him　with　thee　to　thy　home　and　slay　him　there。　Then　bury　him　as　thou　wilt。〃　〃Oh！　king；〃　replied　the　other；　〃never　in　time　past　did　Harpagus　disoblige　thee　in　anything；　and　be　sure　that　through　all　future　time　he　will　be　careful　in　nothing　to　offend。　If　therefore　it　be　thy　will　that　this　thing　b