CYROPAEDIA THE EDUCATION OF CYRUS
by XENOPHON -Part Seven
[15] And when Cyrus heard what Pantheia had
done he rushed out in horror to see if he
could save her. And when the three chamberlains
saw what had happened they drew their own
scimitars and killed themselves, there where
she had bidden them stand. [16, 17] And when
Cyrus came to that place of sorrow, he looked
with wonder and reverence on the woman, and
wept for her and went his way and saw that
all due honour was paid to those who lay
there dead, and a mighty sepulchre was raised
above them, mightier, men say, than had been
seen in all the world before.
[C. 4] After this the Carians, who were always
at war and strife with one another, because
their dwellings were fortified, sent to Cyrus
and asked for aid. Cyrus himself was unwilling
to leave Sardis, where he was having engines
of artillery made and battering-rams to overthrow
the walls of those who would not listen to
him. But he sent Adousius, a Persian, in
his place, a man of sound judgment and a
stout soldier and withal a person of winning
presence. He gave him an army; and the Cilicians
and Cypriotes were very ready to serve under
him. [2] That was why Cyrus never sent a
Persian satrap to govern either Cilicia or
Cyprus; he was always satisfied with the
native kings; only he exacted tribute and
levied troops whenever he needed them.
[3] So Adousius took his army and marched
into Caria, where he was met by the men of
both parties, ready to receive him inside
their walls to the detriment of their opponents.
Adousius treated each in exactly the same
way, he told whichever side was pleading
that he thought their case was just, but
it was essential that the others should not
realise he was their friend, "for thus,
you perceive, I will take them unprepared
whenever I attack."
He insisted they should give him pledges
of good faith, and the Carians had to swear
they would receive him without fraud or guile
within their walls and for the welfare of
Cyrus and the Persians; and on his side he
was willing to swear that he would enter
without fraud or guile himself and for the
welfare of those who received him. [4] Having
imposed these terms on either party without
the knowledge of the other, he fixed on the
same night with both, entered the walls,
and had the strongholds of both parties in
his hands. At break of day he took his place
in the midst with his army, and sent for
the leading men on either side. Thus confronted
with each other they were more than a little
vexed, and both imagined they had been cheated.
[5] However, Adousius began:
"Gentlemen, I took an oath to you that
I would enter your walls without fraud or
guile and for the welfare of those who received
me. Now if I am forced to destroy either
of you, I am persuaded I shall have entered
to the detriment of the Carians. But if I
give you peace, so that you can till your
lands in safety, I imagine I shall have come
for your welfare. Therefore from this day
forwards you must meet on friendly terms,
cultivate your fields without fear, give
your children to each other, and if any one
offends against these laws, Cyrus and ourselves
will be his enemies."
[6] At that the city gates were flung wide
open, the roads were filled with folk hurrying
to one another, the fields were thronged
with labourers. They held high festival together,
and the land was full of peace and joyfulness.
[7] Meanwhile messengers came from Cyrus
inquiring whether there was need for more
troops or siege-engines, but Adousius answered,
on the contrary his present force was at
Cyrus' service to employ elsewhere if he
wished, and so drew off his army, only leaving
a garrison in the citadels. Thereupon the
Carians implored him to remain, and when
he would not, they sent to Cyrus begging
him to make Adousius their satrap.
[8] Meanwhile Cyrus had sent Hystaspas with
an army into Phrygia on the Hellespont, and
when Adousius came back he bade him follow,
for the Phrygians would be more willing to
obey Hystaspas if they heard that another
army was advancing.
[9] Now the Hellenes on the seaboard offered
many gifts and bargained not to receive the
Asiatics within their walls, but only to
pay tribute and serve wherever Cyrus commanded.
[10] But the king of Phrygia made preparations
to hold his fortresses and not yield, and
sent out orders to that effect. However,
when his lieutenants deserted him and he
found himself all alone, he had to put himself
in the hands of Hystaspas, and leave his
fate to the judgment of Cyrus. Then Hystaspas
stationed strong Persian garrisons in all
the citadels, and departed, taking with him
not only his own troops but many mounted
men and targeteers from Phrygia. [11] And
Cyrus sent word to Adousius to join Hystaspas,
put himself at the head of those who had
submitted and allow them to retain their
arms, while those who showed a disposition
to resist were to be deprived of their horses
and their weapons and made to follow the
army as slingers.
[12] While his lieutenants were thus employed,
Cyrus set out from Sardis, leaving a large
force of infantry to garrison the place,
and taking Croesus with him, and a long train
of waggons laden with riches of every kind.
Croesus presented an accurate inventory of
everything in each waggon, and said, as he
delivered the scrolls:
"With these in your possession, Cyrus,
you can tell whether your officers are handing
over their freights in full or not."
[13] And Cyrus answered:
"It was kindly done, Croesus, on your
part, to take thought for this: but I have
arranged that the freights should be in charge
of those who are entitled to them, so that
if the men steal, they steal their own property."
With these words he handed the documents
to his friends and officers to serve as checks
on their own stewards.
[14] Cyrus also took Lydians in his train;
allowing some to carry arms, those, namely,
who were at pains to keep their weapons in
good order, and their horses and chariots,
and who did their best to please him, but
if they gave themselves ungracious airs,
he took away their horses and bestowed them
on the Persians who had served him from the
beginning of the campaign, burnt their weapons,
and forced them to follow the army as slingers.
[15] Indeed, as a rule, he compelled all
the subject population who had been disarmed
to practise the use of the sling: it was,
he considered, a weapon for slaves. No doubt
there are occasions when a body of slingers,
working with other detachments, can do excellent
service, but, taken alone, not all the slingers
in the world could face a mere handful armed
with steel.
[16] Cyrus was marching to Babylon, but on
his way he subdued the Phrygians of Greater
Phrygia and the Cappadocians, and reduced
the Arabians to subjection. These successes
enabled him to increase his Persian cavalry
till it was not far short of forty thousand
men, and he had still horses left over to
distribute among his allies at large.
At length he came before Babylon with an
immense body of cavalry, archers, and javelin-men,
beside slingers innumerable.
[C. 5] When Cyrus reached the city he surrounded
it entirely with his forces, and then rode
round the walls himself, attended by his
friends and the leading officers of the allies.
[2] Having surveyed the fortifications, he
prepared to lead off his troops, and at that
moment a deserter came to inform him that
the Assyrians intended to attack as soon
as he began to withdraw, for they had inspected
his forces from the walls and considered
them very weak. This was not surprising,
for the circuit of the city was so enormous
that it was impossible to surround it without
seriously thinning the lines. [3] When Cyrus
heard of their intention, he took up his
post in the centre of his troops with his
own staff round him and sent orders to the
infantry for the wings to double back on
either side, marching past the stationary
centre of the line, until they met in the
rear exactly opposite himself. [4] Thus the
men in front were immediately encouraged
by the doubling of their depth, and those
who retired were equally cheered, for they
saw that the others would encounter the enemy
first. The two wings being united, the power
of the whole force was strengthened, those
behind being protected by those in front
and those in front supported by those behind.
[5] When the phalanx was thus folded back
on itself, both the front and the rear ranks
were formed of picked men, a disposition
that seemed calculated to encourage valour
and check flight. On the flanks, the cavalry
and the light infantry were drawn nearer
and nearer to the commander as the line contracted.
[6] When the whole phalanx was in close order,
they fell back from the walls, slowly, facing
the foe, until they were out of range; then
they turned, marched a few paces, and then
wheeled round again to the left, and halted,
facing the walls, but the further they got
the less often they paused, until, feeling
themselves secure, they quickened their pace
and went off in an uninterrupted march until
they reached their quarters.
[7] When they were encamped, Cyrus called
a council of his officers and said, "My
friends and allies, we have surveyed the
city on every side, and for my part I fail
to see any possibility of taking by assault
walls so lofty and so strong: on the other
hand, the greater the population the more
quickly must they yield to hunger, unless
they come out to fight. If none of you have
any other scheme to suggest, I propose that
we reduce them by blockade."
[8] Then Chrysantas spoke:
"Does not the river flow through the
middle of the city, and it is not at least
a quarter of a mile in width?"
"To be sure it is," answered Gobryas,
"and so deep that the water would cover
two men, one standing on the other's shoulders;
in fact the city is even better protected
by its river than by its walls."
[9] At which Cyrus said, "Well, Chrysantas,
we must forego what is beyond our power:
but let us measure off at once the work for
each of us, set to, and dig a trench as wide
and as deep as we can, that we may need as
few guards as possible."
