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；　but　the　man　who　wishes　to　sacrifice　brings　his　victim　to　a　spot　of　ground　which　is　pure　from　pollution；　and　there　calls　upon　the　name　of　the　god　to　whom　he　intends　to　offer。　It　is　usual　to　have　the　turban　encircled　with　a　wreath；　most　commonly　of　myrtle。　The　sacrificer　is　not　allowed　to　pray　for　blessings　on　himself　alone；　but　he　prays　for　the　welfare　of　the　king；　and　of　the　whole　Persian　people；　among　whom　he　is　of　necessity　included。　He　cuts　the　victim　in　pieces；　and　having　boiled　the　flesh；　he　lays　it　out　upon　the　tenderest　herbage　that　he　can　find；　trefoil　especially。　When　all　is　ready；　one　of　the　Magi　comes　forward　and　chants　a　hymn；　which　they　say　recounts　the　origin　of　the　gods。　It　is　not　lawful　to　offer　sacrifice　unless　there　is　a　Magus　present。　After　waiting　a　short　time　the　sacrificer　carries　the　flesh　of　the　victim　away　with　him；　and　makes　whatever　use　of　it　he　may　please。　　　　　Of　all　the　days　in　the　year；　the　one　which　they　celebrate　most　is　their　birthday。　It　is　customary　to　have　the　board　furnished　on　that　day　with　an　ampler　supply　than　common。　The　richer　Persians　cause　an　ox；　a　horse；　a　camel；　and　an　ass　to　be　baked　whole　and　so　served　up　to　them：　the　poorer　classes　use　instead　the　smaller　kinds　of　cattle。　They　eat　little　solid　food　but　abundance　of　dessert；　which　is　set　on　table　a　few　dishes　at　a　time；　this　it　is　which　makes　them　say　that　〃the　Greeks；　when　they　eat；　leave　off　hungry；　having　nothing　worth　mention　served　up　to　them　after　the　meats；　whereas；　if　they　had　more　put　before　them；　they　would　not　stop　eating。〃　They　are　very　fond　of　wine；　and　drink　it　in　large　quantities。　To　vomit　or　obey　natural　calls　in　the　presence　of　another　is　forbidden　among　them。　Such　are　their　customs　in　these　matters。　　　　　It　is　also　their　general　practice　to　deliberate　upon　affairs　of　weight　when　they　are　drunk；　and　then　on　the　morrow；　when　they　are　sober；　the　decision　to　which　they　came　the　night　before　is　put　before　them　by　the　master　of　the　house　in　which　it　was　made；　and　if　it　is　then　approved　of；　they　act　on　it；　if　not；　they　set　it　aside。　Sometimes；　however；　they　are　sober　at　their　first　deliberation；　but　in　this　case　they　always　reconsider　the　matter　under　the　influence　of　wine。　　　　　When　they　meet　each　other　in　the　streets；　you　may　know　if　the　persons　meeting　are　of　equal　rank　by　the　following　token：　if　they　are；　instead　of　speaking；　they　kiss　each　other　on　the　lips。　In　the　case　where　one　is　a　little　inferior　to　the　other；　the　kiss　is　given　on　the　cheek；　where　the　difference　of　rank　is　great；　the　inferior　prostrates　himself　upon　the　ground。　Of　nations；　they　honour　most　their　nearest　neighbours；　whom　they　esteem　next　to　themselves；　those　who　live　beyond　these　they　honour　in　the　second　degree；　and　so　with　the　remainder；　the　further　they　are　removed；　the　less　the　esteem　in　which　they　hold　them。　The　reason　is　that　they　look　upon　themselves　as　very　greatly　superior　in　all　respects　to　the　rest　of　mankind；　regarding　others　as　approaching　to　excellence　in　proportion　as　they　dwell　nearer　to　them；　whence　it　comes　to　pass　that　those　who　are　the　farthest　off　must　be　the　most　degraded　of　mankind。　