igned long, and,
on the whole, prosperously.

An incident of ill omen accompanied the commencement of the new reign
(B.C. 405). The inauguration of the monarch was a religious ceremony,
and took place in a temple at Pasargadae, the old capital, to which
a peculiar sanctity was still regarded as attaching. Artaxerxes had
proceeded to this place, and was about to engage in the ceremonies, when
he was interrupted by Tissaphernes, who informed him that his life was
in danger. Cyrus, he said, proposed to hide himself in the temple,
and assassinate him as he changed his dress, a necessary part of the
formalities. One of the officiating priests--a Magus, as it would
seem--confirmed the charge. Cyrus was immediately arrested, and would
have been put to death on the spot, had not his mother interfered, and,
embracing him in her arms, made it impossible for the executioner to
perform his task. With some difficulty she persuaded Artaxerxes to spare
his brother's life and allow him to return to his government, assuring
him, and perhaps believing, that the charges made against her favorite
were without foundation.

Cyrus returned to Asia Minor with the full determination of attacking
his brother at the earliest opportunity. He immediately began the
collection of a mercenary force, composed wholly of Greeks, on whose
arms he was disposed to place far more reliance than on those of
Orientals. As Tissaphernes had returned to the coast with him, and was
closely watching all his proceedings, it was necessary to exercise great
caution, lest his intentions should become known before he was ready to
put them into execution. He therefore had recourse to three different
devices. Having found a cause of quarrel with Tissaphernes in the
ambiguous terms of their respective commissions, he pressed it on to
an actual war, which enabled him to hire troops openly, as against this
enemy; and in this way he collected from 5000 to 6000 Greeks--chiefly
Peloponnesians. He further gave secret commissions to Greek officers,
whose acquaintance he had made when he was previously in these parts,
to collect men for him, whom they were to employ in their own quarrels
until he needed their services. From 3000 to 4000 troops were gathered
for him by these persons. Finally, when he found himself nearly ready
to commence his march, he discovered a new foe in the Pisidians of
the Western Taurus, and proceeded to levy a force against them, which
amounted to some th