(1) So Cyrus spoke like this. Chrysantas stood up after him and spoke as follows: “But even on other occasions, men, I have often reflected that a good ruler is no different from a good father. For fathers take forethought for their children so that they never lack the good things, and Cyrus seems to me now to be giving us the sort of advice from which we could especially pass our lives in happiness. Yet there is something he seems to me to have clarified less than should be the case, and I will try to teach those of you who may not know it. (2) Consider what enemy city could be captured by troops who are not obedient? What friendly one could be protected by troops who are not obedient? What sort of army of disobedient troops could obtain victory? How could human beings be defeated in battle more than when they begin to deliberate in private, each about his own safety? What other good could be brought to fulfillment by those who do not obey their superiors? What sort of cities could be lawfully managed, or what sort of households could be preserved? How could ships arrive where they must? (3) As for the good things we now have, by what else did we attain them more than by obeying the ruler? By this we quickly got where we needed to be in both night and day, following our ruler in close formation we were irresistible, and we left nothing half-finished of what was commanded. If, then, obeying the ruler appears to be a very great good for attaining the good things, be assured that this same thing is a very great good also for preserving what must be preserved. (4) Before, of course, many of us did not rule over anyone but were ruled. Now all of you who are present are prepared to rule over others, some over more, others over fewer. Then just as you yourselves think it right to rule over those beneath you, let us similarly obey those whom it is seemly to obey. We need to be different from slaves in this: Whereas slaves serve their masters involuntarily, if in fact we think it right to be free, we need to do voluntarily what appears to be most worthwhile. You will find that even where a city is managed without monarchy, the one that is especially willing to obey its rulers is least compelled to submit to its enemies. (5) Let us report to the official buildings, therefore, just as Cyrus orders, let us exercise in the things by which we will especially be able to hold fast to what must be held, and let us offer ourselves to Cyrus to use in whatever way might be needed. We must also be well assured that Cyrus will not be able to find any way to use us for his own good that will not be good for us as well, since the same things are advantageous for us, and our enemies are the same.”
(6) After Chrysantas said these things, thus did many others stand up to speak in support, both of the Persians and of the allies.1 And it was decided that those in honor always report at the gates and offer themselves to Cyrus to use in whatever way he wished, until he should dismiss them.2 As it was then decided, so even now do those who are subjects of the king in Asia still act: they serve at the gates of the rulers.
(7) As Cyrus has been shown in this account to have established his empire with a view to protecting it both for himself and for Persians, so the kings after him even to this day spend their time observing the same lawful things.3 (8) As it is with the other things, so it is with these: When the person in control is better, the lawful things are observed with greater purity. When he is worse, they are observed in an inferior way.
So those in honor used to come to Cyrus’ gates with their horses and spears, since it was so decided by all the best of those who joined in subduing the empire. (9) Cyrus appointed different people to be responsible for different matters. He had those who collected revenues, those who paid expenses, those who were in control of works, those who guarded possessions, those who were responsible for the provisions for daily life. To be responsible for horses and dogs he appointed those who he believed would render also these beasts in the best condition for his use. (10) As for those whom he thought he must have as fellow guardians of his happiness, he did not similarly assign to others the responsibility of seeing that they be as good as possible, but he believed this had to be his own work. He knew that if ever there were any need of battle, he would have to select from these [fellow guardians] those who would stand beside and behind him, with whom the greatest risks would be run. He realized also that he had to appoint the captains of both the infantry and the cavalry from among them. (11) If also generals should be needed somewhere in his absence, he knew that he had to send them from among these [fellow guardians]. He knew that he had to use some of these as guards and satraps of both cities and whole peoples, and that he had to send some from this group as ambassadors, which he held to be among the most important ways of obtaining what he needed without war.4 (12) He held that his own affairs would go badly if those [fellow guardians] through whom the greatest and most numerous actions were going to be performed were not as they ought to be. Yet if they were as they ought to be, he believed all would be fine. So, judging things in this way, he assumed this responsibility. He believed that the same exercise of virtue had to be his as well, for if he were not himself such as he needed to be, he did not think it would be possible to incite others to noble and good works.
