the history-第58部分

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　means　by　which　Cyrus　made　himself　master　of　the　place。　The　Babylonians　were　ever　upon　the　watch；　and　he　found　no　way　of　conquering　them。　　　　　At　last；　in　the　twentieth　month；　a　marvellous　thing　happened　to　Zopyrus；　son　of　the　Megabyzus　who　was　among　the　seven　men　that　overthrew　the　Magus。　One　of　his　sumpter…mules　gave　birth　to　a　foal。　Zopyrus；　when　they　told　him；　not　thinking　that　it　could　be　true；　went　and　saw　the　colt　with　his　own　eyes；　after　which　he　commanded　his　servants　to　tell　no　one　what　had　come　to　pass；　while　he　himself　pondered　the　matter。　Calling　to　mind　then　the　words　of　the　Babylonian　at　the　beginning　of　the　siege；　〃Till　mules　foal　ye　shall　not　take　our　city〃…　he　thought；　as　he　reflected　on　this　speech；　that　Babylon　might　now　be　taken。　For　it　seemed　to　him　that　there　was　a　Divine　Providence　in　the　man　having　used　the　phrase；　and　then　his　mule　having　foaled。　　　　　As　soon　therefore　as　he　felt　within　himself　that　Babylon　was　fated　to　be　taken；　he　went　to　Darius　and　asked　him　if　he　set　a　very　high　value　on　its　conquest。　When　he　found　that　Darius　did　indeed　value　it　highly；　he　considered　further　with　himself　how　he　might　make　the　deed　his　own；　and　be　the　man　to　take　Babylon。　Noble　exploits　in　Persia　are　ever　highly　honoured　and　bring　their　authors　to　greatness。　He　therefore　reviewed　all　ways　of　bringing　the　city　under；　but　found　none　by　which　he　could　hope　to　prevail；　unless　he　maimed　himself　and　then　went　over　to　the　enemy。　To　do　this　seeming　to　him　a　light　matter；　he　mutilated　himself　in　a　way　that　was　utterly　without　remedy。　For　he　cut　off　his　own　nose　and　ears；　and　then；　clipping　his　hair　close　and　flogging　himself　with　a　scourge；　he　came　in　this　plight　before　Darius。　　　　　Wrath　stirred　within　the　king　at　the　sight　of　a　man　of　his　lofty　rank　in　such　a　condition；　leaping　down　from　his　throne；　he　exclaimed　aloud；　and　asked　Zopyrus　who　it　was　that　had　disfigured　him；　and　what　he　had　done　to　be　so　treated。　Zopyrus　answered；　〃There　is　not　a　man　in　the　world；　but　thou；　O　king；　that　could　reduce　me　to　such　a　plight…　no　stranger's　hands　have　wrought　this　work　on　me；　but　my　own　only。　I　maimed　myself　I　could　not　endure　that　the　Assyrians　should　laugh　at　the　Persians。〃　〃Wretched　man；〃　said　Darius；　〃thou　coverest　the　foulest　deed　with　the　fairest　possible　name；　when　thou　sayest　thy　maiming　is　to　help　our　siege　forward。　How　will　thy　disfigurement；　thou　simpleton；　induce　the　enemy　to　yield　one　day　the　sooner？　Surely　thou　hadst　gone　out　of　thy　mind　when　thou　didst　so　misuse　thyself。〃　〃Had　I　told　thee；〃　rejoined　the　other；　〃what　I　was　bent　on　doing；　thou　wouldest　not　have　suffered　it；　as　it　is；　I　kept　my　own　counsel；　and　so　accomplished　my　plans。　Now；　therefore；　if　there　be　no　failure　on　thy　part；　we　shall　take　Babylon。　I　will　desert　to　the　enemy　as　I　am；　and　when　I　get　into　their　city　I　will　tell　them　that　it　is　by　thee　I　have　been　thus　treated。　I　think　they　will　believe　my　words；　and　entrust　me　with　a　command　of　troops。　Thou；　on　thy　part；　must　wait　till　the　tenth　day　after　I　am　entered　within　the　town；　and　then　place　near　to　the　gates　of　Semiramis　a　detachment　of　thy　army；　troops　for　whose　loss　thou　wilt　care　little；　a　thousand　men。　Wait；　after　that；　seven　days；　and　post　me　another　detachment；　two　thousand　strong；　at　the　Nineveh　gates；　then　let　twenty　days　pass；　and　at　the　end　of　that　time　station　near　the　Chaldaean　gates　a　body　of　four　thousand。　