er.--Cyrus slights him.--Accomplishments of
the cup-bearer.--Cyrus mimics him.--Cyrus declines to taste the
wine.--Duties of a cup-bearer.--Cyrus's reason for not tasting the
wine.--His description of a feast.--Cyrus's dislike of the
cup-bearer.--His reason for it.--Amusement of the guests.--Cyrus
becomes a greater favorite than ever.--Mandane proposes to return
to Persia.--Cyrus consents to remain.--Fears of Mandane.--Departure
of Mandane.--Rapid progress of Cyrus.--Hunting in the park.--Game
becomes scarce.--Development of Cyrus's powers, both of body and
mind.--Hunting wild beasts.--Cyrus's conversation with his
attendants.--Pursuit of a stag.--Cyrus's danger.--Cyrus's
recklessness.--He is reproved by his companions.--Cyrus kills a
wild boar.--He is again reproved.--Cyrus carries his game
home.--Distributes it among his companions.--Another hunting
party.--A plundering party.--Cyrus departs for Media.--Parting
presents.--The presents returned.--Cyrus sends them
back again.--Character of Xenophon's narrative.--Its
trustworthiness.--Character of Cyrus as given by
Xenophon.--Herodotus more trustworthy than Xenophon.

When Cyrus was about twelve years old, if the narrative which Xenophon
gives of his history is true, he was invited by his grandfather
Astyages to make a visit to Media. As he was about ten years of age,
according to Herodotus, when he was restored to his parents, he could
have been residing only two years in Persia when he received this
invitation. During this period, Astyages had received, through Mandane
and others, very glowing descriptions of the intelligence and vivacity
of the young prince, and he naturally felt a desire to see him once
more. In fact, Cyrus's personal attractiveness and beauty, joined to a
certain frank and noble generosity of spirit which he seems to have
manifested in his earliest years, made him a universal favorite at
home, and the reports of these qualities, and of the various sayings
and doings on Cyrus's part, by which his disposition and character
were revealed, awakened strongly in the mind of Astyages that kind of
interest which a grandfather is always very prone to feel in a
handsome and precocious grandchild.

As Cyrus had been sent to Persia as soon as his true rank had been
discovered, he had had no opportunities of seeing the splendor of
royal life in Media, and the manners and habits of the Persians were
very plain and simple. Cyrus was accordingly very much impr