[10] Thereupon Cyrus took his measurements
all round the city, and, leaving a space
on either bank of the river large enough
for a lofty tower, he had a gigantic trench
dug from end to end of the wall, his men
heaping up the earth on their own side. [11]
Then he set to work to build his towers by
the river. The foundations were of palm-trees,
a hundred feet long and more--the palm-tree
grows to a greater height than that, and
under pressure it will curve upwards like
the spine of an ass beneath a load. [12]
He laid these foundations in order to give
the impression that he meant to besiege the
town, and was taking precautions so that
the river, even if it found its way into
his trench, should not carry off his towers.
Then he had other towers built along the
mound, so as to have as many guard-posts
as possible. [13] Thus his army was employed,
but the men within the walls laughed at his
preparations, knowing they had supplies to
last them more than twenty years. When Cyrus
heard that, he divided his army into twelve,
each division to keep guard for one month
in the year. [14] At this the Babylonians
laughed louder still, greatly pleased at
the idea of being guarded by Phrygians and
Lydians and Arabians and Cappadocians, all
of whom, they thought, would be more friendly
to themselves than to the Persians.
[15] However by this time the trenches were
dug. And Cyrus heard that it was a time of
high festival in Babylon when the citizens
drink and make merry the whole night long.
As soon as the darkness fell, he set his
men to work. [16] The mouths of the trenches
were opened, and during the night the water
poured in, so that the river-bed formed a
highway into the heart of the town.
[17] When the great stream had taken to its
new channel, Cyrus ordered his Persian officers
to bring up their thousands, horse and foot
alike, each detachment drawn up two deep,
the allies to follow in their old order.
[18] They lined up immediately, and Cyrus
made his own bodyguard descend into the dry
channel first, to see if the bottom was firm
enough for marching. [19] When they said
it was, he called a council of all his generals
and spoke as follows:
[20] "My friends, the river has stepped
aside for us; he offers us a passage by his
own high-road into Babylon. We must take
heart and enter fearlessly, remembering that
those against whom we are to march this night
are the very men we have conquered before,
and that too when they had their allies to
help them, when they were awake, alert, and
sober, armed to the teeth, and in their battle
order. [21] To-night we go against them when
some are asleep and some are drunk, and all
are unprepared: and when they learn that
we are within the walls, sheer astonishment
will make them still more helpless than before.
[22] If any of you are troubled by the thought
of volleys from the roofs when the army enters
the city, I bid you lay these fears aside:
if our enemies do climb their roofs we have
a god to help us, the god of Fire. Their
porches are easily set aflame, for the doors
are made of palm-wood and varnished with
bitumen, the very food of fire. [23] And
we shall come with the pine-torch to kindle
it, and with pitch and tow to feed it. They
will be forced to flee from their homes or
be burnt to death. [24] Come, take your swords
in your hand: God helping me, I will lead
you on. Do you," he said, turning to
Gadatas and Gobryas, "show us the streets,
you know them; and once we are inside, lead
us straight to the palace."
[25] "So we will," said Gobryas
and his men, "and it would not surprise
us to find the palace-gates unbarred, for
this night the whole city is given over to
revelry. Still, we are sure to find a guard,
for one is always stationed there."
"Then," said Cyrus, "there
is no time for lingering; we must be off
at once and take them unprepared."
[26] Thereupon they entered: and of those
they met some were struck down and slain,
and others fled into their houses, and some
raised the hue and cry, but Gobryas and his
friends covered the cry with their shouts,
as though they were revellers themselves.
And thus, making their way by the quickest
route, they soon found themselves before
the king's palace. [27] Here the detachment
under Gobryas and Gadatas found the gates
closed, but the men appointed to attack the
guards rushed on them as they lay drinking
round a blazing fire, and closed with them
then and there. [28] As the din grew louder
and louder, those within became aware of
the tumult, till, the king bidding them see
what it meant, some of them opened the gates
and ran out. [29] Gadatas and his men, seeing
the gates swing wide, darted in, hard on
the heels of the others who fled back again,
and they chased them at the sword's point
into the presence of the king.
[30] They found him on his feet, with his
drawn scimitar in his hand. By sheer weight
of numbers they overwhelmed him: and not
one of his retinue escaped, they were all
cut down, some flying, others snatching up
anything to serve as a shield and defending
themselves as best they could. [31] Cyrus
sent squadrons of cavalry down the different
roads with orders to kill all they found
in the street, while those who knew Assyrian
were to warn the inhabitants to stay indoors
under pain of death. [32] While they carried
out these orders, Gobryas and Gadatas returned,
and first they gave thanks to the gods and
did obeisance because they had been suffered
to take vengeance on their unrighteous king,
and then they fell to kissing the hands and
feet of Cyrus, shedding tears of joy and
gratitude. [33] And when it was day and those
who held the heights knew that the city was
taken and the king slain, they were persuaded
to surrender the citadel themselves. [34]
Cyrus took it over forthwith, and sent in
a commandant and a garrison, while he delivered
the bodies of the fallen to their kinsfolk
for burial, and bade his heralds make proclamation
that all the citizens must deliver up their
arms: wherever weapons were discovered in
any house all the inmates would be put to
death. So the arms were surrendered, and
Cyrus had them placed in the citadel for
use in case of need. [35] When all was done
he summoned the Persian priests and told
them the city was the captive of his spear
and bade them set aside the first-fruits
of the booty as an offering to the gods and
mark out land for sacred demesnes. Then he
distributed the houses and the public buildings
to those whom he counted his partners in
the exploit; and the distribution was on
the principle accepted, the best prizes to
the bravest men: and if any thought they
had not received their deserts they were
invited to come and tell him. [36] At the
same time he issued a proclamation to the
Babylonians, bidding them till the soil and
pay the dues and render willing service to
those under whose rule they were placed.
As for his partners the Persians, and such
of his allies as elected to remain with him,
he gave them to understand they were to treat
as subjects the captives they received.
[37] After this Cyrus felt that the time
was come to assume the style and manner that
became a king: and he wished this to be done
with the goodwill and concurrence of his
friends and in such a way that, without seeming
ungracious, he might appear but seldom in
public and always with a certain majesty.
Therefore he devised the following scheme.
At break of day he took his station at some
convenient place, and received all who desired
speech with him, and then dismissed them.
[38] The people, when they heard that he
gave audience, thronged to him in multitudes,
and in the struggle to gain access there
was much jostling and scheming and no little
fighting. [39] His attendants did their best
to divide the suitors, and introduce them
in some order, and whenever any of his personal
friends appeared, thrusting their way through
the crowd, Cyrus would stretch out his hand
and draw them to his side and say, "Wait,
my friends, until we have finished with this
crowd, and then we can talk at our ease."
So his friends would wait, but the multitude
would pour on, growing greater and greater,
until the evening would fall before there
had been a moment's leisure for his friends.
[40] All that Cyrus could do then was to
say, "Perhaps, gentlemen, it is a little
late this evening and time that we broke
up. Be sure to come early to-morrow. I am
very anxious myself to speak with you."
With that his friends were only too glad
to be dismissed, and made off without more
ado. They had done penance enough, fasting
and waiting and standing all day long. [41]
So they would get to rest at last, but the
next morning Cyrus was at the same spot and
a much greater concourse of suitors round
him than before, already assembled long before
his friends arrived. Accordingly Cyrus had
a cordon of Persian lancers stationed round
him, and gave out that no one except his
personal friends and the generals were to
be allowed access, and as soon as they were
admitted he said:
[42] "My friends, we cannot exclaim
against the gods as though they had failed
to fulfil our prayers. They have granted
all we asked. But if success means that a
man must forfeit his own leisure and the
good company of all his friends, why, to
that kind of happiness I would rather bid
farewell. [43] Yesterday," he added,
"I make no doubt you observed yourselves
that from early dawn till late evening I
never ceased listening to petitioners, and
to-day you see this crowd before us, larger
still than yesterday's, ready with business
for me. [44] If this must be submitted to,
I calculate that what you will get of me
and I of you will be little enough, and what
I shall get of myself will simply be nothing
at all. Further," he added, "I
foresee another absurd consequence. [45]
I, personally, have a feeling towards you
which I need not state, but, of that audience
yonder, scarcely one of them do I know at
all, and yet they are all prepared to thrust
themselves in front of you, transact their
business, and get what they want out of me
before any of you have a chance. I should
have thought it more suitable myself that
men of that class, if they wanted anything
from me, should pay some court to you, my
friends, in the hopes of an introduction.
[46] Perhaps you will ask why I did not so
arrange matters from the first, instead of
always appearing in public. Because in war
it is the first business of a commander not
to be behindhand in knowing what ought to
be done and seeing that it is done, and the
general who is seldom seen is apt to let
things slip. [47] But to-day, when war with
its insatiable demands is over, I feel as
if I had some claim myself to rest and refreshment.
