your stronghold, your land, your arms, and the power which you had, how
will you serve us in return?"

[9] And the old man answered:

"My stronghold shall be yours, to live in as often as you come to me;
the tribute which I used to pay to Assyria shall be paid to you; and
whenever you march out to war, I will march at your side with the men
from my own land. Moreover, I have a daughter, a well-beloved maiden,
ripe for marriage; once I thought of bringing her up to be the bride of
the man who is now king; but she besought me herself, with tears, not
to give her to her brother's murderer, and I have no mind to oppose her.
And now I will put her in your hands, to deal with as I shall deal with
you."

[10] So it came to pass that Cyrus said, "On the faith that you have
spoken truly and with true intent, I take your hand and I give you mine;
let the gods be witness."

And when this was done, Cyrus bade the old man depart in peace, without
surrendering his arms, and then he asked him how far away he lived,
"Since," said he, "I am minded to visit you." And Gobryas answered, "If
you set off early to-morrow, the next day you may lodge with us." [11]
With that he took his own departure, leaving a guide for Cyrus.

Then the Medes presented themselves; they had set apart for the gods
what the Persian Priests thought right, and had left it in their hands,
and they had chosen for Cyrus the finest of all the tents, and a lady
from Susa, of whom the story says that in all Asia there was never a
woman so fair as she, and two singing-girls with her, the most skilful
among the musicians. The second choice was for Cyaxares, and for
themselves they had taken their fill of all they could need on the
campaign, since there was abundance of everything. [12] The Hyrcanians
had all they wanted too, and they made the messenger from Cyaxares share
and share alike with them. The tents which were left over they delivered
to Cyrus for his Persians; and the coined money they said should be
divided as soon as it was all collected, and divided it was.

NOTES

C1.10. Two theories of hedonism: (1) Cyaxares' "Economise the greatest
joy when you have got it," and by contrast (2) Cyrus' roaming from joy
to joy.

C1.22. Xenophon the Artist: the "kinsman" of Cyrus again, and the light
by-play to enliven the severe history. The economic organising genius of
Cyrus is also brought out.

C2.25. No looting, an order of t