purple
tunic shot with white, such as none but the king may wear, and trews of
scarlet, and a cloak of purple. Round his tiara he wore a diadem, and
his kinsmen wore the same, even as the custom is to this day. [14]
And the king's hands hung free outside his cloak. Beside him stood a
charioteer--he was a tall man, but he seemed to be dwarfed by Cyrus;
whether it was really so, or whether there was some artifice at work,
Cyrus towered above him. At the sight of the king, the whole company
fell on their faces. Perhaps some had been ordered to do this and so
set the fashion, or perhaps the multitude were really overcome by the
splendour of the pageant and the sight of Cyrus himself, stately and
tall and fair. [15] For hitherto none of the Persians had done obeisance
to Cyrus.

And now, as the chariot moved onwards, the four thousand lancers went
before it, two thousand on either side, and close behind came the
mace-bearers, mounted on horseback, with javelins in their hands, three
hundred strong. [16] Then the royal steeds were led past, with golden
bridles and striped housings, two hundred and more, and then followed
two thousand spearmen and after them the squadron of cavalry first
formed, ten thousand men, a hundred deep and a hundred riding abreast,
with Chrysantas at their head. [17] And behind them the second body
of the Persian horse, ten thousand more, in the same order, under
Hystaspas, and then again ten thousand under Datamas, and others behind
them under Gadatas. [18] And after them the Median cavalry, and then
the Armenians, the Hyrcanians, the Cadousians, and the Sakians in their
order; and after the cavalry a squadron of war-chariots, drawn up four
deep, with Artabatas the Persian in command.

[19] All along the route thousands of men followed, outside the
barriers, with petitions to Cyrus. Accordingly he sent his mace-bearers,
who rode beside him for the purpose, three on either side of his
chariot, bidding them tell the crowd of suitors, if they had need of
anything, to acquaint one of the cavalry officers and he would speak for
them. So the petitioners withdrew, and fell to marching along the
lines of the cavalry, considering whom they should address. [20] Cyrus
meanwhile would send messengers to the friends he wished to be courted,
saying to them, "If any man appeals to you and you think nothing of what
he says, pay no heed to him, but if his request seems just, report it to
me, and we will discuss it