d
then guiding his actions by the advice they tendered him, the religious
zeal of the young Zoroastrian may very naturally have been aroused, and
the contest into which he plunged may have been, in his eyes, not so
much a national struggle as a crusade against the infidels. It will be
found hereafter that religious fervor animated the Persians in most
of those wars by which they spread their dominion. We may suspect,
therefore, though it must be admitted we cannot prove, that a religious
motive was among those which led them to make their first efforts after
independence.

According to the account of the struggle which is most circumstantial,
and on the whole most probable, the first difficulty which the would-be
rebel had to meet and vanquish was that of quitting the Court. Alleging
that his father was in weak health, and required his care, he requested
leave of absence for a short time; but his petition was refused on the
flattering ground that the Great King was too much attached to him to
lose sight of him even for a day. A second application, however, made
through a favorite eunuch after a certain interval of time, was more
successful; Cyrus received permission to absent himself from Court for
the next five months; whereupon, with a few attendants, he left Ecbatana
by night, and took the road leading to his native country.

The next evening Astyages, enjoying himself as usual over his
wine, surrounded by a crowd of his concubines, singing-girls, and
dancing-girls, called on one of them for a song. The girl took her lyre
and sang as follows: "The lion had the wild boar in his power, but let
him depart to his own lair; in his lair he will wax in strength, and
will cause the lion a world of toil; till at length, although the
weaker, he will overcome the stronger." The words of the song greatly
disquieted the king, who had been already made aware that a Chaldaean
prophecy designated Cyrus as future king of the Persians. Repenting of
the indulgence which he had granted him, Astyages forthwith summoned an
officer into his presence, and ordered him to take a body of horsemen,
pursue the Persian prince, and bring him back, either alive or dead.
The officer obeyed, overtook Cyrus, and announced his errand; upon which
Cyrus expressed his perfect willingness to return, but proposed, that,
as it was late, they should defer their start till the next day. The
Medes consenting, Cyrus feasted them, and succeeded in making them
a