(1) Cyrus remained there a measured amount of time with his army and showed that they were ready to do battle if anyone should come out. When no one came out in opposition, he withdrew as far as seemed noble and encamped. After posting guards and sending scouts forward, he took a central position, called together his own soldiers, and spoke as follows: (2) “Persian men, first I praise the gods as much as is in my power, as do you all, I am sure, for we have obtained both victory and safety. For these [blessings], then, thank offerings to the gods must be performed from what we have. Now I praise you all together, for the work that has been done has been nobly performed by you all together. After I inquire from the appropriate sources what each deserves to receive, I shall then try to assign to each his due in both speech and deed. (3) As for the captain nearest to me, Chrysantas, I do not need to inquire anything from others, but I myself know how he was, for he did the other things that I am sure you all did as well. Yet when I commanded you to retreat and called him by name, he obeyed, even though he had raised his sword to strike an enemy, and putting aside what he was about to do, he did what was ordered, for he both himself retreated and commanded it in all haste to others. He consequently got a head start on the enemy and withdrew his company outside of bowshot before they, realizing that we were retreating, bent their bows and threw their spears. He is consequently unharmed himself, and because of obedience, he also has kept his own men unharmed. (4) I see others who have been wounded; I will disclose my judgment about them after I examine the time in which they were wounded. Yet now, as industrious in things military, as prudent, and as competent both to rule and to be ruled, I honor Chrysantas with a colonelcy. And whenever god may grant some other good, I shall not then forget him. (5) And I wish you all to remember: Do not ever cease taking to heart what you have just seen in this battle. You may then always judge for yourselves whether virtue saves lives more than does flight, whether those who are willing to fight escape more easily than do those who are not willing, and what sort of pleasure victory provides, for it is now that you could judge these things best, since you have experience of them and the event has just now occurred. (6) And if you always think these thoughts, you would be better. But now, as dear to the gods, good, and moderate men, have your dinner, pour your libations to the gods, begin the paean, and at the same time attend to what is announced.”
(7) After saying these things, he mounted his horse and rode off. Coming to Cyaxares, he savored the pleasure in common with him, as was to be expected, and after seeing things there and asking if he needed anything, he rode back to his own army. And those with Cyrus, after having dinner and posting guards as needed, went to rest.
(8) As for the Assyrians, since both their ruler and with him nearly all the best troops were dead, all were despondent, and many of them had run away from the camp during the night. When Croesus and their other allies saw this, they became despondent, for everything was difficult, but what provided the greatest despondency for all was that the army’s leading tribe was altogether corrupted in its judgment. Thus they left the camp and went away during the night. (9) When day came and the enemy camp appeared empty of men, Cyrus immediately had the Persians cross over first. Left behind by the enemy were many sheep, many cattle, and many carts filled with many good things. After this, Cyaxares then crossed over with all the Medes, and they made their breakfast there.
(10) After they had breakfast, Cyrus called his captains together and spoke as follows: “How great and numerous are the good things we seem to me to have thrown away, even though the gods gave them to us to take! For now you yourselves see that our enemies have run away in fear of us. They were inside a fortification, left it, and are taking flight: How could anyone think that they would stand their ground if they should see us on a level field? They could not stand fast when inexperienced of us: How could they now stand fast after having been defeated and suffering many evils at our hands? The best of them have perished: How could the worse be willing to do battle with us?”
And someone said, (11) “Why do we not go in pursuit as quickly as possible, since these good things are so obvious?”
And he said, “Because we lack horses, for the best among our enemy, whom it would have been especially opportune to capture or kill, will be on horseback. Those whom, with the gods, we are competent to turn to flight we are not competent to take by pursuit.”
(12) “Why, then,” they said, “do you not go and say this to Cyaxares?”
And he said, “Then all of you follow me, so that he may see that this is how it seems to all of us.” After this they all followed him and said the sort of things they thought required to get what they wanted.
(13) Now because they were the first to make the argument, Cyaxares was envious; perhaps it also seemed to him to be fine that they not run further risks, for he, as it happened, was busy enjoying himself, and he saw many of the other Medes doing the same thing. So he spoke as follows: (14) “Cyrus, that of all human beings you Persians take the noblest care not to be insatiably disposed toward any single pleasure I know both by seeing and by hearing. Yet it seems to me to be most especially advantageous to be continent in the greatest pleasure. And what provides human beings with a greater pleasure than the good fortune that has now come to us? (15) If then, when we enjoy good fortune, we guard it moderately, it would perhaps be within our power to grow old in happiness without risk. Yet if we are insatiable in this, and try to pursue first one and then another [instance of good fortune], watch out that we do not suffer what they say that many have suffered at sea, to be unwilling—on account of their good fortune—to cease sailing until they perish; and they say that many, chancing on one victory but desiring another, throw away the first, (16) for if our enemies fled because they were weaker than we, perhaps it would be safe also to pursue these weaker troops. But now bear in mind what a small fraction of them we have conquered, though all of us fought. The others did not fight; if we do not compel them to fight us, they will go away in ignorance both of us and of themselves, because of their lack of learning and their softness. If they come to know that they will be running risks no less by going away than by standing fast, beware lest we compel them to become good, even if they do not want to, (17) for surely you do not desire to take their women and children more than they desire to save them.1 Consider that sows flee with their offspring whenever they are seen, even if there are many of them; but whenever someone hunts one of their offspring, [the mother] no longer flees, not even if she happens to be alone, but she charges the one who is trying to make the capture. (18) And now they locked themselves up inside their fortifications and offered themselves to us to be counted out, so we fought with as many of them as we wished. If we go against them on the plain and they learn to oppose us in separate detachments—some right in our faces, as just now, but others from the sides and still others from behind—watch out that each of us not need many hands and eyes. Moreover, since I see the Medes enjoying themselves, I would not now wish to rouse them and compel them to go off in order to run risks.”
(19) And Cyrus said in reply, “But do not compel anyone; rather, grant me those who are willing to follow along. And perhaps we would return bringing you and each of these friends of yours things with which you will all enjoy yourselves. We will not even pursue the main body of the enemy, for how would we catch them? But if we catch some part detached from the army, or left behind it, we will bring it back to you. (20) Consider that when you asked, we traveled a long way to gratify you. So it is just that you now gratify us in return, so that we may go home with something in our possession and that we not all look to your treasury.”
(21) Then Cyaxares said, “But if someone should follow along willingly, I would even be grateful to you.”
“Then send with me,” he said, “one of these your trusted troops to announce what you command.”
“Come and take,” he said, “whomever of these you want.”
(22) He who had once said that he was his relative, and had gotten kissed, happened now to be present, so Cyrus immediately said, “He is sufficient for me.”2 “Then let him follow you. And you declare,” he said, “that anyone willing is to go with Cyrus.”
(23) Thus he tookthe man and went out. After they cameout, Cyrus immediately said, “You will now show whether you spoke the truth when you said that you took pleasure in gazing on me.”
“Then I will never leave you,” said the Mede, “if this is what you mean.”
And Cyrus said, “Then will you be enthusiastic in leading out others as well?”
He said with an oath, “Yes, by Zeus, to the extent that I shall make you also pleased to gaze on me.”
(24) Then, having been sent out by Cyaxares, he reported with enthusiasm the other things to the Medes, and he added that he himself would not leave the noblest and best man, and most important, one descended from gods.