may the earth bring forth her produce
and may your wives and your cattle be fruitful, while ye remain free for
ever; but if ye do not recover the power nor attempt to recover it, I
pray that curses the contrary of these blessings may come upon you, and
moreover that each man of the Persians may have an end to his life like
that which has come upon me." Then as soon as he had finished speaking
these things, Cambyses began to bewail and make lamentation for all his
fortunes.

66. And the Persians, when they saw that the king had begun to bewail
himself, both rent the garments which they wore and made lamentation
without stint. After this, when the bone had become diseased and the
thigh had mortified, Cambyses the son of Cyrus was carried off by the
wound, having reigned in all seven years and five months, and being
absolutely childless both of male and female offspring. The Persians
meanwhile who were present there were very little disposed to believe
57 that the power was in the hands of the Magians: on the contrary, they
were surely convinced that Cambyses had said that which he said about
the death of Smerdis to deceive them, in order that all the Persians
might be moved to war against him. These then were surely convinced that
Smerdis the son of Cyrus was established to be king; for Prexaspes also
very strongly denied that he had slain Smerdis, since it was not safe,
now that Cambyses was dead, for him to say that he had destroyed with
his own hand the son of Cyrus.

67. Thus when Cambyses had brought his life to an end, the Magian became
king without disturbance, usurping the place of his namesake Smerdis the
son of Cyrus; and he reigned during the seven months which were wanting
yet to Cambyses for the completion of the eight years: and during them
he performed acts of great benefit to all his subjects, so that after
his death all those in Asia except the Persians themselves mourned for
his loss: for the Magian sent messengers abroad to every nation over
which he ruled, and proclaimed freedom from military service and from
tribute for three years.

68. This proclamation, I say, he made at once when he established
himself upon the throne: but in the eighth month it was discovered
who he was in the following manner:--There was one Otanes the son of
Pharnaspes, in birth and in wealth not inferior to any of the Persians.
This Otanes was the first who had had suspicion of the Magian, that
he was not Smerdis the son o