the history-第16章

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These　preparations　made；　Harpagus；　being　now　ready　for　revolt；　was　anxious　to　make　known　his　wishes　to　Cyrus；　who　still　lived　in　Persia；　but　as　the　roads　between　Media　and　Persia　were　guarded；　he　had　to　contrive　a　means　of　sending　word　secretly；　which　he　did　in　the　following　way。　He　took　a　hare；　and　cutting　open　its　belly　without　hurting　the　fur；　he　slipped　in　a　letter　containing　what　he　wanted　to　say；　and　then　carefully　sewing　up　the　paunch；　he　gave　the　hare　to　one　of　his　most　faithful　slaves；　disguising　him　as　a　hunter　with　nets；　and　sent　him　off　to　Persia　to　take　the　game　as　a　present　to　Cyrus；　bidding　him　tell　Cyrus；　by　word　of　mouth；　to　paunch　the　animal　himself；　and　let　no　one　be　present　at　the　time。　　　　　All　was　done　as　he　wished；　and　Cyrus；　on　cutting　the　hare　open；　found　the　letter　inside；　and　read　as　follows：…　〃Son　of　Cambyses；　the　gods　assuredly　watch　over　thee；　or　never　wouldst　thou　have　passed　through　thy　many　wonderful　adventures…　now　is　the　time　when　thou　mayst　avenge　thyself　upon　Astyages；　thy　murderer。　He　willed　thy　death；　remember；　to　the　gods　and　to　me　thou　owest　that　thou　art　still　alive。　I　think　thou　art　not　ignorant　of　what　he　did　to　thee；　nor　of　what　I　suffered　at　his　hands　because　I　committed　thee　to　the　cowherd；　and　did　not　put　thee　to　death。　Listen　now　to　me；　and　obey　my　words；　and　all　the　empire　of　Astyages　shall　be　thine。　Raise　the　standard　of　revolt　in　Persia；　and　then　march　straight　on　Media。　Whether　Astyages　appoint　me　to　command　his　forces　against　thee；　or　whether　he　appoint　any　other　of　the　princes　of　the　Medes；　all　will　go　as　thou　couldst　wish。　They　will　be　the　first　to　fall　away　from　him；　and　joining　thy　side；　exert　themselves　to　overturn　his　power。　Be　sure　that　on　our　part　all　is　ready；　wherefore　do　thou　thy　part；　and　that　speedily。〃　　　　　Cyrus；　on　receiving　the　tidings　contained　in　this　letter；　set　himself　to　consider　how　he　might　best　persuade　the　Persians　to　revolt。　After　much　thought；　he　hit　on　the　following　as　the　most　expedient　course：　he　wrote　what　he　thought　proper　upon　a　roll；　and　then　calling　an　assembly　of　the　Persians；　he　unfolded　the　roll；　and　read　out　of　it　that　Astyages　appointed　him　their　general。　〃And　now；〃　said　he；　〃since　it　is　so；　I　command　you　to　go　and　bring　each　man　his　reaping…hook。〃　With　these　words　he　dismissed　the　assembly。　　　　　Now　the　Persian　nation　is　made　up　of　many　tribes。　Those　which　Cyrus　assembled　and　persuaded　to　revolt　from　the　Medes　were　the　principal　ones　on　which　all　the　others　are　dependent。　These　are　the　Pasargadae；　the　Maraphians；　and　the　Maspians；　of　whom　the　Pasargadae　are　the　noblest。　The　Achaemenidae；　from　which　spring　all　the　Perseid　kings；　is　one　of　their　clans。　The　rest　of　the　Persian　tribes　are　the　following：　the　Panthialaeans；　the　Derusiaeans；　the　Germanians；　who　are　engaged　in　husbandry；　the　Daans；　the　Mardians；　the　Dropicans；　and　the　Sagartians；　who　are　nomads。　　　　　When；　in　obedience　to　the　orders　which　they　had　received；　the　Persians　came　with　their　reaping…hooks；　Cyrus　led　them　to　a　tract　of　ground；　about　eighteen　or　twenty　furlongs　each　way；　covered　with　thorns；　and　ordered　them　to　clear　it　before　the　day　was　out。　