(1) After this was completed, he sent to Cyaxares and directed him to come to the camp so that they might deliberate about how to make use of the forts they had taken and also so that after seeing the army he might join in deliberating more generally about what they should do next. “But if he orders that I come to him,” he said, “tell him that I will do so in order to camp together with him.” (2) So the messenger departed in order to report these things. Cyrus meanwhile gave orders to prepare the tent of the Assyrian [king], which the Medes had selected for Cyaxares, and to do so in the best possible way, not only stocking it with all the other provisions they had but also installing into the woman’s quarters of the tent a woman, and with her the music girls who had been selected for Cyaxares.32 (3) So this is what they were doing.
The one sent to Cyaxares said what had been commanded. After hearing him, Cyaxares knew that it was better for the army to remain in the borderlands, for the Persians that Cyrus sent for had also arrived.33 There were forty thousand archers and targeteers. (4) Seeing that even these were damaging Median territory in many ways, it seemed more pleasant to be rid of them than to receive another mob. He who had led the army out of Persia asked Cyaxares, in accord with Cyrus’ letter, whether he had need of the army.34 When he said that he did not need it, he went on that same day with the army to Cyrus, since he heard that he was nearby.
(5) On the next day Cyaxares marched out with those of the Median knights who had remained with him.35 When Cyrus perceived that he was approaching, he went to meet him and brought along with him the Persian cavalry, which was already numerous, all the Medes, Armenians, Hyrcanians, and, of the other allies, those with the best horses and weapons, thus showing his power to Cyaxares.
(6) When Cyaxares saw many noble and good troops following Cyrus, yet with himself a retinue both small and of little worth, it seemed to him to be something dishonorable, and he was seized by grief. When Cyrus got down from his horse and approached in order to kiss him according to custom, Cyaxares got down from his horse but turned away. He did not kiss him but was crying visibly. (7) Cyrus next bade all the others stand apart and be at ease, and he himself took Cyaxares’ right hand and led him away off the road and under some palm trees. He ordered some Median rugs to be put down for him, and he sat him down; then sitting down beside him, he said the following: (8) “Tell me, by the gods, uncle,” he said, “why are you angry at me, and what harsh sight do you see that you are so harshly disposed?”
Then Cyaxares answered, “Because, Cyrus, I think that I am a natural descendant of a father who was a king and of ancestors [who were kings] for as far back as the memory of human beings reaches, and I believe that I myself am a king. Nevertheless, I see myself riding here in this humiliating and unworthy fashion, and I see you present here, great and magnificent, accompanied by my own retinue along with additional power. (9) I think that it is harsh to suffer these things even at the hands of enemies, and much more harsh, by Zeus, at the hands of those from whom I ought least to have suffered them: I think that it would be more pleasant to sink into the earth ten times than to be seen so humiliated and to see my own troops neglecting me and laughing at me. I am not ignorant of this, that not only are you greater than I, but even my slaves are stronger than I in this present encounter, and they have been so prepared that they have the power to do me more harm than they can suffer at my hands.” (10) And as he was saying this, he was still more overcome by tears, so that he also led Cyrus’ eyes to be filled with tears.
After pausing a little, Cyrus said such things as follow: “But in this, Cyaxares, you neither speak the truth nor judge correctly, if you think that Medes have been so prepared by my presence that they are capable of harming you. (11) I do not wonder, however, that your spirit is roused and that you are afraid. As for whether you are justly or unjustly severe with them, however, I shall let this go, for I know that you would not take it well if you should hear me making a defense on their behalf. It seems to me to be a great error, however, for a man who is a ruler to be severe with all his subjects at the same time: He must of necessity, by frightening many, make many enemies, and by being severe with them all at the same time, he must of necessity instill the same attitude in them all. (12) This is why, I assure you, I did not send these troops back without me, for I was afraid that your anger might provoke something painful for all of us. Since I am now present with the gods’ [help], this is now no danger for you. That you believe you have been unjustly treated by me, however, I take ill—if working as much as is within my power to do as many good things for my friends as is possible, I then seem to have accomplished the opposite of this. (13) But let us not blame ourselves so pointlessly. Rather, if it is possible, let us see most clearly what sort of unjust act I have committed. I put forward the proposition most just for among friends: If I shall come to light as having done you some harm, I agree that I am unjust. If, however, I come to light as having done no harm, and as having wished none, will you agree in turn that you have not been unjustly treated by me?”
(14) “I must,” he said, “of necessity.”
“If I plainly appear to have done good things for you and to have been enthusiastic to do as many as I was able, would I not be even more deserving of your praise than of blame?”
“It would be but just,” he said.
