o fall into
the hands of the unfaithful Magi. If they have obtained possession
thereof by artifice, wrest it from their hands in like manner; if by
force, use force to win it back. Obey this my last will, and the earth
will yield you its fruits abundantly; your wives, your flocks and herds
shall be blessed and freedom shall be your portion. Refuse to obey it,
and ye shall suffer the corresponding evils; yea, your end, and that of
every Persian shall be even as mine."

After these words the king wept and sank back fainting, on seeing which,
the Achaemenidae rent their clothes and burst into loud lamentations.
A few hours later Cambyses died in Croesus' arms. Nitetis was his last
thought; he died with her name on his lips and tears of penitence in his
eyes. When the Persians had left the unclean corpse, Croesus knelt down
beside it and cried, raising his hand to heaven: "Great Cyrus, I have
kept my oath. I have remained this miserable man's faithful adviser even
unto his end."

The next morning the old man betook himself, accompanied by his son
Gyges, to the town of Barene, which belonged to him, and lived there
many years as a father to his subjects, revered by Darius and praised by
all his contemporaries.

........................

After Cambyses' death the heads of the seven Persian tribes held
a council, and resolved, as a first measure, on obtaining certain
information as to the person of the usurper. With this view, Otanes sent
a confidential eunuch to his daughter Phaedime, who, as they knew, had
come into the possession of the new king with the rest of Cambyses'
harem.

[The names of the seven conspiring chiefs, given by Herodotus agree
for the most part with those in the cuneiform inscriptions. The
names are: Otanes, Intaphernes, Gobryas, Megabyzus, Aspatines,
Hydarnes and Darius Hystaspis. In the inscription Otana:
Vindafrand, Gaubaruva, Ardumams, Vidarna, Bagabukhsa and Darayavus.]

Before the messenger returned, the greater part of the army had
dispersed, the soldiers seizing this favorable opportunity to return
to their homes and families, after so many years of absence. At last,
however, the long-expected messenger came back and brought for answer,
that the new king had only visited Phaedime once, but that during that
visit she had, at great personal risk, discovered that he had lost both
ears. Without this discovery, however, she could assert positively that
though there were