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　army　instead　of　on　the　left　only。　This　he　effected　thus：…　Beginning　some　distance　above　the　camp；　he　dug　a　deep　channel；　which　he　brought　round　in　a　semicircle；　so　that　it　might　pass　to　rearward　of　the　camp；　and　that　thus　the　river；　diverted　from　its　natural　course　into　the　new　channel　at　the　point　where　this　left　the　stream；　might　flow　by　the　station　of　the　army；　and　afterwards　fall　again　into　the　ancient　bed。　In　this　way　the　river　was　split　into　two　streams；　which　were　both　easily　fordable。　It　is　said　by　some　that　the　water　was　entirely　drained　off　from　the　natural　bed　of　the　river。　But　I　am　of　a　different　opinion；　for　I　do　not　see　how；　in　that　case；　they　could　have　crossed　it　on　their　return。　　　　　Having　passed　the　Halys　with　the　forces　under　his　command；　Croesus　entered　the　district　of　Cappadocia　which　is　called　Pteria。　It　lies　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　city　of　Sinope　upon　the　Euxine；　and　is　the　strongest　position　in　the　whole　country　thereabouts。　Here　Croesus　pitched　his　camp；　and　began　to　ravage　the　fields　of　the　Syrians。　He　besieged　and　took　the　chief　city　of　the　Pterians；　and　reduced　the　inhabitants　to　slavery：　he　likewise　made　himself　master　of　the　surrounding　villages。　Thus　he　brought　ruin　on　the　Syrians；　who　were　guilty　of　no　offence　towards　him。　Meanwhile；　Cyrus　had　levied　an　army　and　marched　against　Croesus；　increasing　his　numbers　at　every　step　by　the　forces　of　the　nations　that　lay　in　his　way。　Before　beginning　his　march　he　had　sent　heralds　to　the　Ionians；　with　an　invitation　to　them　to　revolt　from　the　Lydian　king：　they；　however；　had　refused　compliance。　Cyrus；　notwithstanding；　marched　against　the　enemy；　and　encamped　opposite　them　in　the　district　of　Pteria；　where　the　trial　of　strength　took　place　between　the　contending　powers。　The　combat　was　hot　and　bloody；　and　upon　both　sides　the　number　of　the　slain　was　great；　nor　had　victory　declared　in　favour　of　either　party；　when　night　came　down　upon　the　battle…field。　Thus　both　armies　fought　valiantly。　　　　　Croesus　laid　the　blame　of　his　ill　success　on　the　number　of　his　troops；　which　fell　very　short　of　the　enemy；　and　as　on　the　next　day　Cyrus　did　not　repeat　the　attack；　he　set　off　on　his　return　to　Sardis；　intending　to　collect　his　allies　and　renew　the　contest　in　the　spring。　He　meant　to　call　on　the　Egyptians　to　send　him　aid；　according　to　the　terms　of　the　alliance　which　he　had　concluded　with　Amasis；　previously　to　his　league　with　the　Lacedaemonians。　He　intended　also　to　summon　to　his　assistance　the　Babylonians；　under　their　king　Labynetus；　for　they　too　were　bound　to　him　by　treaty：　and　further；　he　meant　to　send　word　to　Sparta；　and　appoint　a　day　for　the　coming　of　their　succours。　Having　got　together　these　forces　in　addition　to　his　own；　he　would；　as　soon　as　the　winter　was　past　and　springtime　come；　march　once　more　against　the　Persians。　With　these　intentions　Croesus；　immediately　on　his　return；　despatched　heralds　to　his　various　allies；　with　a　request　that　they　would　join　him　at　Sardis　in　the　course　of　the　fifth　month　from　the　time　of　the　departure　of　his　messengers。　He　then　disbanded　the　army　consisting　of　mercenary　troops…　which　had　been　engaged　with　the　Persians　and　had　since　accompanied　him　to　his　capital；　and　let　them　depart　to　their　homes；　never　imagining　that　Cyrus；　after　a　battle　in　which　victory　had　been　so　evenly　balanced；　would　venture　to　march　upon　Sardis。　　　　　While　Croesus　was　still　in　this　mind；　all　the　suburbs　of　Sardis　were　found　to　swarm　with　snakes；　on　the　appearance　of　which　the　horses　left　feeding　in　the　pasture…grounds；　and　flocked　to　the　suburbs　to　eat　them。　