I am in some perplexity, however, as to how
I can arrange matters so that all goes well,
not only with you and me, but also with those
whom we are bound to care for. Therefore
I seek your advice and counsel, and I would
be glad to learn from any of you the happiest
solution."
[48] Cyrus paused, and up rose Artabazus
the Mede, who had claimed to be his kinsman,
and said:
"You did well, Cyrus, to open this matter.
Years ago, when you were still a boy, from
the very first I longed to be your friend,
but I saw you did not need me, and so I shrank
from approaching you. [49] Then came a lucky
moment when you did have need of me to be
your good messenger among the Medes with
the order from Cyaxares, and I said to myself
that if I did the work well, if I really
helped you, I might become your comrade and
have the right to talk with you as often
as I wished. [50] Well, the work was done,
and done so as to win your praise. After
that the Hyrcanians joined us, the first
friends we made, when we were hungry and
thirsty for allies, and we loved them so
much we almost carried them about with us
in our arms wherever we went. Then the enemy's
camp was taken, and I scarcely think you
had the leisure to trouble your head with
me--oh, I quite forgave you. [51] The next
thing was that Gobryas became your friend,
and I had to take my leave, and after him
Gadatas, and by that time it was a real task
to get hold of you. Then came the alliances
with the Sakians, and the Cadousians, and
no doubt you had to pay them court; if they
danced attendance on you, you must dance
attendance on them. [52] So that there I
was, back again at my starting-point, and
yet all the while, as I saw you busy with
horses and chariots and artillery, I consoled
myself by thinking, 'when he is done with
this he will have a little leisure for me.'
And then came the terrible news that the
whole world was gathering in arms against
us; I could not deny that these were important
matters, but still I felt certain, if all
went well, a time would come at last when
you need not grudge me your company, and
we should be together to my heart's content,
you and I. [53] Now, the day has come; we
have conquered in the great battle; we have
taken Sardis and Babylon; the world is at
our feet, and yesterday, by Mithras! unless
I had used my fists a hundred times, I swear
I could never have got near you at all. Well,
you grasped my hand and gave me greeting,
and bade me wait beside you, and there I
waited, the cynosure of every eye, the envy
of every man, standing there all day long,
without a scrap to eat or a drop to drink.
[54] So now, if any way can be found by which
we who have served you longest can get the
most of you, well and good: but, if not,
pray send me as your messenger once more,
and this time I will tell them they can all
leave you, except those who were your friends
of old."
[55] This appeal set them all laughing, Cyrus
with the rest. Then Chrysantas the Persian
stood up and spoke as follows:
"Formerly, Cyrus, it was natural and
right that you should appear in public, for
the reasons you have given us yourself, and
also because we were not the folk you had
to pay your court to. We did not need inviting:
we were with you for our own sakes. It was
necessary to win over the masses by every
means, if they were to share our toils and
our dangers willingly. [56] But now you have
won them, and not them alone; you have it
in your power to gain others, and the moment
has come when you ought to have a house to
yourself. What would your empire profit you
if you alone were left without hearth or
home? Man has nothing more sacred than his
home, nothing sweeter, nothing more truly
his. And do you not think," he added,
"that we ourselves would be ashamed
if we saw you bearing the hardships of the
camp while we sat at home by our own firesides?
Should we not feel we had done you wrong,
and taken advantage of you?"
[57] When Chrysantas had spoken thus, many
others followed him, and all to the same
effect. And so it came about that Cyrus entered
the palace, and those in charge brought the
treasures from Sardis thither, and handed
them over. And Cyrus when he entered sacrificed
to Hestia, the goddess of the Hearth, and
to Zeus the Lord, and to any other gods named
by the Persian priests.
[58] This done, he set himself to regulate
the matters that remained. Thinking over
his position, and the attempt he was making
to govern an enormous multitude, preparing
at the same time to take up his abode in
the greatest of all famous cities, but yet
a city that was as hostile to him as a city
could be, pondering all this, he concluded
that he could not dispense with a bodyguard
for himself. [59] He knew well enough that
a man can most easily be assassinated at
his meals, or in his bath, or in bed, or
when he is asleep, and he asked himself who
were most to be trusted of those he had about
him. A man, he believed, can never be loyal
or trustworthy who is likely to love another
more than the one who requires his guardianship.
[60] He knew that men with children, or wives,
or favourites in whom they delight, must
needs love them most: while eunuchs, who
are deprived of all such dear ones, would
surely make most account of him who could
enrich them, or help them if they were injured,
or crown them with honour. And in the conferring
of such benefits he was disposed to think
he could outbid the world. [61] Moreover
the eunuch, being degraded in the eyes of
other men, is driven to seek the assistance
of some lord and master. Without some such
protection there is not a man in the world
who would not think he had the right to over-reach
a eunuch: while there was every reason to
suppose that the eunuch would be the most
faithful of all servants. [62] As for the
customary notion that the eunuch must be
weak and cowardly, Cyrus was not disposed
to accept it. He studied the indications
to be observed in animals: a vicious horse,
if gelded, will cease to bite and be restive,
but he will charge as gallantly as ever;
a bull that has been cut will become less
fierce and less intractable, but he will
not lose his strength, he will be as good
as ever for work; castration may cure a dog
of deserting his master, but it will not
ruin him as a watch-dog or spoil him for
the chase. [63] So, too, with men; when cut
off from this passion, they become gentler,
no doubt, but not less quick to obey, not
less daring as horsemen, not less skilful
with the javelin, not less eager for honour.
[64] In war and in the chase they show plainly
enough that the fire of ambition is still
burning in their hearts. And they have stood
the last test of loyalty in the downfall
of their masters. No men have shown more
faithfulness than eunuchs when ruin has fallen
on their lords. [65] In bodily strength,
perhaps, the eunuchs seem to be lacking,
but steel is a great leveller, and makes
the weak man equal to the strong in war.
Holding this in mind, Cyrus resolved that
his personal attendants, from his doorkeepers
onwards, should be eunuchs one and all.
[66] This guard, however, he felt was hardly
sufficient against the multitude of enemies,
and he asked himself whom he could choose
among the rest. [67] He remembered how his
Persians led the sorriest of lives at home
owing to their poverty, working long and
hard on the niggard soil, and he felt sure
they were the men who would most value the
life at his court. [68] Accordingly he selected
ten thousand lancers from among them, to
keep guard round the palace, night and day,
whenever he was at home, and to march beside
him whenever he went abroad. [69] Moreover,
he felt that Babylon must always have an
adequate garrison, whether he was in the
country or not, and therefore he stationed
a considerable body of troops in the city;
and he bade the Babylonians provide their
pay, his object being to make the citizens
helpless, and therefore humble and submissive.
[70] This royal guard that he established
there, and the city guard for Babylon, survive
to this day unaltered.
Lastly, as he pondered how the whole empire
was to be kept together, and possibly another
added to it, he felt convinced that his mercenaries
did not make up for the smallness of their
numbers by their superiority to the subject
peoples. Therefore he must keep together
those brave warriors, to whom with heaven's
help the victory was due, and he must take
all care that they did not lose their valour,
hardihood, and skill. [71] To avoid the appearance
of dictating to them and to bring it about
that they should see for themselves it was
best to stay with him and remember their
valour and their training, he called a council
of the Peers and of the leading men who seemed
to him most worthy of sharing their dangers
and their rewards. [72] And when they were
met he began:
"Gentlemen, my friends and allies, we
owe the utmost thanks to the gods because
they have given us what we believed that
we deserved. We are masters to-day of a great
country and a good; and those who till it
will support us; we have houses of our own,
and all the furniture that is in them is
ours. [73] For you need not think that what
you hold belongs to others. It is an eternal
law the wide world over, that when a city
is taken in war, the citizens, their persons,
and all their property fall into the hands
of the conquerors. It is not by injustice,
therefore, that you hold what you have taken,
rather it is through your own human kindness
that the citizens are allowed to keep whatever
they do retain.
