here agape at all your treasures?"

[21] At that Cyaxares answered, "Ah, if any will follow you of their own
free will, I can but be most grateful."

"Send some one with me then," said Cyrus, "from these trusty men of
yours, to carry your commands."

"Take whomever you like," he answered, "and begone."

[22] Now, as it chanced, among the officers present was the Mede who
had claimed kinship with Cyrus long ago and won a kiss thereby. Cyrus
pointed to him and said, "That man will do for me." "He shall go with
you then," Cyaxares replied. And turning to the officer, "Tell your
fellows," he said, "that he who lists may follow Cyrus." [23] Thus
Cyrus chose his man and went forth. And when they were outside he said,
"To-day you can show me if you spoke truth long ago when you told me
that the sight of me was your joy."

"If you say that," said the Mede, "I will never leave you."

"And will you not do your best," added Cyrus, "to bring me others too?"
"By the gods in heaven," cried the Mede, "that I will, until you say in
your turn that to see me is your joy." Thereupon, with the authority
of Cyaxares to support him, the officer went to the Medes and delivered
with message with all diligence, adding that he for one would never
forsake Cyrus, the bravest, noblest, and best of men, and a hero whose
lineage was divine.

[C.2] While Cyrus was busied with these matters, by some strange chance
two ambassadors arrived from the Hyrcanians. These people are neighbours
of the Assyrians, and being few in number, they were held in subjection.
But they seemed then, as they seem now, to live on horseback. Hence the
Assyrians used them as the Lacedaemonians employ the Skirites, for
every toil and every danger, without sparing them. In fact, at that very
moment they had ordered them to furnish a rear-guard of a thousand
men and more, so as to bear the brunt of any rear attack. [2] The
Hyrcanians, as they were to be the hindmost, had put their waggons and
families in the rear, for, like most of the tribes in Asia, they take
their entire households with them on the march. [3] But when they
thought of the sorry treatment they got from the Assyrians and when they
saw the king fallen, the army worsted and a prey to panic, the allies
disheartened and ready to desert, they judged it a fine moment to revolt
themselves, if only the Medes and Persians would make common cause with
them. So they sent an embassy to Cyrus, for after the late battle