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tood。　When　Otanes　therefore　laid　his　reasons　before　them　they　at　once　came　into　his　views；　and　it　was　agreed　that　each　of　the　three　should　take　as　companion　in　the　work　the　Persian　in　whom　he　placed　the　greatest　confidence。　Then　Otanes　chose　Intaphernes；　Gobryas　Megabyzus；　and　Aspathines　Hydarnes。　After　the　number　had　thus　become　six；　Darius；　the　son　of　Hystaspes；　arrived　at　Susa　from　Persia；　whereof　his　father　was　governor。　On　his　coming　it　seemed　good　to　the　six　to　take　him　likewise　into　their　counsels。　　　　　After　this；　the　men；　being　now　seven　in　all；　met　together　to　exchange　oaths；　and　hold　discourse　with　one　another。　And　when　it　came　to　the　turn　of　Darius　to　speak　his　mind；　he　said　as　follows：…　〃Methought　no　one　but　I　knew　that　Smerdis；　the　son　of　Cyrus；　was　not　now　alive；　and　that　Smerdis　the　Magian　ruled　over　us；　on　this　account　I　came　hither　with　speed；　to　compass　the　death　of　the　Magian。　But　as　it　seems　the　matter　is　known　to　you　all；　and　not　to　me　only；　my　judgment　is　that　we　should　act　at　once；　and　not　any　longer　delay。　For　to　do　so　were　not　well。〃　Otanes　spoke　upon　this：…　〃Son　of　Hystaspes；〃　said　he；　〃thou　art　the　child　of　a　brave　father；　and　seemest　likely　to　show　thyself　as　bold　a　gallant　as　he。　Beware；　however；　of　rash　haste　in　this　matter；　do　not　hurry　so；　but　proceed　with　soberness。　We　must　add　to　our　number　ere　we　adventure　to　strike　the　blow。〃　〃Not　so；〃　Darius　rejoined；　〃for　let　all　present　be　well　assured　that　if　the　advice　of　Otanes　guide　our　acts；　we　shall　perish　most　miserably。　Some　one　will　betray　our　plot　to　the　Magians　for　lucre's　sake。　Ye　ought　to　have　kept　the　matter　to　yourselves；　and　so　made　the　venture；　but　as　ye　have　chosen　to　take　others　into　your　secret；　and　have　opened　the　matter　to　me；　take　my　advice　and　make　the　attempt　today…　or　if　not；　if　a　single　day　be　suffered　to　pass　by；　be　sure　that　I　will　let　no　one　betray　me　to　the　Magian。　I　myself　will　go　to　him；　and　plainly　denounce　you　all。〃　　　　　Otanes；　when　he　saw　Darius　so　hot；　replied；　〃But　if　thou　wilt　force　us　to　action；　and　not　allow　a　day's　delay；　tell　us；　I　pray　thee；　how　we　shall　get　entrance　into　the　palace；　so　as　to　set　upon　them。　Guards　are　placed　everywhere；　as　thou　thyself　well　knowest…　for　if　thou　hast　not　seen；　at　least　thou　hast　heard　tell　of　them。　How　are　we　to　pass　these　guards；　I　ask　thee？〃　answered　Darius；　〃there　are　many　things　easy　enough　in　act；　which　by　speech　it　is　hard　to　explain。　There　are　also　things　concerning　which　speech　is　easy；　but　no　noble　action　follows　when　the　speech　is　done。　As　for　these　guards；　ye　know　well　that　we　shall　not　find　it　hard　to　make　our　way　through　them。　Our　rank　alone　would　cause　them　to　allow　us　to　enter…　shame　and　fear　alike　forbidding　them　to　say　us　nay。　But　besides；　I　have　the　fairest　plea　that　can　be　conceived　for　gaining　admission。　I　can　say　that　I　have　just　come　from　Persia；　and　have　a　message　to　deliver　to　the　king　from　my　father。　An　untruth　must　be　spoken；　where　need　requires。　For　whether　men　lie；　or　say　true；　it　is　with　one　and　the　same　object。　Men　lie；　because　they　think　to　gain　by　deceiving　others；　and　speak　the　truth；　because　they　expect　to　get　something　by　their　true　speaking；　and　to　be　trusted　afterwards　in　more　important　matters。　Thus；　though　their　conduct　is　so　opposite；　the　end　of　both　is　alike。　If　there　were　no　gain　to　be　got；　your　true…speaking　man　would　tell　untruths　as　much　as　your　liar；　and　your　liar　would　tell　the　truth　as　much　as　your　true…speaking　man。　