Under　the　dominion　of　the　Medes；　the　several　nations　of　the　empire　exercised　authority　over　each　other　in　this　order。　The　Medes　were　lords　over　all；　and　governed　the　nations　upon　their　borders；　who　in　their　turn　governed　the　States　beyond；　who　likewise　bore　rule　over　the　nations　which　adjoined　on　them。　And　this　is　the　order　which　the　Persians　also　follow　in　their　distribution　of　honour；　for　that　people；　like　the　Medes；　has　a　progressive　scale　of　administration　and　government。　　　　　There　is　no　nation　which　so　readily　adopts　foreign　customs　as　the　Persians。　Thus；　they　have　taken　the　dress　of　the　Medes；　considering　it　superior　to　their　own；　and　in　war　they　wear　the　Egyptian　breastplate。　As　soon　as　they　hear　of　any　luxury；　they　instantly　make　it　their　own：　and　hence；　among　other　novelties；　they　have　learnt　unnatural　lust　from　the　Greeks。　Each　of　them　has　several　wives；　and　a　still　larger　number　of　concubines。　　　　　Next　to　prowess　in　arms；　it　is　regarded　as　the　greatest　proof　of　manly　excellence　to　be　the　father　of　many　sons。　Every　year　the　king　sends　rich　gifts　to　the　man　who　can　show　the　largest　number：　for　they　hold　that　number　is　strength。　Their　sons　are　carefully　instructed　from　their　fifth　to　their　twentieth　year；　in　three　things　alone；…　to　ride；　to　draw　the　bow；　and　to　speak　the　truth。　Until　their　fifth　year　they　are　not　allowed　to　come　into　the　sight　of　their　father；　but　pass　their　lives　with　the　women。　This　is　done　that；　if　the　child　die　young；　the　father　may　not　be　afflicted　by　its　loss。　　　　　To　my　mind　it　is　a　wise　rule；　as　also　is　the　following…　that　the　king　shall　not　put　any　one　to　death　for　a　single　fault；　and　that　none　of　the　Persians　shall　visit　a　single　fault　in　a　slave　with　any　extreme　penalty；　but　in　every　case　the　services　of　the　offender　shall　be　set　against　his　misdoings；　and；　if　the　latter　be　found　to　outweigh　the　former；　the　aggrieved　party　shall　then　proceed　to　punishment。　　　　　The　Persians　maintain　that　never　yet　did　any　one　kill　his　own　father　or　mother；　but　in　all　such　cases　they　are　quite　sure　that；　if　matters　were　sifted　to　the　bottom；　it　would　be　found　that　the　child　was　either　a　changeling　or　else　the　fruit　of　adultery；　for　it　is　not　likely；　they　say；　that　the　real　father　should　perish　by　the　hands　of　his　child。　　　　　They　hold　it　unlawful　to　talk　of　anything　which　it　is　unlawful　to　do。　The　most　disgraceful　thing　in　the　world；　they　think；　is　to　tell　a　lie；　the　next　worst；　to　owe　a　debt：　because；　among　other　reasons；　the　debtor　is　obliged　to　tell　lies。　If　a　Persian　has　the　leprosy　he　is　not　allowed　to　enter　into　a　city；　or　to　have　any　dealings　with　the　other　Persians；　he　must；　they　say；　have　sinned　against　the　sun。　Foreigners　attacked　by　this　disorder；　are　forced　to　leave　the　country：　even　white　pigeons　are　often　driven　away；　as　guilty　of　the　same　offence。　They　never　defile　a　river　with　the　secretions　of　their　bodies；　nor　even　wash　their　hands　in　one；　nor　will　they　allow　others　to　do　so；　as　they　have　a　great　reverence　for　rivers。　