the history-第70章

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d　no　more；　but　twenty　days　afterwards　he　called　to　his　presence　all　the　chief　Persians　who　were　with　the　army；　and　addressed　them　as　follows：…　〃Persians；　needs　must　I　tell　you　now　what　hitherto　I　have　striven　with　the　greatest　care　to　keep　concealed。　When　I　was　in　Egypt　I　saw　in　my　sleep　a　vision；　which　would　that　I　had　never　beheld！　I　thought　a　messenger　came　to　me　from　my　home；　and　told　me　that　Smerdis　sate　upon　the　royal　throne；　and　with　his　head　touched　the　heavens。　Then　I　feared　to　be　cast　from　my　throne　by　Smerdis　my　brother；　and　I　did　what　was　more　hasty　than　wise。　Ah！　truly；　do　what　they　may；　it　is　impossible　for　men　to　turn　aside　the　coming　fate。　I；　in　my　folly；　sent　Prexaspes　to　Susa　to　put　my　brother　to　death。　So　this　great　woe　was　accomplished；　and　I　then　lived　without　fear；　never　imagining　that；　after　Smerdis　was　dead；　I　need　dread　revolt　from　any　other。　But　herein　I　had　quite　mistaken　what　was　about　to　happen；　and　so　I　slew　my　brother　without　any　need；　and　nevertheless　have　lost　my　crown。　For　it　was　Smerdis　the　Magus；　and　not　Smerdis　my　brother；　of　whose　rebellion　God　forewarned　me　by　the　vision。　The　deed　is　done；　however；　and　Smerdis；　son　of　Cyrus；　be　sure　is　lost　to　you。　The　Magi　have　the　royal　power…　Patizeithes；　whom　I　left　at　Susa　to　overlook　my　household；　and　Smerdis　his　brother。　There　was　one　who　would　have　been　bound　beyond　all　others　to　avenge　the　wrongs　I　have　suffered　from　these　Magians；　but　he；　alas！　has　perished　by　a　horrid　fate；　deprived　of　life　by　those　nearest　and　dearest　to　him。　In　his　default；　nothing　now　remains　for　me　but　to　tell　you；　O　Persians；　what　I　would　wish　to　have　done　after　I　have　breathed　my　last。　Therefore；　in　the　name　of　the　gods　that　watch　over　our　royal　house；　I　charge　you　all；　and　specially　such　of　you　as　are　Achaemenids；　that　ye　do　not　tamely　allow　the　kingdom　to　go　back　to　the　Medes。　Recover　it　one　way　or　another；　by　force　or　fraud；　by　fraud；　if　it　is　by　fraud　that　they　have　seized　on　it；　by　force；　if　force　has　helped　them　in　their　enterprise。　Do　this；　and　then　may　your　land　bring　you　forth　fruit　abundantly；　and　your　wives　bear　children；　and　your　herds　increase；　and　freedom　be　your　portion　for　ever：　but　do　it　not…　make　no　brave　struggle　to　regain　the　kingdom…　and　then　my　curse　be　on　you；　and　may　the　opposite　of　all　these　things　happen　to　you…　and　not　only　so；　but　may　you；　one　and　all；　perish　at　the　last　by　such　a　fate　as　mine！〃　Then　Cambyses；　when　he　left　speaking；　bewailed　his　whole　misfortune　from　beginning　to　end。　　　　　Whereupon　the　Persians；　seeing　their　king　weep；　rent　the　garments　that　they　had　on；　and　uttered　lamentable　cries；　after　which；　as　the　bone　presently　grew　carious；　and　the　limb　gangrened；　Cambyses；　son　of　Cyrus；　died。　He　had　reigned　in　all　seven　years　and　five　months；　and　left　no　issue　behind　him；　male　or　female。　The　Persians　who　had　heard　his　words；　put　no　faith　in　anything　that　he　said　concerning　the　Magi　having　the　royal　power；　but　believed　that　he　spoke　out　of　hatred　towards　Smerdis；　and　had　invented　the　tale　of　his　death　to　cause　the　whole　Persian　race　to　rise　up　in　arms　against　him。　Thus　they　were　convinced　that　it　was　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus　who　had　rebelled　and　now　sate　on　the　throne。　For　Prexaspes　stoutly　denied　that　he　had　slain　Smerdis；　since　it　was　not　safe　for　him；　after　Cambyses　was　dead；　to　allow　that　a　son　of　Cyrus　had　met　with　death　at　his　hands。　　　　　Thus　then　Cambyses　died；　and　the　Magus　now　reigned　in　security；　and　passed　himself　off　for　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus。　And　so　went　by　the　seven　months　which　were　wanting　to　complete　the　eighth　year　of　Cambyses。　