The　doorkeeper；　who　lets　us　in　readily；　shall　have　his　guerdon　some　day　or　other；　but　woe　to　the　man　who　resists　us；　he　must　forthwith　be　declared　an　enemy。　Forcing　our　way　past　him；　we　will　press　in　and　go　straight　to　our　work。〃　　　　　After　Darius　had　thus　said；　Gobryas　spoke　as　follows：…　〃Dear　friends；　when　will　a　fitter　occasion　offer　for　us　to　recover　the　kingdom；　or；　if　we　are　not　strong　enough；　at　least　die　in　the　attempt？　Consider　that　we　Persians　are　governed　by　a　Median　Magus；　and　one；　too；　who　has　had　his　ears　cut　off！　Some　of　you　were　present　when　Cambyses　lay　upon　his　deathbed…　such；　doubtless；　remember　what　curses　he　called　down　upon　the　Persians　if　they　made　no　effort　to　recover　the　kingdom。　Then；　indeed；　we　paid　but　little　heed　to　what　he　said；　because　we　thought　he　spoke　out　of　hatred　to　set　us　against　his　brother。　Now；　however；　my　vote　is　that　we　do　as　Darius　has　counselled…　march　straight　in　a　body　to　the　palace　from　the　place　where　we　now　are；　and　forthwith　set　upon　the　Magian。〃　So　Gobryas　spake；　and　the　others　all　approved。　　　　　While　the　seven　were　thus　taking　counsel　together；　it　so　chanced　that　the　following　events　were　happening：…　The　Magi　had　been　thinking　what　they　had　best　do；　and　had　resolved　for　many　reasons　to　make　a　friend　of　Prexaspes。　They　knew　how　cruelly　he　had　been　outraged　by　Cambyses；　who　slew　his　son　with　an　arrow；　they　were　also　aware　that　it　was　by　his　hand　that　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus　fell；　and　that　he　was　the　only　person　privy　to　that　prince's　death；　and　they　further　found　him　to　be　held　in　the　highest　esteem　by　all　the　Persians。　So　they　called　him　to　them；　made　him　their　friend；　and　bound　him　by　a　promise　and　by　oaths　to　keep　silence　about　the　fraud　which　they　were　practising　upon　the　Persians；　and　not　discover　it　to　any　one；　and　they　pledged　themselves　that　in　this　case　they　would　give　him　thousands　of　gifts　of　every　sort　and　kind。　So　Prexaspes　agreed；　and　the　Magi；　when　they　found　that　they　had　persuaded　him　so　far；　went　on　to　another　proposal；　and　said　they　would　assemble　the　Persians　at　the　foot　of　the　palace　wall；　and　he　should　mount　one　of　the　towers　and　harangue　them　from　it；　assuring　them　that　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus；　and　none　but　he；　ruled　the　land。　This　they　bade　him　do；　because　Prexaspes　was　a　man　of　great　weight　with　his　countrymen；　and　had　often　declared　in　public　that　Smerdis　the　son　of　Cyrus　was　still　alive；　and　denied　being　his　murderer。　　　　　Prexaspes　said　he　was　quite　ready　to　do　their　will　in　the　matter；　so　the　Magi　assembled　the　people；　and　placed　Prexaspes　upon　the　top　of　the　tower；　and　told　him　to　make　his　speech。　Then　this　man；　forgetting　of　set　purpose　all　that　the　Magi　had　intreated　him　to　say；　began　with　Achaeamenes；　and　traced　down　the　descent　of　Cyrus；　after　which；　when　he　came　to　that　king；　he　recounted　all　the　services　that　had　been　rendered　by　him　to　the　Persians；　from　whence　he　went　on　to　declare　the　truth；　which　hitherto　he　had　concealed；　he　said；　because　it　would　not　have　been　safe　for　him　to　make　it　known；　but　now　necessity　was　laid　on　him　to　disclose　the　whole。　Then　he　told　how；　forced　to　it　by　Cambyses；　he　had　himself　taken　the　life　of　Smerdis；　son　of　Cyrus；　and　how　that　Persia　was　now　ruled　by　the　Magi。　Last　of　all；　with　many　curses　upon　the　Persians　if　they　did　not　recover　the　kingdom；　and　wreak　vengeance　on　the　Magi；　he　threw　himself　headlong　from　the　tower　into　the　abyss　below。　