The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [129]
33. ‘And so things go on until a man stands forth as champion of the commonalty, and puts down the evildoers.
34. ‘Immediately the author of so great a service is admired by all, and from being admired soon comes to be appointed king; so that here too it is plain that monarchy is the best government.
35. ‘Lastly, to sum up all in a word, whence, I ask, was it that we got the freedom which we enjoy? Did democracy give it us, or oligarchy, or a monarch?
36. ‘As a single man recovered our freedom for us, my argument is that we keep to the rule of one.
37. ‘Even apart from this, we ought not to change the laws of our forefathers when they work fairly; for to do so is not well.’
38. Such were the three opinions brought forward at this meeting; the four other Persians voted in favour of the last.
39. Otanes, who wished to give his countrymen a democracy, when he found the decision against him, rose a second time, and said,
40. ‘Brother conspirators, it is plain that the king who is to be chosen will be one of ourselves.
41. ‘Now, as I have neither a mind to rule nor to be ruled, I shall not enter the lists with you in this matter.
42. ‘I withdraw, however, on one condition: none of you shall claim to exercise rule over me or my seed for ever.’ The six agreed to these terms, and Otanes withdrew and stood aloof from the contest.
43. And still to this day the family of Otanes continues to be the only free family in Persia;
44. Those who belong to it submit to the rule of the king only so far as they themselves choose; they are bound, however, to observe the laws of the land like the other Persians.
Chapter 33
1. After this the remaining six took counsel together, as to the fairest way of choosing a king:
2. And first, with respect to Otanes, they resolved that it was to be free to each, whenever he pleased, to enter the palace unannounced, unless the king were in the company of one of his wives;
3. And the king was to be bound to marry into no family excepting those of the conspirators.
4. Concerning the appointment of a king, they resolved the following:
5. They would ride out together next morning into the suburbs of the city, and he whose steed first neighed after the sun was up should have the kingdom.
6. Now Darius had a groom, a sharp-witted knave called Oebares. After the meeting had ended, Darius sent for him, and told him how the king was to be chosen,
7. And said, ‘If you have any cleverness, contrive a plan whereby the prize may fall to me.’
8. ‘Truly, master,’ Oebares answered, ‘if it depends on this whether you will be king or no, set your heart at ease, and fear nothing: I have a device which is sure not to fail.’
9. Oebares did as follows: when night came, he took one of the mares, the chief favourite of the horse which Darius rode,
10. And tethering it in the suburb, brought his master’s horse to the place;
11. Then, after leading him round and round the mare several times, nearer and nearer at each circuit, he ended by letting them come together.
12. When morning broke, the six Persians, according to agreement, met together on horseback, and rode out to the suburb.
13. As they went along they neared the spot where the mare was tethered, whereupon the horse of Darius sprang forward and neighed.
14. The five other nobles leaped with one accord from their steeds, and bowed down before him, owning him for their king.
15. Thus was Darius, son of Hystaspes, appointed king; and, except the Arabians, all Asia was subject to him.
16. The Arabians were never subject to the Persians, but had a league of friendship with them from the time when Cambyses invaded Egypt;
17. For had they been unfriendly the Persians could never have made their invasion.
18. And now Darius contracted marriages of the first rank, according to the notions of the Persians:
19. To wit, with two daughters of Cyrus, Atossa and Artystone; of whom Atossa had been twice married before, once to Cambyses, her brother, and once to the Magus, while the other,