obryas himself; for they were the two he thought most likely to give
him the information that he needed.

"My friends," said he, "I think I shall not err if I trust to your
fidelity and consult you about the campaign. You, even more than I, are
bound to see that the Assyrians do not overpower us. For myself, if I
fail, there may well be some loophole of escape. But for you, if
the king conquers, I see nothing but enmity on every side. [24] For,
although he is my enemy, he bears me no malice, he only feels that it is
against his interest for me to be powerful and therefore he attacks me.
But you he hates with a bitter hatred, believing he is wronged by you."

To this his companions answered that he must finish what he had to say;
they were well aware of the facts, and had the deepest interest in the
turn events might take.

[25] Thereupon Cyrus put his questions: "Does the king suppose that
you alone are his enemies, or do you know of others who hate him too?"
"Certainly we do," replied the Hyrcanian, "the Cadousians are his
bitterest foes, and they are both numerous and warlike. Then there are
the Sakians, our neighbours, who have suffered severely at his hands,
for he tried to subdue them as he subdued us."

[26] "Then you think," said Cyrus, "that they would be glad to attack
him in our company?" "Much more than glad," answered they; "if they
could manage to join us." "And what stands in their way?" asked he. "The
Assyrians themselves," said they, "the very people among whom you are
marching now." [27] At that Cyrus turned to Gobryas:

"And what of this lad who is now on the throne? Did you not charge him
with unbridled insolence?"

"Even so," replied Gobryas, "and I think he gave me cause." "Tell me,"
said Cyrus, "were you the only man he treated thus, or did others suffer
too?"

[28] "Many others," said Gobryas, "but some of them were weak, and why
should I weary you with the insults they endured? I will tell you of a
young man whose father was a much greater personage than I, and who was
himself, like my own son, a friend and comrade of the prince. One day
at a drinking-bout this monster had the youth seized and mutilated, and
why? Some say simply because a paramour of his own had praised the boy's
beauty and said his bride was a woman to be envied. The king himself now
asserts it was because he had tried to seduce his paramour. That young
man, eunuch as he is, is now at the head of his province, for his fat