(13) Since he was of such a mind about these things, he held that there was need of leisure first, if he was going to be able to be responsible for the most important affairs.5 Now he believed that it was not possible to neglect revenues, for he foresaw that it would be necessary to spend a great deal on a great empire. Yet on the other hand, since there were many possessions, he knew that his being always busy with them would allow him no leisure for taking care of the safety of the whole. (14) Considering, therefore, how administrative matters might be nobly handled and how he might yet have leisure, he somehow began reflecting on military organization.6 In general, the sergeants are responsible for their ten squad members, the lieutenants are responsible for their sergeants, the colonels are responsible for their lieutenants, the brigadier generals are responsible for their colonels, and thus no one is without responsible supervision, not even if there are very many brigades of ten thousand human beings each; and whenever the general wishes to use the army in some respect, it is sufficient if he gives his orders to the brigadier generals.7 (15) So Cyrus centralized his administrative affairs in just this way. Consequently, it turned out also for Cyrus that even though he spoke to few, nothing of what belonged to him was without responsible supervision.8 And accordingly he now had more leisure than someone responsible for but a single house or a single ship. Having in this way arranged his own [administration], he taught also those about him to use this approach.
(16) In this way, then, he provided leisure both for himself and for his circle, and he began to take charge of having his partners be as they should. In the first place, for those who were sufficient [in rank] to be maintained by the work of others, he made inquiries if they did not report at his gates, for he believed that those who reported were not willing to do anything either evil or shameful, both because of their being in the ruler’s presence and because of their knowing that they would be seen by the best in whatever they should do. Those who did not report he held to be absent because of some incontinence, injustice, or neglect. (17) So first we will describe how he compelled such to report. He bade one of his closest friends to take what belonged to the person who did not show up, and to profess that he was taking what belonged to himself. Now as soon as this would be done, those who had been dispossessed would come immediately with the charge that they had suffered injustice. (18) Cyrus would not find leisure to listen to such people for a long time. When he did hear them, he would postpone his judgment for a long time. In doing this he held that he habituated them to serve, and did so in a less hateful way than if he himself used punishments to compel them to report. (19) This was one of his ways of teaching attendance. Another was assigning the easiest and most profitable assignments to those who were present. Another was never sharing anything with those who were absent. (20) Surely his greatest way of compulsion, if someone did not heed any of these, was taking away from him what he had, and giving it to another who he thought would be able to report when needed. And in this way he came-to have a useful friend in return for a useless one. The present king also inquires after anyone absent who ought to be present.
(21) So this is how he conducted himself toward those who did not report. As for those who did present themselves, he believed that he would especially induce them toward what was noble and good if he himself, since he was their ruler, tried to display himself to his subjects as having been most of all adorned with virtue. (22) He thought he perceived human beings becoming better even through written laws, but he believed that the good ruler was a seeing law for human beings, because he is sufficient to put into order, to see who is out of order, and to punish. (23) So being of such judgment, he first of all displayed himself laboring more over things concerning the gods at this very time, when he was happiest.9 And then the Magi were first charged with singing hymns to all the gods with the coming of every day, and he sacrificed every day to the gods the Magi named. (24) Thus what was established then still endures even now in the court of whoever may be king.
The other Persians, therefore, first imitated him in this, believing both that they themselves would be more happy if they served the gods just as did he who was both happiest and their ruler, and they held that in doing these things they would please Cyrus. (25) Cyrus believed that the piety of those with him was also good for himself, calculating just as do those who choose to sail with the pious rather than with those who seem to have been impious in something. In addition to this, he calculated that if all his partners were pious, they would be less willing to do anything impious both concerning each other and concerning himself, for he believed that he was a benefactor of his partners. (26) He also thought that, if he should show that it was very important to him not to be unjust to any friend or ally, and if he should watch justice intensely, others would abstain from shameful gains and be willing to make their way by the just course. (27) He held that he would also fill all with more respect if he himself were visible with such respect for everyone as not to say or do anything shameful. (28) His evidence for this being so was from what follows: Human beings show respect for those who show respect more than for those who do not, not only in regard to a ruler but even in regard to those they do not fear. And even in the case of women, people are more willing, when they see them, to return the respect of those women whom they perceive to be respectful.10 (29) Next, as for obedience, he thus thought it would be especially abiding in his circle if he openly honored those who obeyed without excuses more than those who thought they contributed the greatest and most arduous virtues. Judging things like this, he acted accordingly.
