the history-第15部分

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d　engaged；　only　a　few　of　the　Medes；　who　were　not　in　the　secret；　fought；　others　deserted　openly　to　the　Persians；　while　the　greater　number　counterfeited　fear；　and　fled。　　　　　Astyages；　on　learning　the　shameful　flight　and　dispersion　of　his　army；　broke　out　into　threats　against　Cyrus；　saying；　〃Cyrus　shall　nevertheless　have　no　reason　to　rejoice〃；　and　directly　he　seized　the　Magian　interpreters；　who　had　persuaded　him　to　allow　Cyrus　to　escape；　and　impaled　them；　after　which；　he　armed　all　the　Medes　who　had　remained　in　the　city；　both　young　and　old；　and　leading　them　against　the　Persians；　fought　a　battle；　in　which　he　was　utterly　defeated；　his　army　being　destroyed；　and　he　himself　falling　into　the　enemy's　hands。　　　　　Harpagus　then；　seeing　him　a　prisoner；　came　near；　and　exulted　over　him　with　many　jibes　and　jeers。　Among　other　cutting　speeches　which　he　made；　he　alluded　to　the　supper　where　the　flesh　of　his　son　was　given　him　to　eat；　and　asked　Astyages　to　answer　him　now；　how　he　enjoyed　being　a　slave　instead　of　a　king？　Astyages　looked　in　his　face；　and　asked　him　in　return；　why　he　claimed　as　his　own　the　achievements　of　Cyrus？　〃Because；〃　said　Harpagus；　〃it　was　my　letter　which　made　him　revolt；　and　so　I　am　entitled　to　all　the　credit　of　the　enterprise。〃　Then　Astyages　declared　that　〃in　that　case　he　was　at　once　the　silliest　and　the　most　unjust　of　men：　the　silliest；　if　when　it　was　in　his　power　to　put　the　crown　on　his　own　head；　as　it　must　assuredly　have　been；　if　the　revolt　was　entirely　his　doing；　he　had　placed　it　on　the　head　of　another；　the　most　unjust；　if　on　account　of　that　supper　he　had　brought　slavery　on　the　Medes。　For；　supposing　that　he　was　obliged　to　invest　another　with　the　kingly　power；　and　not　retain　it　himself；　yet　justice　required　that　a　Mede；　rather　than　a　Persian；　should　receive　the　dignity。　Now；　however；　the　Medes；　who　had　been　no　parties　to　the　wrong　of　which　he　complained；　were　made　slaves　instead　of　lords；　and　slaves　moreover　of　those　who　till　recently　had　been　their　subjects。〃　　　　　Thus　after　a　reign　of　thirty…five　years；　Astyages　lost　his　crown；　and　the　Medes；　in　consequence　of　his　cruelty；　were　brought　under　the　rule　of　the　Persians。　Their　empire　over　the　parts　of　Asia　beyond　the　Halys　had　lasted　one　hundred　and　twenty…eight　years；　except　during　the　time　when　the　Scythians　had　the　dominion。　Afterwards　the　Medes　repented　of　their　submission；　and　revolted　from　Darius；　but　were　defeated　in　battle；　and　again　reduced　to　subjection。　Now；　however；　in　the　time　of　Astyages；　it　was　the　Persians　who　under　Cyrus　revolted　from　the　Medes；　and　became　thenceforth　the　rulers　of　Asia。　Cyrus　kept　Astyages　at　his　court　during　the　remainder　of　his　life；　without　doing　him　any　further　injury。　Such　then　were　the　circumstances　of　the　birth　and　bringing　up　of　Cyrus；　and　such　were　the　steps　by　which　he　mounted　the　throne。　It　was　at　a　later　date　that　he　was　attacked　by　Croesus；　and　overthrew　him；　as　I　have　related　in　an　earlier　portion　of　this　history。　The　overthrow　of　Croesus　made　him　master　of　the　whole　of　Asia。　　　　　The　customs　which　I　know　the　Persians　to　observe　are　the　following：　they　have　no　images　of　the　gods；　no　temples　nor　altars；　and　consider　the　use　of　them　a　sign　of　folly。　This　comes；　I　think；　from　their　not　believing　the　gods　to　have　the　same　nature　with　men；　as　the　Greeks　imagine。　