They　accomplished　their　task；　upon　which　he　issued　a　second　order　to　them；　to　take　the　bath　the　day　following；　and　again　come　to　him。　Meanwhile　he　collected　together　all　his　father's　flocks；　both　sheep　and　goats；　and　all　his　oxen；　and　slaughtered　them；　and　made　ready　to　give　an　entertainment　to　the　entire　Persian　army。　Wine；　too；　and　bread　of　the　choicest　kinds　were　prepared　for　the　occasion。　When　the　morrow　came；　and　the　Persians　appeared；　he　bade　them　recline　upon　the　grass；　and　enjoy　themselves。　After　the　feast　was　over；　he　requested　them　to　tell　him　〃which　they　liked　best；　to…day's　work；　or　yesterday's？〃　They　answered　that　〃the　contrast　was　indeed　strong：　yesterday　brought　them　nothing　but　what　was　bad；　to…day　everything　that　was　good。〃　Cyrus　instantly　seized　on　their　reply；　and　laid　bare　his　purpose　in　these　words：　〃Ye　men　of　Persia；　thus　do　matters　stand　with　you。　If　you　choose　to　hearken　to　my　words；　you　may　enjoy　these　and　ten　thousand　similar　delights；　and　never　condescend　to　any　slavish　toil；　but　if　you　will　not　hearken；　prepare　yourselves　for　unnumbered　toils　as　hard　as　yesterday's。　Now　therefore　follow　my　bidding；　and　be　free。　For　myself　I　feel　that　I　am　destined　by　Providence　to　undertake　your　liberation；　and　you；　I　am　sure；　are　no　whit　inferior　to　the　Medes　in　anything；　least　of　all　in　bravery。　Revolt；　therefore；　from　Astyages；　without　a　moment's　delay。〃　　　　　The　Persians；　who　had　long　been　impatient　of　the　Median　dominion；　now　that　they　had　found　a　leader；　were　delighted　to　shake　off　the　yoke。　Meanwhile　Astyages；　informed　of　the　doings　of　Cyrus；　sent　a　messenger　to　summon　him　to　his　presence。　Cyrus　replied；　〃Tell　Astyages　that　I　shall　appear　in　his　presence　sooner　than　he　will　like。〃　Astyages；　when　he　received　this　message；　instantly　armed　all　his　subjects；　and；　as　if　God　had　deprived　him　of　his　senses；　appointed　Harpagus　to　be　their　general；　forgetting　how　greatly　he　had　injured　him。　So　when　the　two　armies　met　and　engaged；　only　a　few　of　the　Medes；　who　were　not　in　the　secret；　fought；　others　deserted　openly　to　the　Persians；　while　the　greater　number　counterfeited　fear；　and　fled。　　　　　Astyages；　on　learning　the　shameful　flight　and　dispersion　of　his　army；　broke　out　into　threats　against　Cyrus；　saying；　〃Cyrus　shall　nevertheless　have　no　reason　to　rejoice〃；　and　directly　he　seized　the　Magian　interpreters；　who　had　persuaded　him　to　allow　Cyrus　to　escape；　and　impaled　them；　after　which；　he　armed　all　the　Medes　who　had　remained　in　the　city；　both　young　and　old；　and　leading　them　against　the　Persians；　fought　a　battle；　in　which　he　was　utterly　defeated；　his　army　being　destroyed；　and　he　himself　falling　into　the　enemy's　hands。　　　　　Harpagus　then；　seeing　him　a　prisoner；　came　near；　and　exulted　over　him　with　many　jibes　and　jeers。　Among　other　cutting　speeches　which　he　made；　he　alluded　to　the　supper　where　the　flesh　of　his　son　was　given　him　to　eat；　and　asked　Astyages　to　answer　him　now；　how　he　enjoyed　being　a　slave　instead　of　a　king？　Astyages　looked　in　his　face；　and　asked　him　in　return；　why　he　claimed　as　his　own　the　achievements　of　Cyrus？　