rom me?" Thus he said what was in his mind, but Croesus answered him as
follows, fearing lest he should destroy Sardis: "O king, that which thou
hast said is not without reason; but do not thou altogether give vent
to thy wrath, nor destroy an ancient city which is guiltless both of the
former things and also of those which have come to pass now: for as
to the former things it was I who did them and I bear the consequences
heaped upon my head; 158 and as for what is now being done, since the
wrongdoer is Pactyas to whom thou didst entrust the charge of Sardis,
let him pay the penalty. But the Lydians I pray thee pardon, and lay
upon them commands as follows, in order that they may not revolt nor
be a cause of danger to thee:--send to them and forbid them to possess
weapons of war, but bid them on the other hand put on tunics under their
outer garments and be shod with buskins, and proclaim to them that they
train their sons to play the lyre and the harp and to be retail-dealers;
and soon thou shalt see, O king, that they have become women instead of
men, so that there will be no fear that they will revolt from thee."

156. Croesus, I say, suggested to him this, perceiving that this was
better for the Lydians than to be reduced to slavery and sold; for he
knew that if he did not offer a sufficient reason, he would not persuade
Cyrus to change his mind, and he feared lest at some future time, if
they should escape the present danger, the Lydians might revolt from
the Persians and be destroyed. And Cyrus was greatly pleased with the
suggestion made and slackened from his wrath, saying that he agreed with
his advice. Then he called Mazares a Mede, and laid charge upon him to
proclaim to the Lydians that which Croesus suggested, and moreover to
sell into slavery all the rest who had joined with the Lydians in the
expedition to Sardis, and finally by all means to bring Pactyas himself
alive to Cyrus.

157. Having given this charge upon the road, he continued his march to
the native land of the Persians; but Pactyas hearing that an army was
approaching to fight against him was struck with fear and fled away
forthwith to Kyme. Then Mazares the Mede marched upon Sardis with a
certain portion of the army of Cyrus, and as he did not find Pactyas or
his followers any longer at Sardis, he first compelled the Lydians to
perform the commands of Cyrus, and by his commands the Lydians changed
the whole manner of their life. After this M