was now shaking the East, an
opportunity for recovering autonomy. It was nearly half a century since
her last struggle to free herself had terminated unsuccessfully. A new
generation had grown up since that time--a generation which had seen
nothing of war, and imperfectly appreciated its perils. Perhaps some
reliance was placed on the countenance and support of Egypt, which, it
must have been felt, would view with satisfaction any obstacle to the
advance of a power wherewith she was sure, sooner or later, to come into
collision. At any rate, it was resolved to make the venture. Phoenicia,
on the destruction of her distant suzerain, quietly resumed her freedom;
abstained from making any act of submission to the conqueror; while,
however, at the same time, she established friendly relations for
commercial purposes with one of the conqueror's vassals, the prince who
had been sent into Palestine to re-establish the Jews at Jerusalem.

It might have been expected that Cyrus, after his conquest of Babylon,
would have immediately proceeded towards the south-west. The reduction
of Egypt had, according to Herodotus, been embraced in the designs which
he formed fifteen years earlier. The non-submission of Phoenicia
must have been regarded as an act of defiance which deserved signal
chastisement. It has been suspected that the restoration of the Jews was
prompted, at least in part, by political motives, and that Cyrus, when
he re-established them in their country, looked to finding them of use
to him in the attack which he was meditating upon Egypt. At any rate it
is evident that their presence would have facilitated his march through
Palestine, and given him a _point d'appui_, which could not but have
been of value. These considerations make it probable that an Egyptian
expedition would have been determined on, had not circumstances occurred
to prevent it.

What the exact circumstances were, it is impossible to determine.
According to Herodotus, a sudden desire seized Cyrus to attack the
Massagetae, who bordered his Empire to the north-east. He led his troops
across the Araxes (Jaxartes?), defeated the Massagetae by stratagem in
a great battle, but was afterwards himself defeated and slain, his body
falling into the enemy's hands, who treated it with gross indignity.
According to Ctesias, the people against whom he made his expedition
were the Derbices, a nation bordering upon India, Assisted by Indian
allies, who lent them a n