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At
this time the Massagetai were ruled by a queen, named Tomyris, who
at the death of her husband, the late king, had mounted the throne.
To her Cyrus sent ambassadors, with instructions to court her on his
part, pretending that he wished to take her to wife. Tomyris, however,
aware that it was her kingdom, and not herself, that he courted, forbade
the men to approach. Cyrus, therefore, finding that he did not advance
his designs by this deceit, marched towards the Araxes, and openly
displaying his hostile intentions; set to work to construct a bridge
on which his army might cross the river, and began building towers
upon the boats which were to be used in the passage.
While the Persian
leader was occupied in these labors, Tomyris sent a herald to him,
who said, "King of the Medes, cease to press this enterprise,
for you cannot know if what you are doing will be of real advantage
to you. Be content to rule in peace your own kingdom, and bear to
see us reign over the countries that are ours to govern. As, however,
I know you will not choose to hearken to this counsel, since there
is nothing you less desirest than peace and quietness, come now,
if you are so mightily desirous of meeting the Massagetai in arms,
leave your useless toil of bridge-making; let us retire three days'
march from the river bank, and do you come across with your soldiers;
or, if you like better to give us battle on your side the stream,
retire yourself an equal distance." Cyrus, on this offer, called
together the chiefs of the Persians, and laid the matter before
them, requesting them to advise him what he should do. All the votes
were in favor of his letting Tomyris cross the stream, and giving
battle on Persian ground.
But Croesus
the Lydian, who was present at the meeting of the chiefs, disapproved
of this advice; he therefore rose, and thus delivered his sentiments
in opposition to it: "Oh! my king! I promised you long since,
that, as Zeus had given me into your hands, I would, to the best
of my power, avert impending danger from your house. Alas! my own
sufferings, by their very bitterness, have taught me to be keen-sighted
of dangers. If you deem yourself an immortal, and your army an army
of immortals, my counsel will doubtless be thrown away upon you.
But if you feel yourself to be a man, and a ruler of men, lay this
first to heart, that there is a wheel on which the affairs of men
revolve, and that its movement forbids the same man to be always
fortunate.
"Now concerning
the matter in hand, my judgment runs counter to the judgment of
your other counselors. For if you agree to give the enemy entrance
into your country, consider what risk is run! Lose the battle, and
therewith your whole kingdom is lost. For, assuredly, the Massagetai,
if they win the fight, will not return to their homes, but will
push forward against the states of your empire. Or, if you win the
battle, why, then you win far less than if you were across the stream,
where you might follow up your victory. For against your loss, if
they defeat you on your own ground, must be set theirs in like case.
Rout their army on the other side of the river, and you may push
at once into the heart of their country. Moreover, were it not disgrace
intolerable for Cyrus the son of Cambyses to retire before and yield
ground to a woman?
"My counsel,
therefore, is that we cross the stream, and pushing forward as far
as they shall fall back, then seek to get the better of them by
stratagem. I am told they are unacquainted with the good things
on which the Persians live, and have never tasted the great delights
of life. Let us then prepare a feast for them in our camp; let sheep
be slaughtered without stint, and the wine cups be filled full of
noble liquor, and let all manner of dishes be prepared: then leaving
behind us our worst troops, let us fall back towards the river.
Unless I very much mistake, when they see the good fare set out,
they will forget all else and fall to. Then it will remain for us
to do our parts manfully."
Cyrus, when
the two plans were thus placed in contrast before him, changed his
mind, and preferring the advice which Croesus had given, returned
for answer to Tomyris that she should retire, and that he would
cross the stream. She therefore retired, as she had engaged; and
Cyrus, giving Croesus into the care of his son Cambyses (whom he
had appointed to succeed him on the throne), with strict charge
to pay him all respect and treat him well, if the expedition failed
of success; and sending them both back to Persia, crossed the river
with his army.
The first night
after the passage, as he slept in the enemy's country, a vision
appeared to him. He seemed to see in his sleep the eldest of the
sons of Hystaspes, with wings upon his shoulders, shadowing with
the one wing Asia, and Europe with the other. Now Hystaspes, the
son of Arsames, was of the race of the Achaimenidai, and his eldest
son, Darius, was at that time scarce twenty years old; wherefore,
not being of age to go to the wars, he had remained behind in Persia.
