(1) Now after departing for Persia like this, Cyrus is said to have still been among the boys for another year. At first the boys used to mock him for having come back from Media after having learned there how to live for pleasure. But when they saw him eating and drinking just as pleasantly as they themselves did; and when, whenever there was a feast or a holiday, they perceived him giving of his own share rather than asking for more; and when in addition to these things they saw him superior to themselves in other respects, of course his agemates were once again intimidated by him. When he passed through this education and entered among the youths, he seemed also among them to be superior in caring for what he ought, in being steadfast, in respecting his elders, and in obeying the rulers.
(2) In the progress of time, among the Medes, Astyages died, and Cyaxares, the son of Astyages and brother of Cyrus’ mother, came to hold the kingship of the Medes. The king of Assyria, having subdued all the Syrians, a very large nation, having made the king of Arabia his subject, having the Hyrcanians as subjects already and besieging the Bactrians as well, believed that if he should reduce the Medes, he would easily come to rule over all those in the area, for their tribe seemed to be the strongest of those nearby. (3) He thus sent messengers around to all those beneath him, and to Croesus the king of the Lydians, to the king of the Cappadocians, to both Phrygias, to the Paphlagonians and Indians, to the Carians and Cilicians. In part, he slandered the Medes and Persians, saying that these nations were great, strong, and united toward the same end, that they had made marriages with each other, and that they would be likely, unless someone should reduce them first, to come to each of the other nations and subdue them in turn. Some, being persuaded even by these arguments, made an alliance with him; others were persuaded by gifts and money, for in these he abounded.
(4) When Astyages’ son Cyaxares perceived this design and the preparation of those uniting against him, he both immediately made such counter preparations as he could himself, and he sent messages to the Persians, both to the common council51 and to Cambyses, who was married to his sister and was king of the Persians. He sent also to Cyrus, asking that he try to come as the ruler of the men, if the common council of the Persians should send some soldiers, for Cyrus had already completed his ten years among the youths and was among the mature men. (5) So then, with Cyrus’ acceptance, the elders in council chose him as the ruler of the expedition to Media. They also allowed him to choose two hundred of the Peers52 and in turn they allowed each of the two hundred to choose four, with each of these also to be from among the Peers. So this made one thousand. They ordered each of these one thousand to choose ten targeteers, ten slingers, and ten archers from among the Persian people. Thus there were ten thousand archers, ten thousand targeteers, and ten thousand slingers; and apart from these there was the first. one thousand. So Cyrus was given an army of this size.
(6) Immediately on being chosen, he began with the gods. After sacrificing with good omen, he then chose the two hundred. When these also had each chosen their four, he assembled them, and then for the first time spoke to them as follows: (7) “Men, friends, I did not choose you testing you now for the first time, but from childhood on I have seen you work enthusiastically at what the city believes to be noble and seen you abstain altogether from what it holds to be shameful. I wish to make clear to you why I myself am not unwilling to be appointed to this command or to call you along as well. (8) I consider our ancestors to have been no worse than we. At least they too spent all their time practicing the very things that are held to be works of virtue. What good they acquired by being such, however, either for the community of the Persians or for themselves, I cannot see. (9) And yet I do not think that human beings practice any virtue in order that those who become good have no more than do the worthless. Rather, those who abstain from the pleasures at hand do so not in order that they may never have enjoyment, but through their present continence they prepare themselves to have much more enjoyment in the future. Those who are enthusiastic about becoming clever at speaking do not practice it so that they may never cease speaking well, but they expect by speaking well to persuade human beings and thereby to accomplish many and great goods. Those in turn who practice military affairs do not work at them in order that they never cease fighting, but these too do so believing that by becoming good in military affairs they shall secure much wealth, much happiness, and great honors both for themselves and for their city. (10) If any who have labored at these things see themselves become incapacitated by old age before they have reaped any fruit from them, they seem to me to suffer something similar to someone who, enthusiastic to become a good farmer, sows well and plants well, but when it is time for the harvest, lets his ungathered crop fall down to the earth again. And if an athlete, after undertaking many labors and becoming deserving of victory, should pass his life without a contest, it would not seem to me to be just that he not be blamed for folly.
(11) “But men, let us not suffer these things. Rather, since we ourselves are conscious of having practiced the good and noble deeds since our childhood, let us go against the enemy, for I know clearly (having myself seen that it is so) that as compared to us, they are too much like amateurs to contend against us, for those who know how to shoot, throw, and ride are not yet competent antagonists if they fall short when there is hard work to be done, but [our enemies] are amateurs in the face of hard work. Nor even are they competent who, when it is necessary to go without sleep, are overcome by it, but [our enemies] are amateurs in the face of sleeplessness. Nor even are they competent who are competent in these things but who are uneducated as to how to make use of allies and enemies, but it is clear that [our enemies] are inexperienced in the most important subjects of education. (12) But you, surely, would be able to make use of the night as others the day; you believe that labors are our guides to living pleasantly; you regularly use hunger as others use sauce; you endure the drinking of mere water more easily than do lions; and you have gathered into your souls the most noble and warlike possession of all, for you rejoice in being praised more than in all other things, and lovers of praise must of necessity take on with pleasure every labor and every risk.
(13) “If I should say these things about you while knowing them to be otherwise, I would deceive myself, for insofar as you do not turn out to be as I have said, your shortcoming would come right back to me. But I trust that my experience of you and of our enemies will not cheat me of these good hopes. Let us go forth with confidence, since the appearance of unjustly desiring what belongs to others is far from impeding us, for now our enemies are coming, beginning the unjust deeds, and our friends summon us to be auxiliaries. What is more just than defending ourselves or more noble than aiding friends? (14) But I think this also gives you a great deal of confidence, to make this expedition without my having neglected the gods, for since you have been together with me many times, you know that I always try to begin with the gods not only in great matters but even in small ones.”
He said in conclusion, “What more must be said? Choose your men, gather them up, make your other preparations, and go to Media. After going back to my father again, I will go in advance. Thus, after learning about our enemies as quickly as possible, I may make whatever preparations I can so that we may contend as nobly as possible with god’s [help].”53
So this is what they were doing.