(15) “Come then,” said Cyrus, “let us examine one by one all the things I have done. In this way both what is good and what is bad will be especially clear. (16) Let us begin with this command of mine, if this seems sufficient also to you.36 Doubtless when you perceived that many enemies had assembled, and that these had set out against you and your country, you sent directly to the Persians’ common council asking for allies and to me personally asking that, if any Persians were to come, I try to come myself as their leader37 Was I not in this persuaded by you, and did I not report to you, leading as many men, and as good, as I was able?”
“Yes, you came,” he said.
(17) “In this, then, first of all,” he asked, “tell me whether you discerned any injustice of mine toward you, or rather a good deed?”
“A good deed, clearly,” said Cyaxares, “at least in this.”
(18) “What about when the enemies came,” he asked, “and it was necessary to contend against them, did you detect somewhere in this that I either withdrew from labor or avoided risks?”38
(19) “No, by Zeus,” he said, “certainly not.”
“What about then, after victory became ours, with the gods’ [ help], and the enemies retreated? When I proposed to you that we pursue them in common, that we take vengeance in common, that, if any noble and good thing should result, we harvest it in common39 are you able to accuse me of seizing the advantage in this?”
(20) Now Cyaxares fell silent at this.
Cyrus spoke again, as follows: “But since in this case it is more pleasing for you to be silent than to answer, tell me whether you believed you were at all unjustly treated because, when going in pursuit did not seem to you to be safe, I excused you from sharing in this risk yourself but asked you to send some of your knights with me. If I was unjust in asking this, even though I had stood by you before as an ally, show it.”
(21) When Cyaxares fell silent at this too, he said, “But if you do notwish to answer this either, speak to the next point and say whether I was unjust here: When you saw the Medes enjoying themselves, you answered me by saying you did not wish to make them stop and compel them to go out to risk their lives. Do I here seem to you to have done something harsh because I avoided getting angry at you for your response, and I asked you for what I knew to be the most minor thing for you to give and the easiest thing to be commanded to the Medes: I asked that you grant me anyone who wished to follow along. (22) Obtaining this from you would accomplish nothing, if I did not persuade them. I went, therefore, and tried to persuade them, and with those whom I persuaded, I marched, since you had allowed it. If you believe that this deserves blame, then, as it appears, it is not even blameless to accept from you what you give. (23) So this is how we started. But after we departed, what did we do that is not obvious? Was the enemies’ camp not captured? Were not many of those who came against you killed? And of the enemies who are still living, have not many been deprived of their weapons, and many of their horses? Now you see your friends possessing and leading away the valuables of those who before used to carry and lead your valuables away, and they bring them partly to you, partly to those under your rule. (24) The greatest and most noble thing of all is that you see your country being enlarged and your enemies’ being diminished; you see your enemies’ forts occupied; those of yours that previously ended up under the power of the Syrians you now see, in opposite fashion, have come over to you. If there is in these events some evil for you, or something that is not good for you, I do not know how I could say that I wish to learn it; nothing prevents me from listening, however. (25) So tell me what your judgment is in this regard.”
Having spoken like this, Cyrus stopped. Cyaxares said the following in response: “But Cyrus, I do not know how one could say that the things you have done are bad. Be well assured, however, that they are good in such a way that the more numerous they appear, the more they oppress me, (26) for I would wish to make your country greater by my power rather than to see mine so enlarged by you, for your deeds are noble to you who do them, but somehow the same deeds bring dishonor to me. (27) And as for valuables and the way you are now giving them to me, I think it would be more pleasant to bestow them upon you than to receive them from you like this, for being enriched in them by you, I perceive even more those things in which I am becoming ever more impoverished. And I think that if I should see my subordinates unjustly treated by you, at least in small things, it would cause me less pain than seeing now that they have experienced great goods at your hands.
