this is now his private property, and he must look after it
himself. But where the quarters are not furnished so well, there you
must make it your business to supply what is lacking. [40] There will be
more than enough for this; of that I am sure; the enemy had a stock
of everything quite out of proportion to our scanty numbers. Moreover,
certain treasurers have come to me, men who were in the service of the
king of Assyria and other potentates, and according to what they tell
me, they have a supply of gold coin, the produce of certain tributes
they can name. [41] You will send out a proclamation that this deposit
must be delivered up to you in your quarters; you must terrify those who
fail to execute the order, and then you must distribute the money; the
mounted men should have two shares apiece for the foot-soldier's one;
and you should keep the surplus, so that in case of need you may have
wherewith to make your purchases. [42] With regard to the camp-market,
proclamation must be made at once, forbidding any injustice; the
hucksters must be allowed to sell the goods they have brought, and when
these are disposed of they may bring more, so that the camp may be duly
supplied."

[43] So the proclamations were issued forthwith. But the Medes and the
Hyrcanians asked Cyrus:

"How are we to distribute the spoil alone, without your men and
yourself?"

[44] But Cyrus met question by question: "Do you really think,
gentlemen, that we must all preside over every detail, each and all of
us together? Can I never act for you, and you for me? I could scarcely
conceive a surer way of creating trouble, or of reducing results. See,"
said he, "I will take a case in point. [45] We Persians guarded this
booty for you, and you believe that we guarded it well: now it is for
you to distribute it, and we will trust you to be fair. [46] And there
is another benefit that I should be glad to obtain for us all. You see
what a number of horses we have got already, and more are being brought
in. If they are left riderless we shall get no profit out of them; we
shall only have the burden of looking after them. But if we set riders
on them, we shall be quit of the trouble and add to our strength. [47]
Now if you have other men in view, men whom you would choose before us
to share the brunt of danger with you, by all means give these horses
to them. But if you would rather have us fight at your side than any
others, bestow them upon us. [48] To-