re standing before the entrance of the chamber, hit him in
the very middle of the heart, the Persians will be proved to be speaking
falsely, but if I miss, then thou mayest say that the Persians are
speaking the truth and that I am not in my right mind." Having thus said
he drew his bow and hit the boy; and when the boy had fallen down, it
is said that he ordered them to cut open his body and examine the place
where he was hit; and as the arrow was found to be sticking in the
heart, he laughed and was delighted, and said to the father of the boy:
"Prexaspes, it has now been made evident, as thou seest, that I am not
mad, but that it is the Persians who are out of their senses; and now
tell me, whom of all men didst thou ever see before this time hit the
mark so well in shooting?" Then Prexaspes, seeing that the man was not
in his right senses and fearing for himself, said: "Master, I think that
not even God himself could have hit the mark so fairly." Thus he did at
that time: and at another time he condemned twelve of the Persians, men
equal to the best, on a charge of no moment, and buried them alive with
the head downwards.

36. When he was doing these things, Croesus the Lydian judged it right
to admonish him in the following words: "O king, do not thou indulge the
heat of thy youth and passion in all things, but retain and hold thyself
back: it is a good thing to be prudent, and forethought is wise. Thou
however are putting to death men who are of thine own people, condemning
them on charges of no moment, and thou art putting to death men's sons
also. If thou do many such things, beware lest the Persians make revolt
from thee. As for me, thy father Cyrus gave me charge, earnestly bidding
me to admonish thee, and suggest to thee that which I should find to
be good." Thus he counselled him, manifesting goodwill towards him; but
Cambyses answered: "Dost thou venture to counsel me, who excellently
well didst rule thine own country, and well didst counsel my father,
bidding him pass over the river Araxes and go against the Massagetai,
when they were willing to pass over into our land, and so didst utterly
ruin thyself by ill government of thine own land, and didst utterly
ruin Cyrus, who followed thy counsel. However thou shalt not escape
punishment now, for know that before this I had very long been desiring
to find some occasion against thee." Thus having said he took his bow
meaning to shoot him, but Croesus started up