the Magian, it happened to one, namely Intaphrenes, to be put to
death immediately after their insurrection for an outrage which I shall
relate. He desired to enter into the king's palace and confer with the
king; for the law was in fact so, that those who had risen up against
the Magian were permitted to go in to the king's presence without any
one to announce them, unless the king happened to be lying with his
wife. Accordingly Intaphrenes did not think it fit that any one should
announce his coming; but as he was one of the seven, he desired to
enter. The gatekeeper however and the bearer of messages endeavoured
to prevent him, saying that the king was lying with his wife: but
Intaphrenes believing that they were not speaking the truth, drew his
sword 105 and cut off their ears and their noses, and stringing these
upon his horse's bridle he tied them round their necks and so let them
go.

119. Upon this they showed themselves to the king and told the cause for
which they had suffered this; and Dareios, fearing that the six might
have done this by common design, sent for each one separately and made
trial of his inclinations, as to whether he approved of that which had
been done: and when he was fully assured that Intaphrenes had not done
this in combination with them, he took both Intaphrenes himself and his
sons and all his kinsmen, being much disposed to believe that he was
plotting insurrection against him with the help of his relations; and
having seized them he put them in bonds as for execution. Then the wife
of Intaphrenes, coming constantly to the doors of the king's court,
wept and bewailed herself; and by doing this continually after the same
manner she moved Dareios to pity her. Accordingly he sent a messenger
and said to her: "Woman, king Dareios grants to thee to save from death
one of thy kinsmen who are lying in bonds, whomsoever thou desirest of
them all." She then, having considered with herself, answered thus: "If
in truth the king grants me the life of one, I choose of them all my
brother." Dareios being informed of this, and marvelling at her speech,
sent and addressed her thus: "Woman, the king asks thee what was in thy
mind, that thou didst leave thy husband and thy children to die, and
didst choose thy brother to survive, seeing that he is surely less
near to thee in blood than thy children, and less dear to thee than
thy husband." She made answer: "O king, I might, if heaven willed, have
anot