[74] "Yet I foresee that if we betake
ourselves to the life of indolence and luxury,
the life of the degenerate who think that
labour is the worst of evils and freedom
from toil the height of happiness, the day
will come, and speedily, when we shall be
unworthy of ourselves, and with the loss
of honour will come the loss of wealth. [75]
Once to have been valiant is not enough;
no man can keep his valour unless he watch
over it to the end. As the arts decay through
neglect, as the body, once healthy and alert,
will grow weak through sloth and indolence,
even so the powers of the spirit, temperance,
self-control, and courage, if we grow slack
in training, fall back once more to rottenness
and death. [76] We must watch ourselves;
we must not surrender to the sweetness of
the day. It is a great work, methinks, to
found an empire, but a far greater to keep
it safe. To seize it may be the fruit of
daring and daring only, but to hold it is
impossible without self-restraint and self-command
and endless care. [77] We must not forget
this; we must train ourselves in virtue from
now henceforward with even greater diligence
than before we won this glory, remembering
that the more a man possesses, the more there
are to envy him, to plot against him, and
be his enemies, above all when the wealth
he wins and the services he receives are
yielded by reluctant hands. But the gods,
we need not doubt, will be upon our side;
we have not triumphed through injustice;
we were not the aggressors, it was we who
were attacked and we avenged ourselves. [78]
The gods are with us, I say; but next to
that supreme support there is a defence we
must provide out of our own powers alone;
and that is the righteous claim to rule our
subjects because we are better men than they.
Needs must that we share with our slaves
in heat and cold and food and drink and toil
and slumber, and we must strive to prove
our superiority even in such things as these,
and first in these. [79] But in the science
of war and the art of it we can admit no
share; those whom we mean to make our labourers
and our tributaries can have no part in that;
we will set ourselves to defraud them there;
we know that such exercises are the very
tools of freedom and happiness, given by
the gods to mortal men. We have taken their
arms away from our slaves, and we must never
lay our own aside, knowing well that the
nearer the sword-hilt the closer the heart's
desire. So. Does any man ask himself what
profit he has gained from the fulfilment
of his dreams, if he must still endure, still
undergo hunger and thirst and toil and trouble
and care? Let him learn the lesson that a
man's enjoyment of all good things is in
exact proportion to the pains he has undergone
to gain them. Toil is the seasoning of delight;
without desire and longing, no dish, however
costly, could be sweet. [81] Yes, if some
spirit were to set before us what men desire
most, and we were left to add for ourselves
that final touch of sweetness, I say that
we could only gain above the poorest of the
poor in so far as we could bring hunger for
the most delicious foods, and thirst for
the richest wines, and weariness to make
us woo the deepest slumber. [82] Therefore,
we must strain every nerve to win and to
keep manhood and nobleness; so that we may
gain that satisfaction which is the sweetest
and the best, and be saved from the bitterest
of sorrows; since to fail of good altogether
is not so hard as to lose the good that has
once been ours. [83] And let us ask ourselves
what excuse we could offer for being unworthy
of our past. Shall we say it is because we
have won an empire? Surely it is hardly fitting
that the ruler should be baser than the ruled.
Or is it that we seem to be happier to-day
than heretofore? Is cowardice, then, an adjunct
of happiness? Or is it simply because we
have slaves and must punish them if they
do wrong? But by what right can a man, who
is bad himself, punish others for badness
or stupidity? [84] Remember, too, that we
have arranged for the maintenance of a whole
multitude, to guard our persons and our houses,
and it would be shameful for us to depend
for safety on the weapons of others and refuse
to carry weapons for ourselves. Surely we
ought to know that there can be no defence
so strong as a man's own gallantry. Courage
should be our companion all our days. For
if virtue leave us, nothing else whatever
can go well with us. [85] What, then, would
I have you do? How are we to remember our
valour and train our skill? Gentlemen, I
have nothing novel to suggest; at home in
Persia the Peers spend their days at the
public buildings and here we should do the
same. Here we are the men of rank and honour,
as we are there, and we should hold to the
same customs. You must keep your eyes on
me and watch whether I am diligent in my
duty, and I shall give heed to you, and honour
him who trains himself in what is beautiful
and brave. [86] And here too let us educate
our sons, if sons are born to us. We cannot
but become better ourselves if we strive
to set the best example we can to our children,
and our children could hardly grow up to
be unworthy, even if they wished, when they
see nothing base before them, and hear nothing
shameful, but live in the practice of all
that is beautiful and good."
NOTES
C1. Notice the epic tone now adopted, or
rather swum into, or rather which floats
the writer up of its own motion.
C1.2 ff. On the whole this description of
the battle is, for Xenophon, obscure.
C1.5-6. Xenophon, Artist. This military criticism
and technical discussion juxtaposed to the
epic prelude and the epic sequel is a clever
device enough. We are pleased.
C1.8-9. Final injunctions somewhat obscure,
I think.
C1.24 ff. The epic and Homeric vein.
C1.33. The Egyptians have the advantage.
This is noticeable in reference to Cyrus'
criticisms of their arms before battle. That
is not a slip, but a dramatic touch on the
part of the author, I think. And Cyrus is
speaking of cavalry there, and anticipates
the result.
C1.34 fin. A singular feature this in ancient
battles. Is it simply and solely Oriental,
or general, and Hellenic also? Has it any
analogue nowadays anywhere? Probably with
Egyptian troops in the Soudan it has (hgd.
1884).
C2.6-7. The archic man through an act of
bad discipline makes good discipline more
acceptable.
C2.13. The civilised method of dealing with
a conquered city. Instead of pillage and
rapine, an indemnity, which will bring in
to the conquerors wealth, and yet not destroy
the arts of the population, which are the
fountain-heads of beauty. Modern. So the
archic man asserts his superiority once more.
C2.24. Is this also Xenophon's view? If so,
it throws light on his theory of rank and
caste.
C3.2. Curious Cyrus should be so little suspicious
of Abradatas' death, is it not? Because the
victory was not bloodless. Notice, too, how
little is said of the bloodshed; that is
Hellenic as well as Xenophontine, I fancy.
C3.7. Something epic in all this. Cf. Archilles
sacrificing at the tomb of Patroklos.
C3.8 ff. The pathos of the situation and
the /Eironeia/ at its maximum. "Euripidean"
touches throughout.
C3.16. [This is bracketed in most editions,
no doubt rightly, as an interpolation. It
was not translated in Mr. Dakyns' manuscript,
but his marginal note is characteristic,
and evidently he would have translated the
section in a footnote. It may be rendered
thus: "It is said that a monument was
raised above the eunuchs and is in existence
to this day. On the upper slab the names
of the husband and the wife are written in
Syrian letters, and below are three other
slabs, inscribed 'To the chamberlains.'"]
C3.16. Interesting, especially if of later
insertion, and perhaps given the historical
basis of the story in some monument on the
Pactolus, known to Xenophon. I wish a new
Schliemann would find it. hgd.
C4. Semi-historical? The version is to be
found, I think, in C4.2, which is the /pièce
justicative/. The episode itself is full
of humour, as good as a play: Xenophon has
seen these duplicities often. Brer Fox outwitted
by Brer Rabbit.
C4.4. Can these rival fastnesses of the Carians
be identified? All this country is well known
to Xenophon (/vide Hellenica/, III. c. 4,
etc.).
C4.6. Beautiful renewal of the peaceful arts,
festivals, and merry- makings after the internecine
party strife.
C4.9. This again is a district Xenophon is
well acquainted with. Has he one eye on the
old insurrection against Persia, /tempore/
Histiaeus, and another on the new arrangements,
/tempore/ Antalcidas?
C4.12-13. Croesus and his bills of lading.
Some humour. It also brings out the archic
man in opposition to the shop-keeper man
of the mere business type. But still the
bills of lading are needed. Croesus only
doesn't "twig" the right persons
to check. It's the opposition between Despot
and true Ruler.
C5.9. Cyrus has an idea, the nature of which
we shall discover later.
C5.15. Belshazzar's feast, /vide/ Daniel,
cf. Hdt. Why plural, "the trenches"?
Is Xenophon obscure? His obscurity is mostly
this: he expects his reader intelligently
to follow him.
C5.32. Jars somewhat on our feelings, perhaps,
in its thirst for revenge: but cf. the feeling
against the assassins of Lord Frederick Cavendish
and Mr. Burke. [Written at the time of the
Phoenix Park murders.]
C5.37. Is a turning-point in the rise of
the archic man (and yet hardly yet, but at
C5.58 we shall come to bodyguards and eunuchs).
At this highest pinnacle of {arkhe} Cyrus
desires to furnish himself as befits a king.
It is an historical difficulty which Xenophon
has to get over or round, or is Xenophon
himself in the same condemnation, so to speak?
Does he also desire his archic man to be
got up in a manner befitting royalty at a
certain date? Consider.
C5.42-47. These sections pose the difficulty
well, and it is a difficulty, and no mistake.
C5.42 ff. Xenophon-Hellenic theory of life.
