the history-第61章

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can　leave　their　graves；　expect　Astyages　the　Mede　to　rise　and　fight　against　thee；　but　if　the　course　of　nature　be　the　same　as　formerly；　then　be　sure　no　ill　will　ever　come　upon　thee　from　this　quarter。　Now；　therefore；　my　counsel　is　that　we　send　in　pursuit　of　the　herald；　and　strictly　question　him　who　it　was　that　charged　him　to　bid　us　obey　king　Smerdis。〃　　　　　When　Prexaspes　had　so　spoken；　and　Cambyses　had　approved　his　words；　the　herald　was　forthwith　pursued；　and　brought　back　to　the　king。　Then　Prexaspes　said　to　him；　〃Sirrah；　thou　bear'st　us　a　message；　sayst　thou；　from　Smerdis；　son　of　Cyrus。　Now　answer　truly；　and　go　thy　way　scathless。　Did　Smerdis　have　thee　to　his　presence　and　give　thee　thy　orders；　or　hadst　thou　them　from　one　of　his　officers？〃　The　herald　answered；　〃Truly　I　have　not　set　eyes　on　Smerdis　son　of　Cyrus；　since　the　day　when　king　Cambyses　led　the　Persians　into　Egypt。　The　man　who　gave　me　my　orders　was　the　Magus　that　Cambyses　left　in　charge　of　the　household；　but　he　said　that　Smerdis　son　of　Cyrus　sent　you　the　message。〃　In　all　this　the　herald　spoke　nothing　but　the　strict　truth。　Then　Cambyses　said　thus　to　Prexaspes：…　〃Thou　art　free　from　all　blame；　Prexaspes；　since；　as　a　right　good　man；　thou　hast　not　failed　to　do　the　thing　which　I　commanded。　But　tell　me　now；　which　of　the　Persians　can　have　taken　the　name　of　Smerdis；　and　revolted　from　me？〃　〃I　think；　my　liege；〃　he　answered；　〃that　I　apprehend　the　whole　business。　The　men　who　have　risen　in　revolt　against　thee　are　the　two　Magi；　Patizeithes；　who　was　left　comptroller　of　thy　household；　and　his　brother；　who　is　named　Smerdis。〃　　　　　Cambyses　no　sooner　heard　the　name　of　Smerdis　than　he　was　struck　with　the　truth　of　Prexaspes'　words；　and　the　fulfilment　of　his　own　dream…　the　dream；　I　mean；　which　he　had　in　former　days；　when　one　appeared　to　him　in　his　sleep　and　told　him　that　Smerdis　sate　upon　the　royal　throne；　and　with　his　head　touched　the　heavens。　So　when　he　saw　that　he　had　needlessly　slain　his　brother　Smerdis；　he　wept　and　bewailed　his　loss：　after　which；　smarting　with　vexation　as　he　thought　of　all　his　ill　luck；　he　sprang　hastily　upon　his　steed；　meaning　to　march　his　army　with　all　haste　to　Susa　against　the　Magus。　As　he　made　his　spring；　the　button　of　his　sword…sheath　fell　off；　and　the　bared　point　entered　his　thigh；　wounding　him　exactly　where　he　had　himself　once　wounded　the　Egyptian　god　Apis。　Then　Cambyses；　feeling　that　he　had　got　his　death…wound；　inquired　the　name　of　the　place　where　he　was；　and　was　answered；　〃Agbatana。〃　Now　before　this　it　had　been　told　him　by　the　oracle　at　Buto　that　he　should　end　his　days　at　Agbatana。　He；　however；　had　understood　the　Median　Agbatana；　where　all　his　treasures　were；　and　had　thought　that　he　should　die　there　in　a　good　old　age；　but　the　oracle　meant　Agbatana　in　Syria。　So　when　Cambyses　heard　the　name　of　the　place；　the　double　shock　that　he　had　received；　from　the　revolt　of　the　Magus　and　from　his　wound；　brought　him　back　to　his　senses。　And　he　understood　now　the　true　meaning　of　the　oracle；　and　said；　〃Here　then　Cambyses；　son　of　Cyrus；　is　doomed　to　die。〃　　　　　At　this　time　he　said　no　more；　but　twenty　days　afterwards　he　called　to　his　presence　all　the　chief　Persians　who　were　with　the　army；　and　addressed　them　as　follows：…　〃Persians；　needs　must　I　tell　you　now　what　hitherto　I　have　striven　with　the　greatest　care　to　keep　concealed。　When　I　was　in　Egypt　I　saw　in　my　sleep　a　vision；　which　would　that　I　had　never　beheld！　I　thought　a　messenger　came　to　me　from　my　home；　and　told　me　that　Smerdis　sate　upon　the　royal　throne；　and　with　his　head　touched　the　heavens。　Then　I　feared　to　be　cast　from　my　throne　by　Smerdis　my　brother；　and　I　did　what　was　more　hasty　than　wise。　Ah！　truly；　do　what　they　may；　it　is　impossible　for　men　to　turn　aside　the　coming　fate。　I；　in　my　folly；　sent　Prexaspes　to　Susa　to　put　my　brother　to　death。　So　this　great　woe　was　accomplished；　and　I　then　lived　without　fear；　never　imagining　that；　after　Smerdis　was　dead；　I　need　dread　revolt　from　any　other。　But　herein　I　had　quite　mistaken　what　was　about　to　happen；　and　so　I　slew　my　brother　without　any　need；　and　nevertheless　have　lost　my　crown。　For　it　was　Smerdis　the　Magus；　and　not　Smerdis　my　brother；　of　whose　rebellion　God　forewarned　me　by　the　vision。　