ent word to Chrysantas, bidding him leave a force to
guard the mountains and come down to him. So the mass of the army was
collected under Cyrus, and then he sent a herald to the king with this
enquiry:

"Son of Armenia, will you wait here and fight with hunger and thirst,
or will you come down into the plain and fight it out with us?" But the
Armenian answered that he wished to fight with neither. [6] Cyrus sent
again and asked, "Why do you sit there, then, and refuse to come down?"
"Because I know not what to do," answered the other. "It is simple
enough," said Cyrus, "come down and take your trial." "And who shall try
me?" asked the king. "He," answered Cyrus, "to whom God has given the
power to treat you as he lists, without a trial at all."

Thereupon the Armenian came down, yielding to necessity, and Cyrus took
him and all that he had and placed him in the centre of the camp, for
all his forces were now at hand.

[7] Meanwhile Tigranes, the elder son of the king, was on his way home
from a far country. In old days he had hunted with Cyrus and been his
friend, and now, when he heard what had happened, he came forward just
as he was; but when he saw his father and his mother, his brother and
sisters, and his own wife all held as prisoners, he could not keep back
the tears. [8] But Cyrus gave him no sign of friendship or courtesy, and
only said, "You have come in time, you may be present now to hear your
father tried." With that he summoned the leaders of the Persians and the
Medes, and any Armenian of rank and dignity who was there, nor would
he send away the women as they sat in covered carriages, but let them
listen too. [9] When all was ready he began: "Son of Armenia, I would
counsel you, in the first place, to speak the truth, so that at least
you may stand free from what deserves the utmost hate: beyond all
else, be assured, manifest lying checks the sympathy of man and man.
Moreover," said he, "your own sons, your daughters, and your wife are
well aware of all that you have done, and so are your own Armenians
who are here: if they perceive that you say what is not true, they must
surely feel that out of your own lips you condemn yourself to suffer
the uttermost penalty when I learn the truth." "Nay," answered the king,
"ask me whatever you will, and I will answer truly, come what come may."
[10] "Answer then," said Cyrus, "did you once make war upon Astyages,
my mother's father, and his Medes?" "I did," he