(28) “If I seem to you to lack judgment in the way I take these things to heart, put yourself in my situation, and then see how they appear to you. If you were raising dogs to guard yourself and what belongs to you, and if someone were attentive to them and thereby made them more familiar to himself than to you, would he delight you by this attention? (29) If this seems to you to be a small matter, consider this: If someone should so dispose your attendants, whom you maintain for the sake of your protection and military expeditions, such that they wish to be his rather than yours, would you owe him gratitude in return for this good deed? (30) What about this, which human beings long for most of all and attend to most dearly:40 If someone is so attentive to your wife that he makes her love himself rather than you, would he delight you by this good deed?41 Far from it, I think, and I know well that in acting like this, he would be unjust to you to the highest degree. (31) In order to mention also what pertains especially to my experience, if someone should be so attentive to the Persians whom you led here that they followed him with more pleasure than they followed you, would you believe him to be a friend? I think not, but more of an enemy than if he had killed many of them. (32) What about this, if you—in a friendly way—bid one of your friends to take what he wants, and on hearing this he then takes as much as he is able to get and leaves, and if he then becomes rich with what is yours, while you do not have the use of even a moderate amount, would you be able to believe such a person to be a blameless friend? (33) Now, however, if I have not suffered this at your hands, Cyrus, I think I have suffered something similar. Admit the truth: When I said to lead those who were willing to go, you took my entire power and left, leaving me deserted. And what you took with my power, now, of course, you bring to me, and my country you enlarge with my power. Since I am in no way responsible for these blessings, I seem to offer myself up to be treated well, like a woman, and both to other human beings and to these my subordinates you appear a man and I unworthy of rule. (34) Do these seem to you to be good deeds, Cyrus? Be assured that if you cared for me at all, you would guard against depriving me of nothing so much as my dignity and honor. What do I gain if my land is extended but I am myself dishonored? For I was not ruler of the Medes because I was stronger than all of them but rather because they esteemed us to be better than they in everything.”
(35) Interrupting him as he was still talking, Cyrus said, “By the gods, uncle, if I ever gratified you before in anything, gratify me now in what I ask: For the time being, stop blaming me. When you get more evidence of how we are disposed toward you, then, if what I have done comes to light as having been done for your good, greet me in turn when I greet you and believe me to be a benefactor, but if the reverse, blame me then.”
(36) “Perhaps,” said Cyaxares, “you speak nobly. I will do so.”
“Well then,” said Cyrus, “shall I kiss you?”
“If you wish,” he said.
“And you will not turn from me as you did just now?”
“I will not turn from you,” he said.
So he kissed him.
(37) When the Medes, Persians, and the many others saw this (for the result was a matter of concern for all of them), they took immediate pleasure and beamed with joy. Cyrus and Cyaxares mounted their horses and both rode in the lead. The Medes followed Cyaxares (for Cyrus gave them a nod to do so), the Persians followed Cyrus, and the others followed after them. (38) When they arrived at the camp and settled Cyaxares into the tent that had been prepared for him, those so assigned got busy preparing provisions for Cyaxares. (39) For as long as Cyaxares was at leisure before dinner, the Medes came to him, some by themselves and of their own accord, but most having been so ordered by Cyrus; and they brought gifts: someone a beautiful cupbearer, another a good cook, another a baker, another a musician, another cups, another beautiful clothes. Nearly everyone brought him at least some gift from what he himself had received. (40) Cyaxares consequently changed to the opinion that Cyrus was not leading them to revolt from him and that the Medes were not paying him any less attention than before.
(41) When it was time for dinner, Cyaxares called Cyrus, expecting to dine with him, since it was some time since he had seen him. But Cyrus said, “Do not order it, Cyaxares. Do you not see that the troops who are here are all here because they have been made expectant by us? I would not be acting nobly if, neglecting them, I should seem to attend to my own pleasure. When they think they are neglected, good soldiers become much more despondent, while the worthless ones become much more insolent. (42) But especially since you have come a long way, have your dinner now. If some come and honor you, greet them in turn, and entertain them so that they may have confidence in you. I shall leave and turn to what I mentioned. (43) Early tomorrow morning the chief aides will report here at your doors in order that we may all deliberate with you about what ought to be done in the future. Come and put forward for us the question as to whether it still seems that we should campaign or whether now is the moment to dissolve the army.”
(44) After this, Cyaxares was busy about his dinner, but Cyrus assembled those of his friends who were the most competent at both thinking and, if needed, acting in concert, and he spoke as follows: “Men, friends, the things we prayed for at first are now, with the gods’ [help], ours. Wherever we march, we control the land. We see our enemies being diminished, and we ourselves becoming more numerous and stronger. (45) If our newly added allies should be willing to remain by our side, we would be able to accomplish much more, both by force, if it should be the moment for that, and by persuasion, if that should be needed. To contrive that as many of our allies as possible decide to remain is no more my work than yours. (46) But just as when it is necessary to do battle, the one who subdues the most will be regarded as the strongest, so also when it is necessary to persuade, the one who makes the most people share our opinion would justly be judged to be most skilled in speech and action. (47) Do not be concerned, however, about how you will display to us what sort of speech you would say to each of them. Rather, make your preparations bearing in mind that those you persuade will become evident by what they do. (48) Let this, then, be your concern. I will try to make it my concern that when the soldiers deliberate about campaigning further, they have all that they require, to the extent I am able to provide it.”