aven, and every nook may be a couch, and for your coverlets you need
not count the fleeces of your flocks, but the brushwood, and the herbage
of hill and plain."

[16] Nevertheless, when the meal began, it must be said that Gobryas,
seeing the poverty of what was set before him, thought at first that his
own men were far more open-handed than the Persians. [17] But his mood
changed as he watched the grace and decorum of the company; and saw that
not a single Persian who had been schooled would ever gape, or snatch at
the viands, or let himself be so absorbed in eating that he could attend
to nothing else; these men prided themselves on showing their good sense
and their intelligence while they took their food, just as a perfect
rider sits his horse with absolute composure, and can look and listen
and talk to some purpose while he puts him through his paces. To be
excited or flustered by meat and drink was in their eyes something
altogether swinish and bestial. [18] Nor did Gobryas fail to notice that
they only asked questions which were pleasant to answer, and only jested
in a manner to please; all their mirth was as far from impertinence and
malice as it was from vulgarity and unseemliness. [19] And what struck
him most was their evident feeling that on a campaign, since the danger
was the same for all, no one was entitled to a larger share than any
of his comrades; on the contrary, it was thought the perfection of the
feast to perfect the condition of those who were to share the fighting.
[20] And thus when he rose to return home, the story runs that he said:

"I begin to understand, Cyrus, how it is that while we have more goblets
and more gold, more apparel and more wealth than you, yet we ourselves
are not worth as much. We are always trying to increase what we possess,
but you seem to set your hearts on perfecting your own souls."

[21] But Cyrus only answered:

"My friend, be here without fail to-morrow, and bring all your cavalry
in full armour, so that we may see your power, and then lead us through
your country and show us who are hostile and who are friendly."

[22] Thus they parted for the time and each saw to his own concerns.

But when the day dawned Gobryas appeared with his cavalry and led the
way. And Cyrus, as a born general would, not only supervised the march,
but watched for any chance to weaken the enemy and add to his own
strength. [23] With this in view, he summoned the Hyrcanian chief and
G