The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [127]
16. The news of his doings reached them on their way, when they had gone about half the distance.
17. Accordingly 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.
18. 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.
19. So they discussed; and quickly the seven became of one accord with Darius, and hastened on towards the palace.
20. 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.
21. But when they were in the great court they fell in with certain of the palace eunuchs, who stopped them and asked what they wanted.
22. The seven sought to press on, but the eunuchs would not let them. Then the seven drew their daggers, and stabbing those who tried to withstand them, rushed towards the apartment of the males.
23. Both the Magi brothers were at this time within, discussing the matter of Prexaspes’ revelations to the crowd.
24. When they heard the stir among the eunuchs, and their loud cries, they ran out themselves, to see what was happening.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. But the other made a stout defence with his lance, wounding two of the seven, Aspathines in the leg, and Intaphernes in the eye.
28. This wound did not kill Intaphernes, but it cost him the sight of that eye.
29. 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 the doors.
30. But two of the seven entered the room with him, Darius and Gobryas.
31. 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.
32. Then Gobyras, when he perceived that Darius stood doing nothing, asked him why his hand was idle? ‘I fear to injure you,’ he answered.
33. ‘Fear not,’ said Gobryas; ‘strike, though it be through both.’ Darius did as he desired, drove his dagger home, and killed the Magus.
34. Thus were the Magi slain; and the seven, cutting off both the heads, went out of the gates with the heads in their hands, shouting and making an uproar.
35. They called out to all the Persians whom they met, and told them what had happened, showing them the heads of the Magi,
36. While at the same time they slew every Magus who fell in their way.
37. Then the Persians, when they knew what the seven had done, and understood the fraud of the Magi, thought it just to follow the example set them,
38. And, drawing their daggers, they killed the Magi wherever they could find any.
39. Such was their fury that, unless night had fallen, not a single Magus would have been left alive.
40. The Persians observe the anniversary of this day with one accord, and keep it more strictly than any other in the whole year.
41. It is then that they hold the great festival, which they call the Magophonia. No Magus may show himself abroad during the whole time that the feast lasts; all have to remain at home the entire day.
Chapter 32
1. When the tumult had settled down the conspirators met together to consult.
2. Otanes recommended that the management of public affairs should be entrusted to the whole nation.
3. ‘To me,’ he said, ‘it seems advisable that we should no longer have a single man to rule over us; rule by one is neither good nor pleasant.
4. ‘Look at the lengths Cambyses went in his tyranny. How is it possible that monarchy