each
division. [56] Finally he sent out another proclamation, saying that if
there was any slave among the Syrians, Assyrians, or Arabians who was
a Mede, a Persian, a Bactrian, a Carian, a Cilician, or a Hellene, or a
member of any other nation, and who had been forcibly enrolled, he
was to come forward and declare himself. [57] And when they heard the
herald, many came forward gladly, and out of their number Cyrus selected
the strongest and fairest, and told them they were now free, and would
be required to bear arms, with which he would furnish them, and as to
necessaries, he would see himself that they were not stinted. [58] With
that he brought them to the officers and had them enrolled forthwith,
saying they were to be armed with shields and light swords, so as to
follow the troopers, and were to receive supplies exactly as if they
were his own Persians. The Persian officers themselves, wearing corslets
and carrying lances, were for the future to appear on horseback, he
himself setting the example, and each one was to appoint another of the
Peers to lead the infantry for him.

[C.6] While they were concerned with these matters, an old Assyrian
prince, Gobryas by name, presented himself before Cyrus, mounted on
horseback and with a mounted retinue behind him, all of them armed as
cavalry. The Persian officers who were appointed to receive the weapons
bade them hand over their lances and have them burnt with the rest, but
Gobryas said he wished to see Cyrus first. At that the adjutants led him
in, but they made his escort stay where they were. [2] When the old man
came before Cyrus, he addressed him at once, saying:

"My lord, I am an Assyrian by birth; I have a strong fortress in my
territory, and I rule over a wide domain; I have cavalry at my command,
two thousand three hundred of them, all of which I offered to the king
of Assyria; and if ever he had a friend, that friend was I. But he
has fallen at your hands, the gallant heart, and his son, who is my
bitterest foe, reigns in his stead. Therefore I have come to you, a
suppliant at your feet. I am ready to be your slave and your ally, and
I implore you to be my avenger. You yourself will be a son to me, for
I have no male children now. [3] He whom I had, my only son, he was
beautiful and brave, my lord, and loved me and honoured me as a father
rejoices to be loved. And this vile king--his father, my old master, had
sent for my son, meaning to give him his own