Let　neither　these　nor　the　former　troops　be　armed　with　any　weapons　but　their　swords…　those　thou　mayest　leave　them。　After　the　twenty　days　are　over；　bid　thy　whole　army　attack　the　city　on　every　side；　and　put　me　two　bodies　of　Persians；　one　at　the　Belian；　the　other　at　the　Cissian　gates；　for　I　expect；　that；　on　account　of　my　successes；　the　Babylonians　will　entrust　everything；　even　the　keys　of　their　gates；　to　me。　Then　it　will　be　for　me　and　my　Persians　to　do　the　rest。〃　　　　　Having　left　these　instructions；　Zopyrus　fled　towards　the　gates　of　the　town；　often　looking　back；　to　give　himself　the　air　of　a　deserter。　The　men　upon　the　towers；　whose　business　it　was　to　keep　a　lookout；　observing　him；　hastened　down；　and　setting　one　of　the　gates　slightly　ajar；　questioned　him　who　he　was；　and　on　what　errand　he　had　come。　He　replied　that　he　was　Zopyrus；　and　had　deserted　to　them　from　the　Persians。　Then　the　doorkeepers；　when　they　heard　this；　carried　him　at　once　before　the　Magistrates。　Introduced　into　the　assembly；　he　began　to　bewail　his　misfortunes；　telling　them　that　Darius　had　maltreated　him　in　the　way　they　could　see；　only　because　he　had　given　advice　that　the　siege　should　be　raised；　since　there　seemed　no　hope　of　taking　the　city。　〃And　now；〃　he　went　on　to　say；　〃my　coming　to　you；　Babylonians；　will　prove　the　greatest　gain　that　you　could　possibly　receive；　while　to　Darius　and　the　Persians　it　will　be　the　severest　loss。　Verily　he　by　whom　I　have　been　so　mutilated　shall　not　escape　unpunished。　And　truly　all　the　paths　of　his　counsels　are　known　to　me。〃　Thus　did　Zopyrus　speak。　　　　　The　Babylonians；　seeing　a　Persian　of　such　exalted　rank　in　so　grievous　a　plight；　his　nose　and　ears　cut　off；　his　body　red　with　marks　of　scourging　and　with　blood；　had　no　suspicion　but　that　he　spoke　the　truth；　and　was　really　come　to　be　their　friend　and　helper。　They　were　ready；　therefore；　to　grant　him　anything　that　he　asked；　and　on　his　suing　for　a　command；　they　entrusted　to　him　a　body　of　troops；　with　the　help　of　which　he　proceeded　to　do　as　he　had　arranged　with　Darius。　On　the　tenth　day　after　his　flight　he　led　out　his　detachment；　and　surrounding　the　thousand　men；　whom　Darius　according　to　agreement　had　sent　first；　he　fell　upon　them　and　slew　them　all。　Then　the　Babylonians；　seeing　that　his　deeds　were　as　brave　as　his　words；　were　beyond　measure　pleased；　and　set　no　bounds　to　their　trust。　He　waited；　however；　and　when　the　next　period　agreed　on　had　elapsed；　again　with　a　band　of　picked　men　he　sallied　forth；　and　slaughtered　the　two　thousand。　After　this　second　exploit；　his　praise　was　in　all　mouths。　Once　more；　however；　he　waited　till　the　interval　appointed　had　gone　by；　and　then　leading　the　troops　to　the　place　where　the　four　thousand　were；　he　put　them　also　to　the　sword。　This　last　victory　gave　the　finishing　stroke　to　his　power；　and　made　him　all　in　all　with　the　Babylonians：　accordingly　they　committed　to　him　the　command　of　their　whole　army；　and　put　the　keys　of　their　city　into　his　hands。　　　　　Darius　now；　still　keeping　to　the　plan　agreed　upon；　attacked　the　walls　on　every　side；　whereupon　Zopyrus　played　out　the　remainder　of　his　stratagem。　While　the　Babylonians；　crowding　to　the　walls；　did　their　best　to　resist　the　Persian　assault；　he　threw　open　the　Cissian　and　the　Belian　gates；　and　admitted　the　enemy。　Such　of　the　Babylonians　as　witnessed　the　treachery；　took　refuge　in　the　temple　of　Jupiter　Belus；　the　rest；　who　did　not　see　it；　kept　at　their　posts；　till　at　last　they　too　learnt　that　they　were　betrayed。　　　　　Thus　was　Babylon　taken　for　the　second　time。　