〃Because；〃　said　Harpagus；　〃it　was　my　letter　which　made　him　revolt；　and　so　I　am　entitled　to　all　the　credit　of　the　enterprise。〃　Then　Astyages　declared　that　〃in　that　case　he　was　at　once　the　silliest　and　the　most　unjust　of　men：　the　silliest；　if　when　it　was　in　his　power　to　put　the　crown　on　his　own　head；　as　it　must　assuredly　have　been；　if　the　revolt　was　entirely　his　doing；　he　had　placed　it　on　the　head　of　another；　the　most　unjust；　if　on　account　of　that　supper　he　had　brought　slavery　on　the　Medes。　For；　supposing　that　he　was　obliged　to　invest　another　with　the　kingly　power；　and　not　retain　it　himself；　yet　justice　required　that　a　Mede；　rather　than　a　Persian；　should　receive　the　dignity。　Now；　however；　the　Medes；　who　had　been　no　parties　to　the　wrong　of　which　he　complained；　were　made　slaves　instead　of　lords；　and　slaves　moreover　of　those　who　till　recently　had　been　their　subjects。〃　　　　　Thus　after　a　reign　of　thirty…five　years；　Astyages　lost　his　crown；　and　the　Medes；　in　consequence　of　his　cruelty；　were　brought　under　the　rule　of　the　Persians。　Their　empire　over　the　parts　of　Asia　beyond　the　Halys　had　lasted　one　hundred　and　twenty…eight　years；　except　during　the　time　when　the　Scythians　had　the　dominion。　Afterwards　the　Medes　repented　of　their　submission；　and　revolted　from　Darius；　but　were　defeated　in　battle；　and　again　reduced　to　subjection。　Now；　however；　in　the　time　of　Astyages；　it　was　the　Persians　who　under　Cyrus　revolted　from　the　Medes；　and　became　thenceforth　the　rulers　of　Asia。　Cyrus　kept　Astyages　at　his　court　during　the　remainder　of　his　life；　without　doing　him　any　further　injury。　Such　then　were　the　circumstances　of　the　birth　and　bringing　up　of　Cyrus；　and　such　were　the　steps　by　which　he　mounted　the　throne。　It　was　at　a　later　date　that　he　was　attacked　by　Croesus；　and　overthrew　him；　as　I　have　related　in　an　earlier　portion　of　this　history。　The　overthrow　of　Croesus　made　him　master　of　the　whole　of　Asia。　　　　　The　customs　which　I　know　the　Persians　to　observe　are　the　following：　they　have　no　images　of　the　gods；　no　temples　nor　altars；　and　consider　the　use　of　them　a　sign　of　folly。　This　comes；　I　think；　from　their　not　believing　the　gods　to　have　the　same　nature　with　men；　as　the　Greeks　imagine。　Their　wont；　however；　is　to　ascend　the　summits　of　the　loftiest　mountains；　and　there　to　offer　sacrifice　to　Jupiter；　which　is　the　name　they　give　to　the　whole　circuit　of　the　firmament。　They　likewise　offer　to　the　sun　and　moon；　to　the　earth；　to　fire；　to　water；　and　to　the　winds。　These　are　the　only　gods　whose　worship　has　come　down　to　them　from　ancient　times。　At　a　later　period　they　began　the　worship　of　Urania；　which　they　borrowed　from　the　Arabians　and　Assyrians。　Mylitta　is　the　name　by　which　the　Assyrians　know　this　goddess；　whom　the　Arabians　call　Alitta；　and　the　Persians　Mitra。　　　　　To　these　gods　the　Persians　offer　sacrifice　in　the　following　manner：　they　raise　no　altar；　light　no　fire；　pour　no　libations；　there　is　no　sound　of　the　flute；　no　putting　on　of　chaplets；　no　consecrated　barley…cake；　but　the　man　who　wishes　to　sacrifice　brings　his　victim　to　a　spot　of　ground　which　is　pure　from　pollu