the history-第14章

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yoke。　The　course　of　my　history　now　compels　me　to　inquire　who　this　Cyrus　was　by　whom　the　Lydian　empire　was　destroyed；　and　by　what　means　the　Persians　had　become　the　lords　paramount　of　Asia。　And　herein　I　shall　follow　those　Persian　authorities　whose　object　it　appears　to　be　not　to　magnify　the　exploits　of　Cyrus；　but　to　relate　the　simple　truth。　I　know　besides　three　ways　in　which　the　story　of　Cyrus　is　told；　all　differing　from　my　own　narrative。　　　　　The　Assyrians　had　held　the　Empire　of　Upper　Asia　for　the　space　of　five　hundred　and　twenty　years；　when　the　Medes　set　the　example　of　revolt　from　their　authority。　They　took　arms　for　the　recovery　of　their　freedom；　and　fought　a　battle　with　the　Assyrians；　in　which　they　behaved　with　such　gallantry　as　to　shake　off　the　yoke　of　servitude；　and　to　become　a　free　people。　Upon　their　success　the　other　nations　also　revolted　and　regained　their　independence。　　　　　Thus　the　nations　over　that　whole　extent　of　country　obtained　the　blessing　of　self…government；　but　they　fell　again　under　the　sway　of　kings；　in　the　manner　which　I　will　now　relate。　There　was　a　certain　Mede　named　Deioces；　son　of　Phraortes；　a　man　of　much　wisdom；　who　had　conceived　the　desire　of　obtaining　to　himself　the　sovereign　power。　In　furtherance　of　his　ambition；　therefore；　he　formed　and　carried　into　execution　the　following　scheme。　As　the　Medes　at　that　time　dwelt　in　scattered　villages　without　any　central　authority；　and　lawlessness　in　consequence　prevailed　throughout　the　land；　Deioces；　who　was　already　a　man　of　mark　in　his　own　village；　applied　himself　with　greater　zeal　and　earnestness　than　ever　before　to　the　practice　of　justice　among　his　fellows。　It　was　his　conviction　that　justice　and　injustice　are　engaged　in　perpetual　war　with　one　another。　He　therefore　began　his　course　of　conduct；　and　presently　the　men　of　his　village；　observing　his　integrity；　chose　him　to　be　the　arbiter　of　all　their　disputes。　Bent　on　obtaining　the　sovereign　power；　he　showed　himself　an　honest　and　an　upright　judge；　and　by　these　means　gained　such　credit　with　his　fellow…citizens　as　to　attract　the　attention　of　those　who　lived　in　the　surrounding　villages。　They　had　long　been　suffering　from　unjust　and　oppressive　judgments；　so　that；　when　they　heard　of　the　singular　uprightness　of　Deioces；　and　of　the　equity　of　his　decisions；　they　joyfully　had　recourse　to　him　in　the　various　quarrels　and　suits　that　arose；　until　at　last　they　came　to　put　confidence　in　no　one　else。　　　　　The　number　of　complaints　brought　before　him　continually　increasing；　as　people　learnt　more　and　more　the　fairness　of　his　judgments；　Deioces；　feeling　himself　now　all　important；　announced　that　he　did　not　intend　any　longer　to　hear　causes；　and　appeared　no　more　in　the　seat　in　which　he　had　been　accustomed　to　sit　and　administer　justice。　〃It　did　not　square　with　his　interests；〃　he　said；　〃to　spend　the　whole　day　in　regulating　other　men's　affairs　to　the　neglect　of　his　own。〃　Hereupon　robbery　and　lawlessness　broke　out　afresh；　and　prevailed　through　the　country　even　more　than　heretofore；　wherefore　the　Medes　assembled　from　all　quarters；　and　held　a　consultation　on　the　state　of　affairs。　The　speakers；　as　I　think；　were　chiefly　friends　of　Deioces。　〃We　cannot　possibly；〃　they　said；　〃go　on　living　in　this　country　if　things　continue　as　they　now　are；　let　us　therefore　set　a　king　over　us；　that　so　the　land　may　be　well　governed；　and　we　ourselves　may　be　able　to　attend　to　our　own　affairs；　and　not　be　forced　to　quit　our　country　on　account　of　anarchy。〃　The　assembly　was　persuaded　by　these　arguments；　and　resolved　to　appoint　a　king。　　　　　It　followed　to　determine　who　should　be　chosen　to　the　office。　When　this　debate　began　the　claims　of　Deioces　and　his　praises　were　at　once　in　every　mouth；　so　that　presently　all　agreed　that　he　should　be　king。　Upon　this　he　required　a　palace　to　be　built　for　him　suitable　to　his　rank；　and　a　guard　to　be　given　him　for　his　person。　The　Medes　complied；　and　built　him　a　strong　and　large　palace；　on　a　spot　which　he　himself　pointed　out；　and　likewise　gave　him　liberty　to　choose　himself　a　bodyguard　from　the　whole　nation。　Thus　settled　upon　the　throne；　he　further　required　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　own