his nobleness, his honour, and the compassion he had shown her, and
Abradatas cried:

"Tell me, tell me, how can I repay him all I owe him in your name and
mine!" And she answered:

"So deal with him, my husband, as he has dealt with you."

[48] And thus Abradatas went to Cyrus, and took him by the hand, and
said:

"Cyrus, in return for the kindness you have shown us, I can say no more
than this: I give myself to you, I will be your friend, your servant,
and your ally: whatever you desire, I will help you to win, your
fellow-worker always, so far as in me lies."

[49] Then Cyrus answered:

"And I will take your gift: but for the moment you must leave me, and
sup with your wife: another day you will let me play the host, and give
you lodging with your friends and mine."

[50] Afterwards Abradatas perceived how much Cyrus had at heart the
scythe-bearing chariots and the cavalry and the war-horses with their
armour, and he resolved to equip a hundred chariots for him out of his
own cavalry force. [51] These he proposed to lead himself in a chariot
of his own, four-poled and drawn by eight horses, all the eight
protected by chest-plates of bronze. [52] So Abradatas set to work, and
this four-poled chariot of his gave Cyrus the idea of making a car
with eight poles, drawn by eight yoke of oxen, to carry the lowest
compartment of the battering engines, which stood, with its wheels,
about twenty-seven feet from the ground. [53] Cyrus felt that he had a
series of such towers brought into the field at a fair pace they would
be of immense service to him, and inflict as much damage on the enemy.
The towers were built with galleries and parapets, and each of them
could carry twenty men. [54] When the whole was put together he tested
it and found that the eight yoke of oxen could draw the whole tower with
the men more easily than one yoke by itself could manage the ordinary
weight of baggage, which came to about five-and-twenty talents apiece,
whereas the tower, build of planks about as thick as the boards for
a stage, weighed less than fifteen for each yoke. [55] Thus, having
satisfied himself that the attempt was perfectly possible, he arranged
to take the towers into action, believing that in war selfishness meant
salvation, justice, and happiness.

[C.2] About this time ambassadors came to Cyrus from India with gifts of
courtesy and a message from their king, saying:

"I send you greeting, Cyrus, and I rejoice that