There　is　another　peculiarity；　which　the　Persians　themselves　have　never　noticed；　but　which　has　not　escaped　my　observation。　Their　names；　which　are　expressive　of　some　bodily　or　mental　excellence；　all　end　with　the　same　letter…　the　letter　which　is　called　San　by　the　Dorians；　and　Sigma　by　the　Ionians。　Any　one　who　examines　will　find　that　the　Persian　names；　one　and　all　without　exception；　end　with　this　letter。　　　　　Thus　much　I　can　declare　of　the　Persians　with　entire　certainty；　from　my　own　actual　knowledge。　There　is　another　custom　which　is　spoken　of　with　reserve；　and　not　openly；　concerning　their　dead。　It　is　said　that　the　body　of　a　male　Persian　is　never　buried；　until　it　has　been　torn　either　by　a　dog　or　a　bird　of　prey。　That　the　Magi　have　this　custom　is　beyond　a　doubt；　for　they　practise　it　without　any　concealment。　The　dead　bodies　are　covered　with　wax；　and　then　buried　in　the　ground。　　　　　The　Magi　are　a　very　peculiar　race；　different　entirely　from　the　Egyptian　priests；　and　indeed　from　all　other　men　whatsoever。　The　Egyptian　priests　make　it　a　point　of　religion　not　to　kill　any　live　animals　except　those　which　they　offer　in　sacrifice。　The　Magi；　on　the　contrary；　kill　animals　of　all　kinds　with　their　own　hands；　excepting　dogs　and　men。　They　even　seem　to　take　a　delight　in　the　employment；　and　kill；　as　readily　as　they　do　other　animals；　ants　and　snakes；　and　such　like　flying　or　creeping　things。　However；　since　this　has　always　been　their　custom；　let　them　keep　to　it。　I　return　to　my　former　narrative。　　　　　Immediately　after　the　conquest　of　Lydia　by　the　Persians；　the　Ionian　and　Aeolian　Greeks　sent　ambassadors　to　Cyrus　at　Sardis；　and　prayed　to　become　his　lieges　on　the　footing　which　they　had　occupied　under　Croesus。　Cyrus　listened　attentively　to　their　proposals；　and　answered　them　by　a　fable。　〃There　was　a　certain　piper；〃　he　said；　〃who　was　walking　one　day　by　the　seaside；　when　he　espied　some　fish；　so　he　began　to　pipe　to　them；　imagining　they　would　come　out　to　him　upon　the　land。　But　as　he　found　at　last　that　his　hope　was　vain；　he　took　a　net；　and　enclosing　a　great　draught　of　fishes；　drew　them　ashore。　The　fish　then　began　to　leap　and　dance；　but　the　piper　said；　'Cease　your　dancing　now；　as　you　did　not　choose　to　come　and　dance　when　I　piped　to　you。'〃　Cyrus　gave　this　answer　to　the　Ionians　and　Aeolians；　because；　when　he　urged　them　by　his　messengers　to　revolt　from　Croesus；　they　refused；　but　now；　when　his　work　was　done；　they　came　to　offer　their　allegiance。　It　was　in　anger；　therefore；　that　he　made　them　this　reply。　The　Ionians；　on　hearing　it；　set　to　work　to　fortify　their　towns；　and　held　meetings　at　the　Panionium；　which　were　attended　by　all　excepting　the　Milesians；　with　whom　Cyrus　had　concluded　a　separate　treaty；　by　which　he　allowed　them　the　terms　they　had　formerly　obtained　from　Croesus。　The　other　Ionians　resolved；　with　one　accord；　to　send　ambassadors　to　Sparta　to　implore　assistance。　　　　　Now　the　Ionians　of　Asia；　who　meet　at　the　Panionium；　have　built　their　cities　in　a　region　where　the　air　and　climate　are　the　most　beautiful　in　the　whole　world：　for　no　other　region　is　equally　blessed　with　Ionia；　neither　above　it　nor　below　it；　nor　east　nor　west　of　it。　For　in　other　countries　e