(30) And displaying even more his own moderation, he made all exercise in this as well, for whenever people see that he is moderate for whom it is especially possible to be insolent, then the weaker are more unwilling to do anything insolent in the open. (31) He distinguished respect and moderation like this: Those who show respect flee what is shameful where it is in the open, but the moderate do so even where it is invisible. (32) And continence he thought would be exercised especially if he himself should display himself not being dragged away from the good things by the pleasures of the moment but being willing to labor first, in accord with what is noble, for what is delightful. (33) Being such, he therefore produced at his gates a great deal of good order among the inferior troops, who deferred to their betters, and much respect and decorous conduct toward each other. You would not have perceived anyone there shouting in anger, or taking delight in insolent laughter, but on seeing them you would have held that they really lived nobly. (34) So they passed their time at his gates doing and seeing such things.
For the sake of military exercise, he took hunting those whom he thought needed this exercise, for he held that it was altogether the best exercise of military [skills] and of horsemanship the truest. (35) This especially makes for riders who can stay seated in all sorts of places, because they follow after fleeing animals, and this especially turns out troops who are active from their horses because of their ambition and desire of catching [the game]. (36) Here especially he habituated his partners in continence and in being able to bear labor, cold, heat, hunger, and thirst. The king and the rest of his circle still even now pass their time doing these things.
(37) He did not think it was fitting for anyone to rule who was not better than his subjects, and this is made clear by everything that has been said above; [it is also clear] that in exercising his circle so much he himself especially worked at continence and the military arts and cares, (38) for he took others hunting whenever there was not any necessity to stay back. Even when there was such a necessity, he hunted the wild animals raised in the parks at home. Neither did he himself ever take his dinner before working up a sweat, nor did he distribute food to horses that had not been exercised. He also called his circle of mace bearers along for these hunts. (39) Therefore, he himself greatly excelled in all noble deeds, and his circle also greatly excelled, because of this constant care. So, then, he offered himself as a pattern of this sort. In addition to this, any of the others he especially saw pursuing what is noble he used to reward with gifts, offices, positions, and all honors. Consequently, he injected much ambition in everyone to appear to Cyrus as excellent as possible.
(40) We think we learned of Cyrus that he did not believe that rulers must differ from their subjects by this alone, by being better, but he also thought they must bewitch them. At least he himself both chose to wear a Median robe and persuaded his partners to dress in one as well, for this robe seemed to him to hide it if anyone should have some bodily defect, and they displayed their wearers as especially beautiful and tall, (41) for they have shoes in which it is especially possible to avoid detection when inserting something underneath, so those who wear them seem to be taller than they are. And he allowed them to use color beneath their eyes, so that their eyes might appear nicer than they were, and to rub on colors so that they might be seen as having better complexions than they did by nature. (42) He took care also that they not spit or wipe their noses in the open, and not turn at the sight of anything, as if they wondered at nothing. He thought that all of this contributed somewhat toward their appearing to their subjects as harder to hold in contempt.
(43) So thus, by himself,11 he prepared those whom he thought must rule, both by their training and by presiding over them with dignity. On the other hand, regarding those whom he was preparing for slavery, he neither urged them to train in any of the labors of freemen nor permitted them to possess weapons. He did take care that they would never go without food or drink for the sake of the training undertaken by freemen, (44) for when they drove game onto the plains for the knights, he allowed them—but none of the freemen—to bring food for the hunt. And when there was an expedition, he led them to water like beasts of burden. And when it was time for dinner, he waited until they might eat something, so that they might not be so terribly hungry. Consequently, even these called him “father,” as did the best, because he took care that they might pass their time as slaves forever and without dispute.
(45) So thus he provided safety for the entire Persian empire. As for himself, he was exceedingly confident that there was no risk of suffering anything at the hands of those who had been subdued, for he held that they were without strength, and he saw that they were without order, and in addition to this, none of them approached him either night or day. (46) Regarding those whom he held to be strongest, however, these he also saw both armed and gathered together, and he knew that some of them were leaders of cavalry and others were of infantry. He perceived many of them also having the high thought that they were competent to rule. It was especially these who approached his guards, and many of them often mingled with Cyrus himself. (For they did so of necessity, if he was going to make use of them.) Thus, it was especially at their hands that there was a risk that he himself might suffer something in any one of many ways.
(47) Considering, then, how they too might pose no risk to him, he resolved not to take their weapons from them and make them un-warlike, both holding it to be unjust and believing this to be the dissolution of his rule. Next, as for not letting them come close and being openly distrustful, he held this to be the beginning of war. (48) Instead of all these policies he judged one to be both best for his own safety and most noble, if he should be able to make the strongest become more friendly to himself than to each other. How, then, he seemed to us to set out to become loved we will try to narrate.12