The leisure to invite one's own soul and
see one's friends which is needed to make
life worth living, versus /negotia/, /negotia/,
/negotia/. How far are we to be consciously
self-regarding? Cyrus versus Buddha. The
Hellenic hero is not equal to absolute non-self-regarding
devotion to mere work. The Buddha might be.
C5.48. Perhaps nothing is cleverer in the
neat and skilful mosaic work of this composition
than the fitting-in here of Artabazus' personal
view with the--at last necessary--impersonal
or public theory of leadership. It is pretty
also that Artabazus should at length get
his reward, and humorous that he doesn't,
after all, get it in the old form.
C5.49 ff. He keenly remembers each tantalizing
moment of approach and separation. A splendid
speech of the humorous type. Xenophon himself
must be credited with so much fun, and real
fun it is.
C5.56 ff. Curious on this page (a) Xenophon's
domestic hearth theory without which {arkhe}
is a tinkling cymbal and empire no burthen
to be borne. His feeling for the sweetness
of home modern. In this the secret of his
happiness, hgd. (b) His /justification/ or
/raison d'être/ explanation of the eunuch
system. Why doesn't he point out its hollowness
also? Not from any lack of sympathy with
this barren mankind. Cf. Gadatas. I think
this all logically follows if the {arkhon}
is to rule political enemies as well as friends:
to do so {epistamenos} ["asian expert"]
some strange devices must be resorted to--what
think you, Dakyns?
C5.58. The need of a bodyguard. The dragon-fly
must wing his flight in armour cased: that
is the law of his development. So Cyrus must
be in the end an ideal "tyrannus,"
the one spoken of by Simonides the poet to
Hiero [/vide/ the dialogue /Hiero/, and the
notes thereto in Mr. Dakyns' translation,
Vol. III.].
C5.64. The faithfulness of the eunuch has
its parallel in that of the old negro slave.
C5.67. These are the sort of fellows Xenophon
would have chosen himself, I take it. Again
the historical basis has to be taken account
of. Xenophon has to explain to himself the
existence of their body and how the archic
man came to invent it. Throughout we must
compare the /Hiero/ for Xenophon's own political
theory apart from his romantic and philosophical
interest in Cyrus.
C5.69. Not a pleasant picture of subject
and ruling race. Cf. the Austrians in Italy.
C5.73. The Hellenic the modern theory, but
more rudely expressed. The conquerors right
to the land he has taken, and what Cyrus
proceeds to say is quite up to the modern
mark.
C5.74. Of course this is precisely what the
Persians as they degenerated did come to,
nor did the good example of the archic man
nor his precepts nor his institutions save
them.
C5.77-79. "Military" theory of
virtue: almost barbaric (/ex mea sententia/
hgd.). But Xenophon is not absolutely = Cyrus.
C5.80 ff. This is the Socratico-Xenophontine
hedonism-and-stoicism combined.
C5.82 ff. A noble sermon on the need of straining
every nerve to virtuous training. Splendidly
rhetorical and forceful.
C5.84. Cyrus (i. e. Xenophon) is aware of
the crisis he and his are going through.
If externalism has to be adopted to hedge
royalty, still a further inner change is
demanded: there must be a corresponding spiritual
growth.
C5.86. One of the noblest sayings in all
Xenophon. The one somehow which touches me
most. The best way to improve ourselves is
to see that we set our boys the best examples.
BOOK VIII
[C. 1] Such were the words of Cyrus; and
Chrysantas rose up after him, saying, "Gentlemen,
this is not the first time I have had occasion
to observe that a good ruler differs in no
respect from a good father. Even as a father
takes thought that blessings may never fail
his children, so Cyrus would commend to us
the ways by which we can preserve our happiness.
And yet, on one point, it seemed to me he
had spoken less fully than he might; and
I will try to explain it for the benefit
of those who have not learnt it. [2] I would
have you ask yourselves, was ever a hostile
city captured by an undisciplined force?
Did ever an undisciplined garrison save a
friendly town? When discipline was gone,
did ever an army conquer? Is ever disaster
nearer than when each solider thinks about
his private safety only? Nay, in peace as
in war, can any good be gained if men will
not obey their betters? What city could be
at rest, lawful, and orderly? What household
could be safe? What ship sail home to her
haven? [3] And we, to what do we owe our
triumph, if not to our obedience? We obeyed;
we were ready to follow the call by night
and day; we marched behind our leader, ranks
that nothing could resist; we left nothing
half-done of all we were told to do. If obedience
is the one path to win the highest good,
remember it is also the one way to preserve
it. [4] Now in the old days, doubtless, many
of us ruled no one else, we were simply ruled.
But to-day you find yourselves rulers, one
and all of you, some over many and some over
few. And just as you would wish your subjects
to obey you, so we must obey those who are
set over us. Yet there should be this difference
between ourselves and slaves; a slave renders
unwilling service to his lord, but we, if
we claim to be freemen, must do of our own
free will that which we see to be the best.
And you will find," he added, "that
even when no single man is ruler, that city
which is most careful to obey authority is
the last to bow to the will of her enemies.
[5] Let us listen to the words of Cyrus.
Let us gather round the public buildings
and train ourselves, so that we may keep
our hold on all we care for, and offer ourselves
to Cyrus for his noble ends. Of one thing
we may be sure: Cyrus will never put us to
any service which can make for his own good
and not for ours. Our needs are the same
as his, and our foes the same."
[6] When Chrysantas had said his say, many
others followed to support him, Persians
and allies alike, and it was agreed that
the men of rank and honour should be in attendance
continually at the palace gates, ready for
Cyrus to employ, until he gave them their
dismissal. That custom is still in force,
and to this day the Asiatics under the Great
King wait at the door of their rulers. [7]
And the measures that Cyrus instituted to
preserve his empire, as set forth in this
account, are still the law of the land, maintained
by all the kings who followed him. [8] Only
as in other matters, so here; with a good
ruler, the government is pure; with a bad
one, corrupt. Thus it came about that the
nobles of Cyrus and all his honourable men
waited at his gates, with their weapons and
their horses, according to the common consent
of the gallant men who had helped to lay
the empire at his feet.
[9] Then Cyrus turned to other matters, and
appointed various overseers: he had receivers
of revenue, controllers of finance, ministers
of works, guardians of property, superintendents
of the household. Moreover, he chose managers
for his horses and his dogs, men who could
be trusted to keep the creatures in the best
condition and ready for use at any moment.
[10] But when it came to those who were to
be his fellow-guardians for the commonwealth,
he would not leave the care and the training
of these to others; he regarded that as his
own personal task. He knew, if he were ever
to fight a battle, he would have to choose
his comrades and supporters, the men on his
right hand and left, from these and these
alone; it was from them he must appoint his
officers for horse and foot. [11] If he had
to send out a general alone it would be from
them that one must be sent: he must depend
on them for satraps and governors over cities
and nations; he would require them for ambassadors,
and an embassy was, he knew, the best means
for obtaining what he wanted without war.
[12] He foresaw that nothing could go well
if the agents in his weightiest affairs were
not what they ought to be, while, if they
were, everything would prosper. This charge,
therefore, he took upon his own shoulders,
and he was persuaded that the training he
demanded of others should also be undergone
by himself. No man could rouse others to
noble deeds if he fell short of what he ought
to be himself. [13] The more he pondered
the matter, the more he felt the need of
leisure, if he were to deal worthily with
the highest matters. It was, he felt, impossible
to neglect the revenues, in view of the enormous
funds necessary for so vast an empire, yet
he foresaw that if he was always to be occupied
with the multitude of his possessions he
would never have time to watch over the safety
of the whole. [14] As he pondered how he
could compass both objects, the prosperity
of the finances and the leisure he required,
the old military organisation came into his
mind. He remembered how the captains of ten
supervised the squads of ten, and were supervised
themselves by the company-captains, and they
by the captains of the thousands, and these
by the captains of ten thousand, and thus
even with hundreds of thousands not a man
was left without supervision, and when the
general wished to employ his troops one order
to the captains of ten thousand was enough.
[15] On this principle Cyrus arranged his
finances and held his departments together;
in this way, by conferring with a few officers
he could keep the whole system under his
control, and actually have more leisure for
himself than the manager of a single household
or the master of a single ship. Finally,
having thus ordered his own affairs, he taught
those about him to adopt the same system.