When Cyrus woke from his sleep, and turned the vision over in his
mind, it seemed to him no light matter. He therefore sent for Hystaspes,
and taking him aside said, "Hystaspes, your son is discovered
to be plotting against me and my crown. I will tell you how I know
it so certainly. The gods watch over my safety, and warn me beforehand
of every danger. Now last night, as I lay in my bed, I saw in a
vision the eldest of your sons with wings upon his shoulders, shadowing
with the one wing Asia, and Europe with the other. From this it
is certain, beyond all possible doubt, that he is engaged in some
plot against me. Return you then at once to Persia, and be sure,
when I come back from conquering the Massagetai, to have your son
ready to produce before me, that I may examine him."
Thus Cyrus
spoke, in the belief that he was plotted against by Darius; but
he missed the true meaning of the dream, which was sent by God to
forewarn him, that he was to die then and there, and that his kingdom
was to fall at last to Darius. Hystaspes made answer to Cyrus in
these words: "Heaven forbid, sire, that there should be a Persian
living who would plot against you! If such an one there be, may
a speedy death overtake him! You found the Persians a race of slaves,
you have made them free men: you found them subject to others, you
have made them lords of all. If a vision has announced that my son
is practicing against you, I resign him into your hands to deal
with as you will." Hystaspes, when he had thus answered, recrossed
the Araxes and hastened back to Persia, to keep a watch on his son
Darius.
Meanwhile Cyrus,
having advanced a day's march from the river, did as Croesus had
advised him, and, leaving the worthless portion of his army in the
camp, drew off with his good troops towards the river. Soon afterwards,
a detachment of the Massagetai, one-third of their entire army,
led by Spargapises, son of the queen Tomyris, coming up, fell upon
the body which had been left behind by Cyrus, and on their resistance
put them to the sword. Then, seeing the banquet prepared, they sat
down and began to feast. When they had eaten and drunk their fill,
and were now sunk in sleep, the Persians under Cyrus arrived, slaughtered
a great multitude, and made even a larger number prisoners. Among
these last was Spargapises himself.
When Tomyris
heard what had befallen her son and her army, she sent a herald
to Cyrus, who thus addressed the conqueror: "You bloodthirsty
Cyrus, pride not yourself on this poor success: it was the grape-juice---which,
when you drink it, makes you so mad, and as you swallow it down
brings up to your lips such bold and wicked words---it was this
poison by which you ensnared my child, and so overcame him, not
in fair open fight. Now hear what I advise, and be sure I advise
you for your good. Restore my son to me and get you from the land
unharmed, triumphant over a third part of the host of the Massagetai.
Refuse, and I swear by the sun, the sovereign lord of the Massagetai,
bloodthirsty as you are, I will give you your fill of blood."
To the words
of this message Cyrus paid no manner of regard. As for Spargapises,
the son of the queen, when the wine went off, and he saw the extent
of his calamity, he made request to Cyrus to release him from his
bonds; then, when his prayer was granted, and the fetters were taken
from his limbs, as soon as his hands were free, he destroyed himself.
Tomyris, when
she found that Cyrus paid no heed to her advice, collected all the
forces of her kingdom, and gave him battle. Of all the combats in
which the barbarians have engaged among themselves, I reckon this
to have been the fiercest. The following, as I understand, was the
manner of it: First, the two armies stood apart and shot their arrows
at each other; then, when their quivers were empty, they closed
and fought hand-to-hand with lances and daggers; and thus they continued
fighting for a length of time, neither choosing to give ground.
At length the Massagetai prevailed. The greater part of the army
of the Persians was destroyed and Cyrus himself fell, after reigning
nine and twenty years. Search was made among the slain by order
of the queen for the body of Cyrus, and when it was found she took
a skin, and, filling it full of human blood, she dipped the head
of Cyrus in the gore, saying, as she thus insulted the corpse, "I
live and have conquered you in fight, and yet by you am I ruined,
for you took my son with guile; but thus I make good my threat,
and give you your fill of blood." Of the many different accounts
which are given of the death of Cyrus, this which I have followed
appears to me most worthy of credit.
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