His　subjects；　while　his　reign　lasted；　received　great　benefits　from　him；　insomuch　that；　when　he　died；　all　the　dwellers　in　Asia　mourned　his　loss　exceedingly；　except　only　the　Persians。　For　no　sooner　did　he　come　to　the　throne　than　forthwith　he　sent　round　to　every　nation　under　his　rule；　and　granted　them　freedom　from　war…service　and　from　taxes　for　the　space　of　three　years。　　　　　In　the　eighth　month；　however；　it　was　discovered　who　he　was　in　the　mode　following。　There　was　a　man　called　Otanes；　the　son　of　Pharnaspes；　who　for　rank　and　wealth　was　equal　to　the　greatest　of　the　Persians。　This　Otanes　was　the　first　to　suspect　that　the　Magus　was　not　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus；　and　to　surmise　moreover　who　he　really　was。　He　was　led　to　guess　the　truth　by　the　king　never　quitting　the　citadel；　and　never　calling　before　him　any　of　the　Persian　noblemen。　As　soon；　therefore；　as　his　suspicions　were　aroused　he　adopted　the　following　measures：…　One　of　his　daughters；　who　was　called　Phaedima；　had　been　married　to　Cambyses；　and　was　taken　to　wife；　together　with　the　rest　of　Cambyses'　wives；　by　the　Magus。　To　this　daughter　Otanes　sent　a　message；　and　inquired　of　her　〃who　it　was　whose　bed　she　shared；…　was　it　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus；　or　was　it　some　other　man？〃　Phaedima　in　reply　declared　she　did　not　know…　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus　she　had　never　seen；　and　so　she　could　not　tell　whose　bed　she　shared。　Upon　this　Otanes　sent　a　second　time；　and　said；　〃If　thou　dost　not　know　Smerdis　son　of　Cyrus　thyself；　ask　queen　Atossa　who　it　is　with　whom　ye　both　live…　she　cannot　fail　to　know　her　own　brother。〃　To　this　the　daughter　made　answer；　〃I　can　neither　get　speech　with　Atossa；　nor　with　any　of　the　women　who　lodge　in　the　palace。　For　no　sooner　did　this　man；　be　he　who　he　may；　obtain　the　kingdom；　than　he　parted　us　from　one　another；　and　gave　us　all　separate　chambers。〃　　　　　This　made　the　matter　seem　still　more　plain　to　Otanes。　Nevertheless　he　sent　a　third　message　to　his　daughter　in　these　words　following：…　〃Daughter；　thou　art　of　noble　blood…　thou　wilt　not　shrink　from　a　risk　which　thy　father　bids　thee　encounter。　If　this　fellow　be　not　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus；　but　the　man　whom　I　think　him　to　be；　his　boldness　in　taking　thee　to　be　his　wife；　and　lording　it　over　the　Persians；　must　not　be　allowed　to　pass　unpunished。　Now　therefore　do　as　I　command…　when　next　he　passes　the　night　with　thee；　wait　till　thou　art　sure　he　is　fast　asleep；　and　then　feel　for　his　ears。　If　thou　findest　him　to　have　ears；　then　believe　him　to　be　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus；　but　if　he　has　none；　know　him　for　Smerdis　the　Magian。〃　Phaedima　returned　for　answer；　〃It　would　be　a　great　risk。　If　he　was　without　ears；　and　caught　her　feeling　for　them；　she　well　knew　he　would　make　away　with　her…　nevertheless　she　would　venture。〃　So　Otanes　got　his　daughter's　promise　that　she　would　do　as　he　desired。　Now　Smerdis　the　Magian　had　had　his　ears　cut　off　in　the　lifetime　of　Cyrus　son　of　Cambyses；　as　a　punishment　for　a　crime　of　no　slight　heinousness。　Phaedima　therefore；　Otanes'　daughter；　bent　on　accomplishing　what　she　had　promised　her　father；　when　her　turn　came；　and　she　was　taken　to　the　bed　of　the　Magus　（in　Persia　a　man's　wives　sleep　with　him　in　their　turns）；　waited　till　he　was　sound　asleep；　and　then　felt　for　his　ears。　She　quickly　perceived　that　he　had　no　ears；　and　of　this；　as　soon　as　day　dawned；　she　sent　word　to　her　father。　　　　　Then　Otanes　took　to　him　two　of　the　chief　Persians；　Aspathines　and　Gobryas；　men　whom　it　was　most　advisable　to　trust　in　such　a　matter；　and　told　them　everything。　Now　they　had　already　of　themselves　suspected　how　the　matter　stood。　When　Otanes　therefore　laid　his　reasons　before　them　they　at　once　came　into　his　views；　and　it　wa