The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [103]
14. When a numerous horde of Scythians, under their king Madyes, son of Protohyes, burst into Asia in pursuit of the Cimmerians whom they had driven out of Europe; and entered the Median territory.
15. The Scythians surprised the Medes by taking an indirect route into Media, marching to the north with the Caucasus on their right;
16. And from here they invaded the land of the Medes, and conquered it in a single battle. By this means the Scythians became masters of Asia.
17. After this they marched forward with the design of invading Egypt. But when they reached Palestine, Psammetichus the Egyptian king met them with gifts, and prevailed on them to advance no further.
18. So they returned, for the most part neither pillaging nor doing damage to the lands they passed through, save for some incidents in the city of Ascalon in Syria.
19. The Scythians kept their dominion over Asia for twenty-eight years, during which time their insolence and oppression spread ruin on every side.
20. For besides the regular tribute, they exacted arbitrary additional imposts from the neighbouring peoples, increasing resentment among them; and they plundered whomever they could.
21. At length Cyaxares and the Medes invited the greater part of the Scythians to a banquet and made them drunk with wine,
22. After which they massacred them, and freed the Medians from their yoke.
23. Thus the Medes regained their empire, and conquered Nineveh, and all Assyria except for Babylon.
Chapter 9
1. Cyaxares reigned over the Medes forty years, and was succeeded by his son Astyages.
2. This king had a daughter, Mandane, whom he married to a Persian of good family and quiet demeanour,
3. Not wishing any Mede to marry his daughter lest such a son-in-law should become ambitious of usurping his throne.
4. All Persians regarded Medes as inferior in rank to themselves, and Cyaxares thought that by marrying Mandane to a Persian he would be safe from the ambition of usurpers.
5. Now this Persian was called Cambyses, and he took Mandane to his home.
6. But Cyaxares was of a suspicious and anxious temper, and he soon began to think that from the womb of his daughter would flow a line of sons,
7. Who, because of their royal connection, would think that Persians had a right to the throne, and would become dangerous.
8. So he sought to recall Mandane, and when he learned that she was with child he determined to destroy the baby when it was born.
9. He called a loyal and favourite servant named Harpagus to him, and instructed him as follows:
10. ‘Harpagus, I beseech you not to neglect the business I am going to charge you with.
11. ‘For your king’s sake you must take the child born of Mandane my daughter, and carry it to your home, and there slay it and bury it.’
12. Harpagus replied, ‘O king, never have I disobliged you in anything, and be sure that in all future time I never will.
13. ‘If this is your will, it is for me to serve with diligence.’ So he went and fetched the child, which was dressed in the garb of death, and weeping for its hard fate he hastened back to his home.
14. There he found his wife and told her what Astyages had commanded him. And she said, ‘Will you do it?’
15. ‘No,’ replied Harpagus, ‘I cannot. First, this child is my own kin. Second, the king is old, and when he dies his daughter Mandane will succeed him;
16. ‘And if I slay her child I shall be in fearful danger. But yet, if the child continues to live, I shall be in danger also: from the king.’
17. Said his wife, ‘Alas, what is to be done?’ And he replied, ‘The child must die; but not by my hand or the hand of our kin; it must be killed by someone belonging to Astyages.’
18. So saying he sent a messenger to fetch a certain Mitradates, a herdsman in the employment of Astyages, who tended flocks in the fastness of mountains far from the city;
19. A fit place for the child to be disposed of, being remote and full of wild beasts. These mountains lie north of Ecbatana, towards the Euxine, and are covered in forests.
20. When Mitradates came to Harpagus