ry, every Persian is
entitled to send his children to the public schools of righteousness
and justice. As a fact, all who can afford to bring up their children
without working do send them there: those who cannot must forego the
privilege. A lad who has passed through a public school has a right
to go and take his place among the youths, but those who have not gone
through the first course may not join them. In the same way the youths
who have fulfilled the duties of their class are entitled eventually
to rank with the men, and to share in office and honour: but they
must first spend their full time among the youths; if not, they go no
further. Finally, those who as grown men have lived without reproach may
take their station at last among the elders. Thus these elders form a
college, every member of which has passed through the full circle
of noble learning; and this is that Persian polity and that Persian
training which, in their belief, can win them the flower of excellence.
[16] And even to this day signs are left bearing witness to that ancient
temperance of theirs and the ancient discipline that preserved it.
To this day it is still considered shameful for a Persian to spit in
public, or wipe the nose, or show signs of wind, or be seen going apart
for his natural needs. And they could not keep to this standard unless
they were accustomed to a temperate diet, and were trained to exercise
and toil, so that the humours of the body were drawn off in other ways.
Hitherto we have spoken of the Persians as a whole: we will now go back
to our starting-point and recount the deeds of Cyrus from his childhood.

[C.3] Until he was twelve years old or more, Cyrus was brought up in the
manner we have described, and showed himself to be above all his fellows
in his aptitude for learning and in the noble and manly performance of
every duty. But about this time, Astyages sent for his daughter and her
son, desiring greatly to see him because he had heard how noble and fair
he was. So it fell out that Mandane came to Astyages, bringing her son
Cyrus with her. [2] And as soon as they met, the boy, when he heard
that Astyages was his mother's father, fell on his neck and kissed him
without more ado, like the loving lad nature had made him, as though he
had been brought up at his grandfather's side from the first and the two
of them had been playmates of old. Then he looked closer and saw that
the king's eyes were stencilled and his che