The　king；　who　witnessed　the　unusual　sight；　regarded　it　very　rightly　as　a　prodigy。　He　therefore　instantly　sent　messengers　to　the　soothsayers　of　Telmessus；　to　consult　them　upon　the　matter；　His　messengers　reached　the　city；　and　obtained　from　the　Telmessians　an　explanation　of　what　the　prodigy　portended；　but　fate　did　not　allow　them　to　inform　their　lord；　for　ere　they　entered　Sardis　on　their　return；　Croesus　was　a　prisoner。　What　the　Telmessians　had　declared　was　that　Croesus　must　look　for　the　entry　of　an　army　of　foreign　invaders　into　his　country；　and　that　when　they　came　they　would　subdue　the　native　inhabitants；　since　the　snake；　said　they；　is　a　child　of　earth；　and　the　horse　a　warrior　and　a　foreigner。　Croesus　was　already　a　prisoner　when　the　Telmessians　thus　answered　his　inquiry；　but　they　had　no　knowledge　of　what　was　taking　place　at　Sardis；　or　of　the　fate　of　the　monarch。　　　　　Cyrus；　however；　when　Croesus　broke　up　so　suddenly　from　his　quarters　after　the　battle　at　Pteria；　conceiving　that　he　had　marched　away　with　the　intention　of　disbanding　his　army；　considered　a　little；　and　soon　saw　that　it　was　advisable　for　him　to　advance　upon　Sardis　with　all　haste；　before　the　Lydians　could　get　their　forces　together　a　second　time。　Having　thus　determined；　he　lost　no　time　in　carrying　out　his　plan。　He　marched　forward　with　such　speed　that　he　was　himself　the　first　to　announce　his　coming　to　the　Lydian　king。　That　monarch；　placed　in　the　utmost　difficulty　by　the　turn　of　events　which　had　gone　so　entirely　against　all　his　calculations；　nevertheless　led　out　the　Lydians　to　battle。　In　all　Asia　there　was　not　at　that　time　a　braver　or　more　warlike　people。　Their　manner　of　fighting　was　on　horseback；　they　carried　long　lances；　and　were　clever　in　the　management　of　their　steeds。　　　　　The　two　armies　met　in　the　plain　before　Sardis。　It　is　a　vast　flat；　bare　of　trees；　watered　by　the　Hyllus　and　a　number　of　other　streams；　which　all　flow　into　one　larger　than　the　rest；　called　the　Hermus。　This　river　rises　in　the　sacred　mountain　of　the　Dindymenian　Mother；　and　falls　into　the　sea　near　the　town　of　Phocaea。　　　　　When　Cyrus　beheld　the　Lydians　arranging　themselves　in　order　of　battle　on　this　plain；　fearful　of　the　strength　of　their　cavalry；　he　adopted　a　device　which　Harpagus；　one　of　the　Medes；　suggested　to　him。　He　collected　together　all　the　camels　that　had　come　in　the　train　of　his　army　to　carry　the　provisions　and　the　baggage；　and　taking　off　their　loads；　he　mounted　riders　upon　them　accoutred　as　horsemen。　These　he　commanded　to　advance　in　front　of　his　other　troops　against　the　Lydian　horse；　behind　them　were　to　follow　the　foot　soldiers；　and　last　of　all　the　cavalry。　When　his　arrangements　were　complete；　he　gave　his　troops　orders　to　slay　all　the　other　Lydians　who　came　in　their　way　without　mercy；　but　to　spare　Croesus　and　not　kill　him；　even　if　he　should　be　seized　and　offer　resistance。　The　reason　why　Cyrus　opposed　his　camels　to　the　enemy's　horse　was　because　the　horse　has　a　natural　dread　of　the　camel；　and　cannot　abide　either　the　sight　or　the　smell　of　that　animal。　By　this　stratagem　he　hoped　to　make　Croesus's　horse　useless　to　him；　the　horse　being　what　he　chiefly　depended　on　for　victory。　The　two　armies　then　joined　battle；　and　immediately　the　Lydian　war…horses；　seeing　and　smelling　the　camels；　turned　round　and　galloped　off；　and　so　it　came　to　pass　that　all　Croesus's　hopes　withered　away。　The　Lydians；　however；　behaved　manfully。　As　soon　as　they　understood　what　was　happening；　they　leaped　off　their　horses；　and　engaged　with　the　Persians　on　foot。　The　combat　was　long；　but　at　last；　after　a　great　slaughter　on　both　sides；　the　Lydians　turned　and　fled。　They　were　driven　within　their　walls　and　the　Persians　laid　siege　to　Sardis。