r in one place all the
flocks of goats and sheep and the herds of cattle belonging to his
father, slaughtered them and prepared with them to entertain the host
of the Persians, and moreover with wine and other provisions of the most
agreeable kind. So when the Persians came on the next day, he made them
recline in a meadow and feasted them. And when they had finished dinner,
Cyrus asked them whether that which they had on the former day or
that which they had now seemed to them preferable. They said that the
difference between them was great, for the former day had for them
nothing but evil, and the present day nothing but good. Taking up this
saying Cyrus proceeded to lay bare his whole design, saying: "Men of the
Persians, thus it is with you. If ye will do as I say, ye have these and
ten thousand other good things, with no servile labour; but if ye will
not do as I say, ye have labours like that of yesterday innumerable. Now
therefore do as I say and make yourselves free: for I seem to myself to
have been born by providential fortune to take these matters in hand;
and I think that ye are not worse men than the Medes, either in other
matters or in those which have to do with war. Consider then that this
is so, and make revolt from Astyages forthwith."

127. So the Persians having obtained a leader willingly attempted to set
themselves free, since they had already for a long time been indignant
to be ruled by the Medes: but when Astyages heard that Cyrus was acting
thus, he sent a messenger and summoned him; and Cyrus bade the messenger
report to Astyages that he would be with him sooner than he would
himself desire. So Astyages hearing this armed all the Medes, and
blinded by divine providence he appointed Harpagos to be the leader of
the army, forgetting what he had done to him. Then when the Medes had
marched out and began to fight with the Persians, some of them continued
the battle, namely those who had not been made partakers in the design,
while others went over to the Persians; but the greater number were
wilfully slack and fled.

128. So when the Median army had been shamefully dispersed, so soon as
Astyages heard of it he said, threatening Cyrus: "But not even so shall
Cyrus at least escape punishment." Thus having spoken he first impaled
the Magian interpreters of dreams who had persuaded him to let Cyrus go,
and then he armed those of the Medes, youths and old men, who had been
left behind in the city. The