[16] Accordingly, having gained the leisure
he needed for himself and his friends, he
could devote himself to his work of training
his partners and colleagues. In the first
place he dealt with those who, enabled as
they were to live on the labour of others,
yet failed to present themselves at the palace;
he would send for them and seek them out,
convinced that attendance would be wholesome
for them; they would be unwilling to do anything
base or evil in the presence of their king
and under the eye of their noblest men; those
who were absent were so through self-indulgence
or wrong-doing or carelessness. [17] And
I will now set forth how he brought them
to attend. He would go to one of his most
intimate friends and bid him lay hands on
the property of the offender, asserting that
it was his own. Then of course the truants
would appear at once crying out that they
had been robbed. [18] But somehow for many
days Cyrus could never find leisure to hear
their complaints, and when he did listen
he took care to defer judgment for many more.
[19] This was one way he had of teaching
them to attend; another was to assign the
lightest and most profitable tasks to those
who were punctual, and a third to give nothing
whatever to the offenders. [20] But the most
effective of all, for those who paid no heed
to gentler measures, was to deprive the truant
of what he possessed and bestow it on him
who would come when he was needed. By this
process Cyrus gave up a useless friend and
gained a serviceable one. To this day the
king sends for and seeks out those who do
not present themselves when they should.
[21] Such was his method with the truants;
with those who came forward he felt, since
he was their rightful leader, that he could
best incite them to noble deeds by trying
to show that he himself had all the virtues
that became a man. [22] He believed that
men do grow better through written laws,
and he held that the good ruler is a living
law with eyes that see, inasmuch as he is
competent to guide and also to detect the
sinner and chastise him. [23] Thus he took
pains to show that he was the more assiduous
in his service to the gods the higher his
fortunes rose. It was at this time that the
Persian priests, the Magians, were first
established as an order, and always at break
of day Cyrus chanted a hymn and sacrificed
to such of the gods as they might name. [24]
And the ordinances he established service
to this day at the court of the reigning
king. These were the first matters in which
the Persians set themselves to copy their
prince; feeling their own fortune would be
the higher if they did reverence to the gods,
following the man who was fortune's favourite
and their own monarch. At the same time,
no doubt, they thought they would please
Cyrus by this. [25] On his side Cyrus looked
on the piety of his subjects as a blessing
to himself, reckoning as they do who prefer
to sail in the company of pious men rather
than with those who are suspected of wicked
deeds, and he reckoned further that if all
his partners were god-fearing, they would
be the less prone to crime against each other
or against himself, for he knew he was the
benefactor of his fellows. [26] And by showing
plainly his own deep desire never to be unfair
to friend or fellow-combatant or ally, but
always to fix his eyes on justice and rectitude,
he believed he could induce others to keep
from base actions and walk in the paths of
righteousness. [27] And he would bring more
modesty, he hoped, into the hearts of all
men if it were plain that he himself reverenced
all the world and would never say a shameful
word to any man or woman or do a shameful
deed. [28] He looked for this because he
saw that, apart from kings and governors
who may be supposed to inspire fear, men
will reverence the modest and not the shameless,
and modesty in women will inspire modesty
in the men who behold them. [29] And his
people, he thought, would learn to obey if
it were plain that he honoured frank and
prompt obedience even above virtues that
made a grander show and were harder to attain.
[30] Such was his belief, and his practice
went with it to the end. His own temperance
and the knowledge of it made others more
temperate. When they saw moderation and self-control
in the man who above all others had licence
to be insolent, lesser men were the more
ready to abjure all insolence of their own.
[31] But there was this difference, Cyrus
held, between modesty and self-control: the
modest man will do nothing shameful in the
light of day, but the man of self-control
nothing base, not even in secret. [32] Self-restrain,
he believed, would best be cultivated if
he made men see in himself one who could
not be dragged from the pursuit of virtue
by the pleasure of the moment, one who chose
to toil first for the happy-hearted joys
that go hand-in- hand with beauty and nobleness.
[33] Thus, being the man he was, he established
at his gates a stately company, where the
lower gave place to the higher, and they
in their turn showed reverence to each other,
and courtesy, and perfect harmony. Among
them all there was never a cry of anger to
be heard, nor a burst of insolent laughter;
to look at them was to know that they lived
for honour and loveliness.
[34] Such was the life at the palace-gates,
and to practise his nobles in martial exercises
he would lead them out to the hunt whenever
he thought it well, holding the chase to
be the best training for war and the surest
way to excellence in horsemanship. [35] A
man learns to keep his seat, no matter what
the ground may be, as he follows the flying
quarry, learns to hurl and strike on horseback
in his eagerness to bring down the game and
win applause. [36] And here, above all, was
the field in which to inure his colleagues
to toil and hardship and cold and heat and
hunger and thirst. Thus to this day the Persian
monarch and his court spend their leisure
in the chase. [37] From all that has been
said, it is clear Cyrus was convinced that
no one has a right to rule who is not superior
to his subjects, and he held that by imposing
such exercises as these on those about him,
he would lead them to self-control and bring
to perfection the art and discipline of war.
[38] Accordingly he would put himself at
the head of the hunting- parties and take
them out himself unless he was bound to stay
at home, and, if he was, he would hunt in
his parks among the wild creatures he had
reared. He would never touch the evening
meal himself until he had sweated for it,
nor give his horses their corn until they
had been exercised, and he would invite his
own mace-bearers to join him in the chase.
[39] Therefore he excelled in all knightly
accomplishments, he and those about him,
because of their constant practice. Such
was the example he set before his friends.
But he also kept his eye on others, and would
single out those who worshipped noble deeds,
and reward them with gifts, and high commands,
and seats at festivals, and every kind of
honour. And thus their hearts were filled
with ambition, and every man longed to outdo
his fellows in the eyes of Cyrus.
[40] But we seem to learn also that Cyrus
thought it necessary for the ruler not only
to surpass his subjects by his own native
worth, but also to charm them through deception
and artifice. At any rate he adopted the
Median dress, and persuaded his comrades
to do likewise; he thought it concealed any
bodily defect, enhancing the beauty and stature
of the wearer. [41] The shoe, for instance,
was so devised that a sole could be added
without notice, and the man would seem taller
than he really was. So also Cyrus encouraged
the use of ointments to make the eyes more
brilliant and pigments to make the skin look
fairer. [42] And he trained his courtiers
never to spit or blow the nose in public
or turn aside to stare at anything; they
were to keep the stately air of persons whom
nothing can surprise. These were all means
to one end; to make it impossible for the
subjects to despise their rulers.
[43] Thus he moulded the men he considered
worthy of command by his own example, by
the training he gave them, and by the dignity
of his own leadership. But the treatment
of those he prepared for slavery was widely
different. Not one of them would he incite
to any noble toil, he would not even let
them carry arms, and he was careful that
they should never lack food or drink in any
manly sort. [44] When the beaters drove the
wild creatures into the plain he would allow
food to be brought for the servants, but
not for the free men; on a march he would
lead the slaves to the water-springs as he
led the beasts of burden. Or when it was
the hour of breakfast he would wait himself
till they had taken a snatch of food and
stayed their wolfish hunger; and the end
of it was they called him their father even
as the nobles did, because he cared for them,
but the object of his care was to keep them
slaves for ever.
[45] Thus he secured the safety of the Persian
empire. He himself, he felt sure, ran no
danger from the massages of the conquered
people; he saw they had no courage, no unity,
and no discipline, and, moreover, not one
of them could ever come near him, day or
night. [46] But there were others whom he
knew to be true warriors, who carried arms,
and who held by one another, commanders of
horse and foot, many of them men of spirit,
confident, as he could plainly see, of their
own power to rule, men who were in close
touch with his own guards, and many of them
in constant intercourse with himself; as
indeed was essential if he was to make any
use of them at all. It was from them that
danger was to be feared; and that in a thousand
ways. [47] How was he to guard against it?
He rejected the idea of disarming them; he
thought this unjust, and that it would lead
to the dissolution of the empire. To refuse
them admission into his presence, to show
them his distrust, would be, he considered,
a declaration of war. [48] But there was
one method, he felt, worth all the rest,
an honourable method and one that would secure
his safety absolutely; to win their friendship
if he could, and make them more devoted to
himself than to each other. I will now endeavour
to set forth the methods, so far as I conceive
them, by which he gained their love.
