but Gobryas and his friends covered the cry with their shouts,
as though they were revellers themselves. And thus, making their way by
the quickest route, they soon found themselves before the king's palace.
[27] Here the detachment under Gobryas and Gadatas found the gates
closed, but the men appointed to attack the guards rushed on them as
they lay drinking round a blazing fire, and closed with them then and
there. [28] As the din grew louder and louder, those within became aware
of the tumult, till, the king bidding them see what it meant, some of
them opened the gates and ran out. [29] Gadatas and his men, seeing the
gates swing wide, darted in, hard on the heels of the others who fled
back again, and they chased them at the sword's point into the presence
of the king.

[30] They found him on his feet, with his drawn scimitar in his hand. By
sheer weight of numbers they overwhelmed him: and not one of his retinue
escaped, they were all cut down, some flying, others snatching up
anything to serve as a shield and defending themselves as best they
could. [31] Cyrus sent squadrons of cavalry down the different roads
with orders to kill all they found in the street, while those who knew
Assyrian were to warn the inhabitants to stay indoors under pain of
death. [32] While they carried out these orders, Gobryas and Gadatas
returned, and first they gave thanks to the gods and did obeisance
because they had been suffered to take vengeance on their unrighteous
king, and then they fell to kissing the hands and feet of Cyrus,
shedding tears of joy and gratitude. [33] And when it was day and those
who held the heights knew that the city was taken and the king slain,
they were persuaded to surrender the citadel themselves. [34] Cyrus took
it over forthwith, and sent in a commandant and a garrison, while he
delivered the bodies of the fallen to their kinsfolk for burial, and
bade his heralds make proclamation that all the citizens must deliver
up their arms: wherever weapons were discovered in any house all the
inmates would be put to death. So the arms were surrendered, and Cyrus
had them placed in the citadel for use in case of need. [35] When all
was done he summoned the Persian priests and told them the city was the
captive of his spear and bade them set aside the first-fruits of the
booty as an offering to the gods and mark out land for sacred demesnes.
Then he distributed the houses and the public buildings to those whom
he