Their　wont；　however；　is　to　ascend　the　summits　of　the　loftiest　mountains；　and　there　to　offer　sacrifice　to　Jupiter；　which　is　the　name　they　give　to　the　whole　circuit　of　the　firmament。　They　likewise　offer　to　the　sun　and　moon；　to　the　earth；　to　fire；　to　water；　and　to　the　winds。　These　are　the　only　gods　whose　worship　has　come　down　to　them　from　ancient　times。　At　a　later　period　they　began　the　worship　of　Urania；　which　they　borrowed　from　the　Arabians　and　Assyrians。　Mylitta　is　the　name　by　which　the　Assyrians　know　this　goddess；　whom　the　Arabians　call　Alitta；　and　the　Persians　Mitra。　　　　　To　these　gods　the　Persians　offer　sacrifice　in　the　following　manner：　they　raise　no　altar；　light　no　fire；　pour　no　libations；　there　is　no　sound　of　the　flute；　no　putting　on　of　chaplets；　no　consecrated　barley…cake；　but　the　man　who　wishes　to　sacrifice　brings　his　victim　to　a　spot　of　ground　which　is　pure　from　pollution；　and　there　calls　upon　the　name　of　the　god　to　whom　he　intends　to　offer。　It　is　usual　to　have　the　turban　encircled　with　a　wreath；　most　commonly　of　myrtle。　The　sacrificer　is　not　allowed　to　pray　for　blessings　on　himself　alone；　but　he　prays　for　the　welfare　of　the　king；　and　of　the　whole　Persian　people；　among　whom　he　is　of　necessity　included。　He　cuts　the　victim　in　pieces；　and　having　boiled　the　flesh；　he　lays　it　out　upon　the　tenderest　herbage　that　he　can　find；　trefoil　especially。　When　all　is　ready；　one　of　the　Magi　comes　forward　and　chants　a　hymn；　which　they　say　recounts　the　origin　of　the　gods。　It　is　not　lawful　to　offer　sacrifice　unless　there　is　a　Magus　present。　After　waiting　a　short　time　the　sacrificer　carries　the　flesh　of　the　victim　away　with　him；　and　makes　whatever　use　of　it　he　may　please。　　　　　Of　all　the　days　in　the　year；　the　one　which　they　celebrate　most　is　their　birthday。　It　is　customary　to　have　the　board　furnished　on　that　day　with　an　ampler　supply　than　common。　The　richer　Persians　cause　an　ox；　a　horse；　a　camel；　and　an　ass　to　be　baked　whole　and　so　served　up　to　them：　the　poorer　classes　use　instead　the　smaller　kinds　of　cattle。　They　eat　little　solid　food　but　abundance　of　dessert；　which　is　set　on　table　a　few　dishes　at　a　time；　this　it　is　which　makes　them　say　that　〃the　Greeks；　when　they　eat；　leave　off　hungry；　having　nothing　worth　mention　served　up　to　them　after　the　meats；　whereas；　if　they　had　more　put　before　them；　they　would　not　stop　eating。〃　They　are　very　fond　of　wine；　and　drink　it　in　large　quantities。　To　vomit　or　obey　natural　calls　in　the　presence　of　another　is　forbidden　among　them。　Such　are　their　customs　in　these　matters。　　　　　It　is　also　their　general　practice　to　deliberate　upon　affairs　of　weight　when　they　are　drunk；　and　then　on　the　morrow；　when　they　are　sober；　the　decision　to　which　they　came　the　night　before　is　put　before　them　by　the　master　of　the　house　in　which　it　was　made；　and　if　it　is　then　approved　of；　they　act　on　it；　if　not；　they　set　it　aside。　Sometimes；　however；　they　are　sober　at　their　first　deliberation；　but　in　this　case　they　always　reconsider　the　matter　under　the　influence　of　wine。　　　　　When　they　meet　each　other　in　the　streets；　you　may　know　if　the　persons　meeting　are　of　equal　rank　by　the　following　token：　if　they　are；　instead　of　speaking；　they　kiss　each　other　on　the　lips。　In　the　case　where　one　is　a　little　inferior　to　the　other；　the　kiss　is　given　on　the　cheek；　where　the　difference　of　rank　is　great；　the　inferior　prostrates　himself　upon　the　ground。　Of　nations；　they　honour　most　their　nearest　neighbours；　whom　they　esteem　next　to　themselves；　those　who　live　beyond　these　they　honour　in　the　second　degree；　and　so　with　the　remainder；　the　further　they　are　removed；　the　less　the　esteem　in　which　they　hold　them。　