ad Babylon for one of its capitals. When Croesus was
conquered, almost all the Greek colonies along the coast of Asia Minor
likewise fell to the "Great King," as his subjects called him. The
Persians adored the sun and fire as emblems of the great God, and thought
the king himself had something of divinity in his person, and therefore,
like most Eastern kings, he had entire power over his people for life or
death; they were all his slaves, and the only thing he could not do was
to change his own decrees.

[Picture: Shores of the Persian Gulf]

After the Asian coast, the isles of the AEgean stood next in the way of
the Persian. In the little isle of Samos lived a king called Polycrates,
who had always been wealthy and prosperous. His friend Amasis, king of
Egypt, told him that the gods were always jealous of the fortunate, and
that, if he wished to avert some terrible disaster, he had better give up
something very precious. Upon this Polycrates took off his beautiful
signet ring and threw it into the sea; but a few days later a large fish
was brought as a present to the king, and when it was cut up the ring was
found in its stomach, and restored to Polycrates. Upon this Amasis
renounced his friendship, declaring that, as the gods threw back his
offering, something dreadful was before him. The foreboding came sadly
true, for the Persian satrap, or governor, of Sardis, being envious of
Polycrates, declared that the Ionian was under the Great King's
displeasure, and invited him to Sardis to clear himself. Polycrates set
off, but was seized as soon as he landed in Asia, and hung upon a cross.

Amasis himself died just as the Persians were coming to attack Egypt,
which Cyrus' son Cambyses entirely conquered, and added to the Persian
empire; but Cambyses shortly after lost his senses and died, and there
was an unsettled time before a very able and spirited king named Darius
obtained the crown, and married Cyrus' daughter Atossa. Among the
prisoners made at Samos there was a physician named Democedes, who was
taken to Susa, Darius' capital. He longed to get home, and tried not to
show how good a doctor he was; but the king one day hurt his foot, and,
when all the Persian doctors failed to cure him, he sent for Democedes,
who still pretended to be no wiser, until torture was threatened, and he
was forced to try his skill. Darius recovered, made him great gifts, and
sent him to attend his wives; but