Such　was　the　end　of　Prexaspes；　a　man　all　his　life　of　high　repute　among　the　Persians。　　　　　And　now　the　seven　Persians；　having　resolved　that　they　would　attack　the　Magi　without　more　delay；　first　offered　prayers　to　the　gods　and　then　set　off　for　the　palace；　quite　unacquainted　with　what　had　been　done　by　Prexaspes。　The　news　of　his　doings　reached　them　upon　their　way；　when　they　had　accomplished　about　half　the　distance。　Hereupon　they　turned　aside　out　of　the　road；　and　consulted　together。　Otanes　and　his　party　said　they　must　certainly　put　off　the　business；　and　not　make　the　attack　when　affairs　were　in　such　a　ferment。　Darius；　on　the　other　hand；　and　his　friends；　were　against　any　change　of　plan；　and　wished　to　go　straight　on；　and　not　lose　a　moment。　Now；　as　they　strove　together；　suddenly　there　came　in　sight　two　pairs　of　vultures；　and　seven　pairs　of　hawks；　pursuing　them；　and　the　hawks　tore　the　vultures　both　with　their　claws　and　bills。　At　this　sight　the　seven　with　one　accord　came　in　to　the　opinion　of　Darius；　and　encouraged　by　the　omen　hastened　on　towards　the　palace。　　　　　At　the　gate　they　were　received　as　Darius　had　foretold。　The　guards；　who　had　no　suspicion　that　they　came　for　any　ill　purpose；　and　held　the　chief　Persians　in　much　reverence；　let　them　pass　without　difficulty…　it　seemed　as　if　they　were　under　the　special　protection　of　the　gods…　none　even　asked　them　any　question。　When　they　were　now　in　the　great　court　they　fell　in　with　certain　of　the　eunuchs；　whose　business　it　was　to　carry　the　king's　messages；　who　stopped　them　and　asked　what　they　wanted；　while　at　the　same　time　they　threatened　the　doorkeepers　for　having　let　them　enter。　The　seven　sought　to　press　on；　but　the　eunuchs　would　not　suffer　them。　Then　these　men；　with　cheers　encouraging　one　another；　drew　their　daggers；　and　stabbing　those　who　strove　to　withstand　them；　rushed　forward　to　the　apartment　of　the　males。　　　　　Now　both　the　Magi　were　at　this　time　within；　holding　counsel　upon　the　matter　of　Prexaspes。　So　when　they　heard　the　stir　among　the　eunuchs；　and　their　loud　cries；　they　ran　out　themselves；　to　see　what　was　happening。　Instantly　perceiving　their　danger；　they　both　flew　to　arms；　one　had　just　time　to　seize　his　bow；　the　other　got　hold　of　his　lance；　when　straightway　the　fight　began。　The　one　whose　weapon　was　the　bow　found　it　of　no　service　at　all；　the　foe　was　too　near；　and　the　combat　too　close　to　allow　of　his　using　it。　But　the　other　made　a　stout　defence　with　his　lance；　wounding　two　of　the　seven；　Aspathines　in　the　leg；　and　Intaphernes　in　the　eye。　This　wound　did　not　kill　Intaphernes；　but　it　cost　him　the　sight　of　that　eye。　The　other　Magus；　when　he　found　his　bow　of　no　avail；　fled　into　a　chamber　which　opened　out　into　the　apartment　of　the　males；　intending　to　shut　to　the　doors。　But　two　of　the　seven　entered　the　room　with　him；　Darius　and　Gobryas。　Gobryas　seized　the　Magus　and　grappled　with　him；　while　Darius　stood　over　them；　not　knowing　what　to　do；　for　it　was　dark；　and　he　was　afraid　that　if　he　struck　a　blow　he　might　kill　Gobryas。　Then　Gobyras；　when　he　perceived　that　Darius　stood　doing　nothing；　asked　him；　〃why　his　hand　was　idle？〃　〃I　fear　to　hurt　thee；〃　he　answered。　〃Fear　not；〃　said　Gobryas；　〃strike；　though　it　be　through　both。〃　Darius　did　as　he　desired；　drove　his　dagger　home；　and　by　good　hap　killed　the　Magus。　　　　　Thus　were　the　Magi　slain；　and　the　seven；　cutting　off　both　the　heads；　and　leaving　their　own　wounded　in　the　palace；　partly　because　they　were　disabled；　and　partly　t