there
was no name like his. [4] They told him what good cause they had to
hate the Assyrians, and how if he was willing to attack them now, they
themselves would be his allies and show him the way. At the same time
they gave a full account of the enemy's doings, being eager to get Cyrus
on the road. [5] "Do you think," said Cyrus, "we should overtake the
Assyrians before they reach their fortresses? We look on it as a great
misfortune," he added, "that they ever slipped through our fingers and
escaped." (This he said, wishing to give his hearers as high an opinion
as possible of himself and his friends.) [6] "You should certainly catch
them," they answered, "and that to-morrow, ere the day is old, if you
gird up your loins: they move heavily because of their numbers and their
train of waggons, and to-day, since they did not sleep last night,
they have only gone a little way ahead, and are now encamped for the
evening."

[7] "Can you give us any guarantee," said Cyrus, "that what you say is
true?"

"We will give you hostages," they said; "we will ride off at once and
bring them back this very night. Only do you on your side call the gods
to witness and give us the pledge of your own right hand, that we may
give our people the assurance we have received from you ourselves."

[8] Thereupon Cyrus gave them his pledge that if they would make good
what they promised he would treat them as his true friends and faithful
followers, of no less account than the Persians and the Medes. And to
this day one may see Hyrcanians treated with trust and holding office on
an equal footing with Persians and Medes of high distinction.

[9] Now Cyrus and his men took their supper and then while it was still
daylight he led his army out, having made the two Hyrcanians wait so
that they might go with them. The Persians, of course, were with him to
a man, and Tigranes was there, with his own contingent, and the Median
volunteers, who had joined for various reasons. [10] Some had been
friends of Cyrus in boyhood, others had hunted with him and learnt to
admire his character, others were grateful, feeling he had lifted a load
of fear from them, others were flushed with hope, nothing doubting that
great things were reserved for the man who had proved so brave and so
fortunate already. Others remembered the time when he was brought up in
Media, and were glad to return the kindnesses that he had shown
them; many could recall the favours the boy