ns you got a far greater return
yourself?"

"Right willingly," said he, "if I thought my flocks could feed in
safety."

"And would they not be safe enough," suggested Cyrus, "if this pass were
held for you?" To which the king agreed. [21] But the Chaldaeans cried,
"Heaven help us! We could not till our own fields in safety, not to
speak of theirs, if the Armenians held the pass." "True," answered
Cyrus, "but how would it be if the pass were held for you?" "Ah, then,"
said they, "all would be well enough." "Heaven help us!" cried the
Armenian in his turn, "all might be well enough for them, but it would
be ill for us if these neighbours of ours recovered the post, especially
now that it is fortified." [22] Then Cyrus said, "See, then, this is
what I will do: I will hand over the pass to neither of you: we Persians
will guard it ourselves, and if either of you injure the other, we will
step in and side with the sufferers."

[23] Then both parties applauded the decision, and said that only thus
could they establish a lasting peace, and on these terms they exchanged
pledges, and a covenant was made that both nations alike were to be free
and independent, but with common rights of marriage, and tillage, and
pasturage, and help in time of war if either were attacked. [24] Thus
the matter was concluded, and to this day the treaty holds between the
Chaldaeans and Armenia.

Peace was no sooner made than both parties began building what they now
considered their common fortress, working side by side and bringing up
all that was needed. [25] And when evening fell, Cyrus summoned them all
as fellow-guests to his board, saying that they were friends already.
At the supper as they sat together, one of the Chaldaeans said to Cyrus
that the mass of his nation would feel they had received all they
could desire, "But there are men among us," he added, "who live as
freebooters: they do not know how to labour in the field, and they could
not learn, accustomed as they are from youth up to get their livelihood
either by plundering for themselves or serving as mercenaries, often
under the king of India, for he is a man of much wealth, but sometimes
under Astyages." [26] Then Cyrus said: "Why should they not take service
with me? I undertake to give them at least as much as they ever got
elsewhere." The Chaldaeans readily agreed with him and prophesied that
he would have many volunteers.

[27] So this matter was settled to the mind of al