[C. 2] In the first place he never lost an
opportunity of showing kindliness wherever
he could, convinced that just as it is not
easy to love those who hate us, so it is
scarcely possible to feel enmity for those
who love us and wish us well. [2] So long
as he had lacked the power to confer benefits
by wealth, all he could do then was to show
his personal care for his comrades and his
soldiers, to labour in their behalf, manifest
his joy in their good fortune and his sympathy
in their sorrows, and try to win them in
that way. But when the time came for the
gifts of wealth, he realised that of all
the kindnesses between man and man none come
with a more natural grace than the gifts
of meat and drink. [3] Accordingly he arranged
that his table should be spread every day
for many guests in exactly the same way as
for himself; and all that was set before
him, after he and his guests had dined, he
would send out to his absent friends, in
token of affection and remembrance. He would
include those who had won his approval by
their work on guard, or in attendance on
himself, or in any other service, letting
them see that no desire to please him could
ever escape his eyes. [4] He would show the
same honour to any servant he wished to praise;
and he had all the food for them placed at
his own board, believing this would win their
fidelity, as it would a dog's. Or, if he
wished some friend of his to be courted by
the people, he would single him out for such
gifts; even to this day the world will pay
court to those who have dishes sent them
from the Great King's table, thinking they
must be in high favour at the palace and
can get things done for others. But no doubt
there was another reason for the pleasure
in such gifts, and that was the sheer delicious
taste of the royal meats. [5] Nor should
that surprise us; for if we remember to what
a pitch of perfection the other crafts are
brought in great communities, we ought to
expect the royal dishes to be wonders of
finished art. In a small city the same man
must make beds and chairs and ploughs and
tables, and often build houses as well; and
indeed he will be only too glad if he can
find enough employers in all trades to keep
him. Now it is impossible that a single man
working at a dozen crafts can do them all
well; but in the great cities, owing to the
wide demand for each particular thing, a
single craft will suffice for a means of
livelihood, and often enough even a single
department of that; there are shoe-makers
who will only make sandals for men and others
only for women. Or one artisan will get his
living merely by stitching shoes, another
by cutting them out, a third by shaping the
upper leathers, and a fourth will do nothing
but fit the parts together. Necessarily the
man who spends all his time and trouble on
the smallest task will do that task the best.
[6] The arts of the household must follow
the same law. If one and the same servant
makes the bed, spreads the table, kneads
the dough, and cooks the various dishes,
the master must take things as they come,
there is no help for it. But when there is
work enough for one man to boil the pot,
and another to roast the meat, and a third
to stew the fish, and a fourth to fry it,
while some one else must bake the bread,
and not all of it either, for the loaves
must be of different kinds, and it will be
quite enough if the baker can serve up one
kind to perfection--it is obvious, I think,
that in this way a far higher standard of
excellence will be attained in every branch
of the work.
[7] Thus it is easy to see how Cyrus could
outdo all competitors in the grace of hospitality,
and I will now explain how he came to triumph
in all other services. Far as he excelled
mankind in the scale of his revenues, he
excelled them even more in the grandeur of
his gifts. It was Cyrus who set the fashion;
and we are familiar to this day with the
open-handedness of Oriental kings. [8] There
is no one, indeed, in all the world whose
friends are seen to be as wealthy as the
friends of the Persian monarch: no one adorns
his followers in such splendour of rich attire,
no gifts are so well known as his, the bracelets,
and the necklaces, and the chargers with
the golden bridles. For in that country no
one can have such treasures unless the king
has given them. [9] And of whom but the Great
King could it be said that through the splendour
of his presents he could steal the hearts
of men and turn them to himself, away from
brothers, fathers, sons? Who but he could
stretch out an arm and take vengeance on
his enemies when yet they were months and
months away? Who but Cyrus ever won an empire
in war, and when he died was called father
by the people he overcame?--a title that
proclaims the benefactor and not the robber.
[10] Indeed, we are led to think that the
offices called "the king's eyes"
and "the king's ears" came into
being through this system of gifts and honours.
Cyrus' munificence toward all who told him
what it was well for him to know set countless
people listening with all their ears and
watching with all their eyes for news that
might be of service to him. [11] Thus there
sprang up a host of "king's eyes"
and "king's ears," as they were
called, known and reputed to be such. But
it is a mistake to suppose that the king
has one chosen "eye." It is little
that one man can see or one man hear, and
to hand over the office to one single person
would be to bid all others go to sleep. Moreover,
his subjects would feel they must be on their
guard before the man they knew was "the
king's eye." The contrary is the case;
the king will listen to any man who asserts
that he has heard or seen anything that needs
attention. [12] Hence the saying that the
king has a thousand eyes and a thousand ears;
and hence the fear of uttering anything against
his interest since "he is sure to hear,"
or doing anything that might injure him "since
he may be there to see." So far, therefore,
from venturing to breathe a syllable against
Cyrus, every man felt that he was under the
eye and within the hearing of a king who
was always present. For this universal feeling
towards him I can give no other reason than
his resolve to be a benefactor on a most
mighty scale.
[13] It is not surprising, no doubt, that
being the wealthiest of men, he could outdo
the world in the splendour of his gifts.
The remarkable thing was to find a king outstrip
his courtiers in courtesy and kindness. There
was nothing, so the story runs, that could
ever shame him more than to be outdone in
courtesy. [14] Indeed, a saying of his is
handed down comparing a good king to a good
shepherd--the shepherd must manage his flock
by giving them all they need, and the king
must satisfy the needs of his cities and
his subjects if he is to manage them. We
need not wonder, then, that with such opinions
his ambition was to excel mankind in courtesy
and care. [15] There was a noble illustration
of his philosophy in the answer we are told
he gave to Croesus, who had taken him to
task, saying his lavish gifts would bring
him to beggary, although he could lay by
more treasures for himself than any man had
ever had before. Cyrus, it is said, asked
him in return, "How much wealth do you
suppose I could have amassed already, had
I collected gold, as you bid me, ever since
I came into my empire?"
[16] And Croesus named an enormous sum. Then
Cyrus said, "Listen, Croesus, here is
my friend, Hystaspas, and you must send with
him a man that you can trust." Then,
turning to Hystaspas, "Do you,"
he said, "go round to my friends and
tell them that I need money for a certain
enterprise--and that is true, I do need it.
Bid each of them write down the amount he
can give me, seal the letter, and hand it
to the messenger of Croesus, who will bring
it here." [17] Thereupon Cyrus wrote
his wishes and put his seal on the letter,
and gave it to Hystaspas to carry round,
only he added a request that they should
all welcome Hystaspas as a friend of his.
And when the messengers came back, the officer
of Croesus carrying the answers, Hystaspas
cried, "Cyrus, my lord, you must know
I am a rich man now! I have made my fortune,
thanks to your letter! They have loaded me
with gifts." [18] And Cyrus said, "There,
Croesus, that is treasure number one; and
now run through the rest, and count what
sums I have in hand, in case I need them."
And Croesus counted, and found, so the story
tells us, that the sum was far larger than
the amount he had said would have been lying
in the treasury if only Cyrus had made a
hoard. [19] At this discovery Cyrus said,
so we are told, "You see, Croesus, I
have my treasures too. Only you advise me
to collect them and hide them, and be envied
and hated because of them, and set mercenaries
to guard them, putting my trust in hirelings.
But I hold to it that if I make my friends
rich they will be my treasures themselves,
and far better guards too, for me and all
we have, than if I set hired watchmen over
my wealth. [20] And I have somewhat else
to say; I tell you, Croesus, there is something
the gods have implanted in our souls, and
there they have made us all beggars alike,
something I can never overcome. [21] I too,
like all the rest, am insatiate of riches,
only in one respect I fancy I am different.
Most men when they have more wealth than
they require bury some of it underground,
and let some of it rot, and some they count
and measure, and they guard it and they air
it, and give themselves a world of trouble,
and yet for all their wealth they cannot
eat more than they have stomach for--they
would burst asunder if they did--nor wear
more clothes than they can carry--they would
die of suffocation--and so their extra wealth
means nothing but extra work. [22] For my
part, I serve the gods, and I stretch out
my hands for more and more; only when I have
got what is beyond my own requirements I
piece out the wants of my friends, and so,
helping my fellows, I purchase their love
and their goodwill, and out of these I garner
security and renown, fruits that can never
rot, rich meats that can work no mischief;
for glory, the more it grows, the grander
it becomes, and the fairer, and the lighter
to be borne; it even gives a lighter step
to those who bear it. [23] One thing more,
Croesus, I would have you know; the happiest
men, in my judgment, are not the holders
of vast riches and the masters who have the
most to guard; else the sentinels of our
citadels would be the happiest of mortals,
seeing they guard the whole wealth of the
state. He, I hold, has won the crown of happiness
who has had the skill to gain wealth by the
paths of righteousness and use it for all
that is honourable and fair."
[24] That was the doctrine Cyrus preached,
and all men could see that his practice matched
his words.
Moreover, he observed that the majority of
mankind, if they live in good health for
long, will only lay by such stores and requisites
as may be used by a healthy man, and hardly
care at all to have appliances at hand in
case of sickness. But Cyrus was at the pains
to provide these; he encouraged the ablest
physicians of the day by his liberal payments,
and if ever they recommended an instrument
or a drug or a special kind of food or drink,
he never failed to procure it and have it
stored in the palace.
