a thousand points of similarity between the usurper
and the murdered Bartja, the former was in reality none other than
Gaumata, the brother of Oropastes. Her old friend Boges had resumed his
office of chief of the eunuchs, and had revealed to her the secrets of
the Magi. The high-priest had met the former keeper of the women begging
in the streets of Susa, and had restored him to his old office with the
words: "You have forfeited your life, but I want men of your stamp."
In conclusion. Phaedime entreated her father to use every means in
his power for the overthrow of the Magi, as they treated her with the
greatest contempt and she was the most miserable of women.

Though none of the Achaemenidae hall really for a moment believed; that
Bartja was alive and had seized on the throne, so clear an account
of the real person of the usurper was very welcome to them, and they
resolved at once to march on Nisaea with the remnant of the army and
overthrow the Magi either by craft or force.

They entered the new capital unassailed, and finding that the majority
of the people seemed content with the new government, they also
pretended to acknowledge the king as the son of Cyrus, to whom they were
prepared to do homage. The Magi, however, were not deceived; they shut
themselves up in their palace, assembled an army in the Nisaean plain,
promised the soldiers high pay, and used every effort to strengthen the
belief of the people in Gaumata's disguise. On this point no one could
do them more injury, or, if he chose, be more useful to them, than
Prexaspes. He was much looked up to by the Persians, and his assurance,
that he had not murdered Bartja, would have been sufficient to tame the
fast-spreading report of the real way in which the youth had met his
death. Oropastes, therefore, sent for Prexaspes, who, since the king's
dying words, had been avoided by all the men of his own rank and had led
the life of an outlaw, and promised him an immense sum of money, if he
would ascend a high tower and declare to the people, assembled in the
court beneath, that evil-disposed men had called him Bartja's murderer,
whereas he had seen the new king with his own eyes and had recognized
in him the younger son of his benefactor. Prexaspes made no objection to
this proposal, took a tender leave of his family while the people were
being assembled, uttered a short prayer before the sacred fire-altar and
walked proudly to the palace. On his way thither h