battle-paean, and the men took
up the hymn devoutly, in one mighty chorus. For at such times those
who fear the gods have less fear of their fellow-men. [59] And when the
chant was over, the Peers of Persia went forward side by side, radiant,
high-bred, disciplined, a band of gallant comrades; they looked into
each other's eyes, they called each other by name, with many a cheery
cry, "Forward, friends, forward, gallant gentlemen!" And the rear-ranks
heard the call, and sent back a ringing cheer, bidding the van lead on.
The whole army of Cyrus was brimming with courage and zeal and strength
and hardihood and comradeship and self-control; more terrible, I
imagine, to an opponent than aught else could be. [60] On the Assyrian
side, those in the van who fought from the chariots, as soon as the mass
of the Persian force drew near, leapt back and drove to their own main
body; but the archers, javelin-men, and slingers, let fly long before
they were in range. [61] And as the Persians steadily advanced, stepping
over the spent missiles, Cyrus called to his men:

"Forward now, bravest of the brave! Show us what your pace can be!"

They caught the word and passed it on, and in their eagerness and
passion for the fray some of the leaders broke into a run, and the whole
phalanx followed at their heels. [62] Cyrus himself gave up the regular
march and dashed forward at their head, shouting:

"Brave men to the front! Who follows me? Who will lay the first Assyrian
low?"

At this the men behind took up the shout till it rang through the field
like a battle-cry: "Who follows? Brave men to the front!" [63] Thus the
Persians closed. But the enemy could not hold their ground; they turned
and fled to their entrenchments. [64] The Persians swept after them,
many a warrior falling as they crowded in at the gates or tumbled into
the trenches. For in the rout some of the chariots were carried into the
fosse, and the Persians sprang down after them and slew man and horse
where they fell. [65] Then the Median troopers, seeing how matters
stood, charged the Assyrian cavalry, who swerved and broke before them,
chased and slaughtered, horse and rider, by their conquerors. [66]
Meanwhile the Assyrians within the camp, though they stood upon the
breastworks, had neither wit nor power to draw bow or fling spear
against the destroyers, dazed as they were by their panic and the horror
of the sight. Then came the tidings that the Persians had cut th