The　deed　is　done；　however；　and　Smerdis；　son　of　Cyrus；　be　sure　is　lost　to　you。　The　Magi　have　the　royal　power…　Patizeithes；　whom　I　left　at　Susa　to　overlook　my　household；　and　Smerdis　his　brother。　There　was　one　who　would　have　been　bound　beyond　all　others　to　avenge　the　wrongs　I　have　suffered　from　these　Magians；　but　he；　alas！　has　perished　by　a　horrid　fate；　deprived　of　life　by　those　nearest　and　dearest　to　him。　In　his　default；　nothing　now　remains　for　me　but　to　tell　you；　O　Persians；　what　I　would　wish　to　have　done　after　I　have　breathed　my　last。　Therefore；　in　the　name　of　the　gods　that　watch　over　our　royal　house；　I　charge　you　all；　and　specially　such　of　you　as　are　Achaemenids；　that　ye　do　not　tamely　allow　the　kingdom　to　go　back　to　the　Medes。　Recover　it　one　way　or　another；　by　force　or　fraud；　by　fraud；　if　it　is　by　fraud　that　they　have　seized　on　it；　by　force；　if　force　has　helped　them　in　their　enterprise。　Do　this；　and　then　may　your　land　bring　you　forth　fruit　abundantly；　and　your　wives　bear　children；　and　your　herds　increase；　and　freedom　be　your　portion　for　ever：　but　do　it　not…　make　no　brave　struggle　to　regain　the　kingdom…　and　then　my　curse　be　on　you；　and　may　the　opposite　of　all　these　things　happen　to　you…　and　not　only　so；　but　may　you；　one　and　all；　perish　at　the　last　by　such　a　fate　as　mine！〃　Then　Cambyses；　when　he　left　speaking；　bewailed　his　whole　misfortune　from　beginning　to　end。　　　　　Whereupon　the　Persians；　seeing　their　king　weep；　rent　the　garments　that　they　had　on；　and　uttered　lamentable　cries；　after　which；　as　the　bone　presently　grew　carious；　and　the　limb　gangrened；　Cambyses；　son　of　Cyrus；　died。　He　had　reigned　in　all　seven　years　and　five　months；　and　left　no　issue　behind　him；　male　or　female。　The　Persians　who　had　heard　his　words；　put　no　faith　in　anything　that　he　said　concerning　the　Magi　having　the　royal　power；　but　believed　that　he　spoke　out　of　hatred　towards　Smerdis；　and　had　invented　the　tale　of　his　death　to　cause　the　whole　Persian　race　to　rise　up　in　arms　against　him。　Thus　they　were　convinced　that　it　was　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus　who　had　rebelled　and　now　sate　on　the　throne。　For　Prexaspes　stoutly　denied　that　he　had　slain　Smerdis；　since　it　was　not　safe　for　him；　after　Cambyses　was　dead；　to　allow　that　a　son　of　Cyrus　had　met　with　death　at　his　hands。　　　　　Thus　then　Cambyses　died；　and　the　Magus　now　reigned　in　security；　and　passed　himself　off　for　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus。　And　so　went　by　the　seven　months　which　were　wanting　to　complete　the　eighth　year　of　Cambyses。　His　subjects；　while　his　reign　lasted；　received　great　benefits　from　him；　insomuch　that；　when　he　died；　all　the　dwellers　in　Asia　mourned　his　loss　exceedingly；　except　only　the　Persians。　For　no　sooner　did　he　come　to　the　throne　than　forthwith　he　sent　round　to　every　nation　under　his　rule；　and　granted　them　freedom　from　war…service　and　from　taxes　for　the　space　of　three　years。　　　　　In　the　eighth　month；　however；　it　was　discovered　who　he　was　in　the　mode　following。　There　was　a　man　called　Otanes；　the　son　of　Pharnaspes；　who　for　rank　and　wealth　was　equal　to　the　greatest　of　the　Persians。　This　Otanes　was　the　first　to　suspect　that　the　Magus　was　not　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus；　and　to　surmise　moreover　who　he　really　was。　He　was　led　to　guess　the　truth　by　the　king　never　quitting　the　citadel；　and　never　calling　before　him　any　of　the　Persian　noblemen。　As　soon；　therefore；　as　his　suspicions　were　aroused　he　adopted　the　following　measures：…　One　of　his　daughters；　who　was　called　Phaedima；　had　been　married　to　Cambyses；　and　was　taken　to　wife；　together　with　the　rest　of　Cambyses'　wives；　by　the　Magus。　To　this　daughter　Otanes　sent　a　message；　and　inquired　of　her　〃who　it　was　whose　bed　she　shared；…　was　it　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus；　or　was　it　some　other　man？〃　Phaedima　in　reply　declared　she　did　not　know…　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus　she　had　never　seen；　and　so　she　could　not　tell　whose　bed　she　shared。　Upon　this　Otanes　sent　a　second　time；　and　said；　〃If　thou　dost　not　know　Smerdis　son　of　Cyrus　thyself；　ask　queen　Atossa　who　it　is　with　whom　ye　both　live…　she　cannot　fail　to　know　her　own　brother。〃　To　this　the　daughter　made　answer；　〃I　can　neither　ge