[25] And whenever any one fell sick among
those who had peculiar claims on his attentions,
he would visit them and bring them all they
needed, and he showed especial gratitude
to the doctors if they cured their patients
by the help of his own stores. [26] These
measures, and others like them, he adopted
to win the first place in the hearts of those
whose friendship he desired. Moreover, the
contests he proclaimed and the prizes he
offered to awaken ambition and desire for
gallant deeds all redounded to his own glory
as a man who had the pursuit of nobleness
at heart, while they bred strife and bitter
rivalry among the champions themselves. [27]
Further, he laid it down that in every matter
needing arbitration, whether it were a suit-at-
law or a trial of skill, the parties should
concur in their choice of a judge. Each would
try to secure the most powerful man he knew
and the one most friendly to himself, and
if he lost he envied his successful rival
and hated the judge who had declared against
him, while the man who won claimed to win
because his case was just and felt he owed
no gratitude to anybody. [28] Thus all who
wished to be first in the affections of Cyrus,
just as others in democratic states, were
full of rancour against each other, in fact
most of them would sooner have seen their
rivals exterminated than join with them for
any common good. Such are some of the devices
by which he made the ablest of his subjects
more attached to himself than to one another.
[C. 3] I will now describe the first public
progress that Cyrus made. For the very solemnity
of the ceremony was one of the artifices
by which he won reverence for his government.
The day before it he summoned the officers
of state, the Persians and the others, and
gave them all the splendid Median dress.
This was the first time the Persians wore
it, and as they received the robes he said
that he wished to drive in his chariot to
the sacred precincts and offer sacrifice
with them. [2] "You will present yourselves
at my gates," he added, "before
the sun rises, attired in these robes, and
you will take your places where Pheraulas
the Persian bids you on my behalf. As soon
as I lead the way you will follow in your
appointed order. And if any of you should
think of some change to heighten the beauty
and stateliness of our procession, you will
acquaint me with it, I pray, on our return;
it is for us to see that all is done in the
manner you feel to be most beautiful and
best."
[3] With that Cyrus gave the most splendid
robes to his chief notables, and then he
brought out others, for he had stores of
Median garments, purple and scarlet and crimson
and glowing red, and gave a share to each
of his generals and said to them, "Adorn
your friends, as I have adorned you."
[4] Then one of them asked him, "And
you, O Cyrus, when will you adorn yourself?"
But he answered, "Is it not adornment
enough for me to have adorned you? If I can
but do good to my friends, I shall look glorious
enough, whatever robe I wear."
[5] So his nobles took their leave, and sent
for their friends and put the splendid raiment
on them. Meanwhile Cyrus summoned Pheraulas,
knowing that, while he was a man of the people,
he was also quick- witted, a lover of the
beautiful, prompt to understand and to obey,
and one who had ever an eye to please his
master. It was he who had supported Cyrus
long ago when he proposed that honour should
be given in proportion to desert. And now
Cyrus asked him how he thought the procession
might be made most beautiful in the eyes
of friends and most formidable in the sight
of foes. [6] So they took counsel and were
of the same mind, and Cyrus bade Pheraulas
see that all was done on the morrow as they
had agreed.
"I have issued orders," he added,
"for all to obey you in the matter,
but to make them the more willing, take these
tunics yourself and give them to the captains
of the guard, and these military cloaks for
the cavalry officers, and these tunics for
those who command the chariots."
[7] So Pheraulas took the raiment and departed,
and when the generals saw him, they met him
with shouts and cries, "A monstrous
fine fellow you are, Pheraulas!" said
one: "you are to give us our orders,
it seems!"
"Oh, yes," said Pheraulas, "and
carry your baggage too. Here I come with
two cloaks as it is, one for you and another
for somebody else: you must choose whichever
you like the best."
[8] At that the officer put out his hand
to take the cloak; he had clean forgotten
his jealousy, and fell to asking Pheraulas
which he had better choose. And Pheraulas
gave his advice, adding, "But if you
inform against me, and let out that I gave
you the choice, the next time I have to wait
upon you you will find me a very different
sort of serving-man."
Thus he distributed the gifts he brought,
and then he saw to the arrangements for the
procession so that everything should be as
far as possible.
[9] On the morrow all things were ready before
day-break, ranks lining the road on either
hand, as they do to this day when the king
is expected to ride abroad--no one may pass
within the lines unless he is a man of mark--and
constables were posted with whips, to use
at any sign of disturbance.
In front of the palace stood the imperial
guard of lancers, four thousand strong, drawn
up four deep on either side of the gates.
[10] And all the cavalry were there, the
men standing beside their horses, with their
hands wrapped in their cloaks, as is the
custom to this day for every subject when
the king's eye is on him. The Persians stood
on the right, and the allies on the left,
and the chariots were posted in the same
way, half on one side and half on the other.
[11] Presently the palace-gates were flung
open, and at the head of the procession were
led out the bulls for sacrifice, beautiful
creatures, four and four together. They were
to be offered to Zeus and to any other gods
that the Persian priests might name. For
the Persians think it of more importance
to follow the guidance of the learned in
matters pertaining to the gods than in anything
else whatever.
[12] After the oxen came horses, an offering
to the Sun, then a white chariot with a golden
yoke, hung with garlands and dedicated to
Zeus, and after that the white car of the
Sun, wreathed like the one before it, and
then a third chariot, the horses of which
were caparisoned with scarlet trappings,
and behind walked men carrying fire upon
a mighty hearth. [13] And then at last Cyrus
himself was seen, coming forth from the gates
in his chariot, wearing his tiara on his
head, and a purple tunic shot with white,
such as none but the king may wear, and trews
of scarlet, and a cloak of purple. Round
his tiara he wore a diadem, and his kinsmen
wore the same, even as the custom is to this
day. [14] And the king's hands hung free
outside his cloak. Beside him stood a charioteer--he
was a tall man, but he seemed to be dwarfed
by Cyrus; whether it was really so, or whether
there was some artifice at work, Cyrus towered
above him. At the sight of the king, the
whole company fell on their faces. Perhaps
some had been ordered to do this and so set
the fashion, or perhaps the multitude were
really overcome by the splendour of the pageant
and the sight of Cyrus himself, stately and
tall and fair. [15] For hitherto none of
the Persians had done obeisance to Cyrus.
And now, as the chariot moved onwards, the
four thousand lancers went before it, two
thousand on either side, and close behind
came the mace-bearers, mounted on horseback,
with javelins in their hands, three hundred
strong. [16] Then the royal steeds were led
past, with golden bridles and striped housings,
two hundred and more, and then followed two
thousand spearmen and after them the squadron
of cavalry first formed, ten thousand men,
a hundred deep and a hundred riding abreast,
with Chrysantas at their head. [17] And behind
them the second body of the Persian horse,
ten thousand more, in the same order, under
Hystaspas, and then again ten thousand under
Datamas, and others behind them under Gadatas.
[18] And after them the Median cavalry, and
then the Armenians, the Hyrcanians, the Cadousians,
and the Sakians in their order; and after
the cavalry a squadron of war- chariots,
drawn up four deep, with Artabatas the Persian
in command.
[19] All along the route thousands of men
followed, outside the barriers, with petitions
to Cyrus. Accordingly he sent his mace- bearers,
who rode beside him for the purpose, three
on either side of his chariot, bidding them
tell the crowd of suitors, if they had need
of anything, to acquaint one of the cavalry
officers and he would speak for them. So
the petitioners withdrew, and fell to marching
along the lines of the cavalry, considering
whom they should address. [20] Cyrus meanwhile
would send messengers to the friends he wished
to be courted, saying to them, "If any
man appeals to you and you think nothing
of what he says, pay no heed to him, but
if his request seems just, report it to me,
and we will discuss it together and arrange
matters for him." [21] As a rule the
officers so summoned did not loiter, but
dashed up at full speed, glad to enhance
the authority of Cyrus and to show their
own allegiance. But there was a certain Daïpharnes,
a person of somewhat boorish manners, who
fancied that he would make a show of greater
independence if he did not hurry himself.
[22] Cyrus noted this, and quietly, before
the man could reach him, sent another messenger
to say he had no further need of him; and
that was the last time Daïpharnes was ever
summoned. [23] And when the next officer
rode up, in front of Daïpharnes though sent
for after him, Cyrus presented him with a
horse from his train and bade one of the
mace-bearers lead it wherever he wished.
The people saw in this a high mark of honour;
and a greater crowd than ever paid their
court to the favoured man.
|
Evans Experientialism 