The　reason　is　that　they　look　upon　themselves　as　very　greatly　superior　in　all　respects　to　the　rest　of　mankind；　regarding　others　as　approaching　to　excellence　in　proportion　as　they　dwell　nearer　to　them；　whence　it　comes　to　pass　that　those　who　are　the　farthest　off　must　be　the　most　degraded　of　mankind。　Under　the　dominion　of　the　Medes；　the　several　nations　of　the　empire　exercised　authority　over　each　other　in　this　order。　The　Medes　were　lords　over　all；　and　governed　the　nations　upon　their　borders；　who　in　their　turn　governed　the　States　beyond；　who　likewise　bore　rule　over　the　nations　which　adjoined　on　them。　And　this　is　the　order　which　the　Persians　also　follow　in　their　distribution　of　honour；　for　that　people；　like　the　Medes；　has　a　progressive　scale　of　administration　and　government。　　　　　There　is　no　nation　which　so　readily　adopts　foreign　customs　as　the　Persians。　Thus；　they　have　taken　the　dress　of　the　Medes；　considering　it　superior　to　their　own；　and　in　war　they　wear　the　Egyptian　breastplate。　As　soon　as　they　hear　of　any　luxury；　they　instantly　make　it　their　own：　and　hence；　among　other　novelties；　they　have　learnt　unnatural　lust　from　the　Greeks。　Each　of　them　has　several　wives；　and　a　still　larger　number　of　concubines。　　　　　Next　to　prowess　in　arms；　it　is　regarded　as　the　greatest　proof　of　manly　excellence　to　be　the　father　of　many　sons。　Every　year　the　king　sends　rich　gifts　to　the　man　who　can　show　the　largest　number：　for　they　hold　that　number　is　strength。　Their　sons　are　carefully　instructed　from　their　fifth　to　their　twentieth　year；　in　three　things　alone；…　to　ride；　to　draw　the　bow；　and　to　speak　the　truth。　Until　their　fifth　year　they　are　not　allowed　to　come　into　the　sight　of　their　father；　but　pass　their　lives　with　the　women。　This　is　done　that；　if　the　child　die　young；　the　father　may　not　be　afflicted　by　its　loss。　　　　　To　my　mind　it　is　a　wise　rule；　as　also　is　the　following…　that　the　king　shall　not　put　any　one　to　death　for　a　single　fault；　and　that　none　of　the　Persians　shall　visit　a　single　fault　in　a　slave　with　any　extreme　penalty；　but　in　every　case　the　services　of　the　offender　shall　be　set　against　his　misdoings；　and；　if　the　latter　be　found　to　outweigh　the　former；　the　aggrieved　party　shall　then　proceed　to　punishment。　　　　　The　Persians　maintain　that　never　yet　did　any　one　kill　his　own　father　or　mother；　but　in　all　such　cases　they　are　quite　sure　that；　if　matters　were　sifted　to　the　bottom；　it　would　be　found　that　the　child　was　either　a　changeling　or　else　the　fruit　of　adultery；　for　it　is　not　likely；　they　say；　that　the　real　father　should　perish　by　the　hands　of　his　child。　　　　　They　hold　it　unlawful　to　talk　of　anything　which　it　is　unlawful　to　do。　The　most　disgraceful　thing　in　the　world；　they　think；　is　to　tell　a　lie；　the　next　worst；　to　owe　a　debt：　because；　among　other　reasons；　the　debtor　is　obliged　to　tell　lies。　If　a　Persian　has　the　leprosy　he　is　not　allowed　to　enter　into　a　city；　or　to　have　any　dealings　with　the　other　Persians；　he　must；　they　say；　have　sinned　against　the　sun。　Foreigners　attacked　by　this　disorder；　are　forced　to　leave　the　country：　even　white　pigeons　are　often　driven　away；　as　guilty　of　the　same　offence。　They　never　defile　a　river　with　the　secretions　of　their　bodies；　nor　even　wash　their　hands　in　one；　nor　will　they　allow　others　to　do　so；　as　they　have　a　great　reverence　for　rivers。　There　is　another　peculiarity；　which　the　Persians　themselves　have　never　noticed；　but　which　has