Darius　having　become　master　of　the　place；　destroyed　the　wall；　and　tore　down　all　the　gates；　for　Cyrus　had　done　neither　the　one　nor　the　other　when　he　took　Babylon。　He　then　chose　out　near　three　thousand　of　the　leading　citizens；　and　caused　them　to　be　crucified；　while　he　allowed　the　remainder　still　to　inhabit　the　city。　Further；　wishing　to　prevent　the　race　of　the　Babylonians　from　becoming　extinct；　he　provided　wives　for　them　in　the　room　of　those　whom　（as　I　explained　before）　they　strangled；　to　save　their　stores。　These　he　levied　from　the　nations　bordering　on　Babylonia；　who　were　each　required　to　send　so　large　a　number　to　Babylon；　that　in　all　there　were　collected　no　fewer　than　fifty　thousand。　It　is　from　these　women　that　the　Babylonians　of　our　times　are　sprung。　　　　　As　for　Zopyrus；　he　was　considered　by　Darius　to　have　surpassed；　in　the　greatness　of　his　achievements；　all　other　Persians；　whether　of　former　or　of　later　times；　except　only　Cyrus…　with　whom　no　Persian　ever　yet　thought　himself　worthy　to　compare。　Darius；　as　the　story　goes；　would　often　say　that　〃he　had　rather　Zopyrus　were　unmaimed；　than　be　master　of　twenty　more　Babylons。〃　And　he　honoured　Zopyrus　greatly；　year　by　year　he　presented　him　with　all　the　gifts　which　are　held　in　most　esteem　among　the　Persians；　he　gave　him　likewise　the　government　of　Babylon　for　his　life；　free　from　tribute；　and　he　also　granted　him　many　other　favours。　Megabyzus；　who　held　the　command　in　Egypt　against　the　Athenians　and　their　allies；　was　a　son　of　this　Zopyrus。　And　Zopyrus；　who　fled　from　Persia　to　Athens；　was　a　son　of　this　Megabyzus。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Fourth　Book；　Entitled　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MELPOMENE

　　　　After　the　taking　of　Babylon；　an　expedition　was　led　by　Darius　into　Scythia。　Asia　abounding　in　men；　and　vast　sums　flowing　into　the　treasury；　the　desire　seized　him　to　exact　vengeance　from　the　Scyths；　who　had　once　in　days　gone　by　invaded　Media；　defeated　those　who　met　them　in　the　field；　and　so　begun　the　quarrel。　During　the　space　of　eight…and…twenty　years；　as　I　have　before　mentioned；　the　Scyths　continued　lords　of　the　whole　of　Upper　Asia。　They　entered　Asia　in　pursuit　of　the　Cimmerians；　and　overthrew　the　empire　of　the　Medes；　who　till　they　came　possessed　the　sovereignty。　On　their　return　to　their　homes　after　the　long　absence　of　twenty…eight　years；　a　task　awaited　them　little　less　troublesome　than　their　struggle　with　the　Medes。　They　found　an　army　of　no　small　size　prepared　to　oppose　their　entrance。　For　the　Scythian　women；　when　they　saw　that　time　went　on；　and　their　husbands　did　not　come　back；　had　intermarried　with　their　slaves。　　　　　Now　the　Scythians　blind　all　their　slaves；　to　use　them　in　preparing　their　milk。　The　plan　they　follow　is　to　thrust　tubes　made　of　bone；　not　unlike　our　musical　pipes；　up　the　vulva　of　the　mare；　and　then　to　blow　into　the　tubes　with　their　mouths；　some　milking　while　the　others　blow。　They　say　that　they　do　this　because　when　the　veins　of　the　animal　are　full　of　air；　the　udder　is　forced　down。　The　milk　thus　obtained　is　poured　into　deep　wooden　casks；　about　which　the　blind　slaves　are　placed；　and　then　the　milk　is　stirred　round。　That　which　rises　to　the　top　is　drawn　off；　and　considered　the　best　part；　the　under　portion　is　of　less　account。　Such　is　the　reason　why　the　Scythians　blind　all　those　whom　they　take　in　war；　it　arises　from　their　not　being　tillers　of　the　ground；　but　a　pastoral　race。　　　　　When　therefore　the　children　sprung　from