r joy could there
be than the good fortune which waits on us to-day? [15] When fortune
comes to us, if we guard her with discretion, we may live to grow old
in peace, but if we are insatiate, if we use and abuse our pleasures,
chasing first one and then another, we may well fear lest that fate be
ours which, the proverb tells us, falls on those mariners who cannot
forgo their voyages in the pursuit of wealth, and one day the deep sea
swallows them. Thus has many a warrior achieved one victory only to
clutch at another and lose the first. [16] If indeed, our enemies who
have fled were weaker than we, it might be safe enough to pursue them.
But now, bethink you, how small a portion of them we have fought and
conquered; the mass have had no part in the battle, and they, if we
do not force them to fight, will take themselves off through sheer
cowardice and sloth. As yet they know nothing of our powers or their
own, but if they learn that to fly is as dangerous as to hold their
ground, we run the risk of driving them to be brave in spite of
themselves. [17] You may be sure they are just as anxious to save their
wives and children as you can be to capture them. Take a lesson from
hunting: the wild sow when she is sighted will scamper away with her
young, though she be feeding with the herd; but if you attack her little
ones she will never fly, even if she is all alone; she will turn on the
hunters. [18] Yesterday the enemy shut themselves up in a fort, and then
handed themselves over to us to choose how many we cared to fight. But
if we meet them in open country, and they learn how to divide their
forces and take us in front and flank and rear, I wonder how many pairs
of eyes and hands each man of us would need! Finally," he added, "I have
no great wish myself to disturb my Medes in their enjoyment, and drive
them out to further dangers."

[19] Then Cyrus took him up: "Nay, I would not have you put pressure on
any man; only let those who are willing follow me, and perhaps we shall
come back with something for all of you to enjoy. The mass of the enemy
we should not think of pursuing; indeed, how could we overtake them? But
if we cut off any stragglers, we could clap hands on them and bring them
back to you. [20] Remember," he added, "when you sent for us, we came
a long way to do you service; is it not fair that you should do us a
kindness in return, and let us have something to take back with us for
ourselves, and not stand