with thefe opprobrious words, Now glut thyself with blood, in which thou haft always delighted, and of which thy thirst has always been infatiable. The account given by Herodotus of Cyrus's infancy, and firft adventures, has much more the air of a romance, than of an hiftory. And, as to the manner of his death, what probability is there, that a prince, fo experienced in war, and no lefs renowned for his prudence than for his bravery, fhould fo eafily fall into an ambuscade laid by a woman for him? (9) What the fame hiftorian relates concerning his hafty violent pation, and his childish revenge upon the † river, in which one of his facred horfes was drowned, and which he immediately caused to be cut by his army into three hundred and fixty channels, is directly repugnant to the idea we have of Cyrus, who was a prince of extraordinary moderation and temper. Befides, (r) is it at all probable, that Cyrus, who was marching to the conqueft of Babylon, fhould fo idly waste his time when fo precious to him, fhould fpend the ardor of his troops in fuch an unprofitable piece of work, and mifs the opportunity of furprising the Babylonians, by amufing himself with ridiculous war with a river, instead of carrying it against enemies? But, what decides this point unanswerably in favour of X nophon, is the conformity we find between him and the h fcripture; where we fee, that inftead of Cyrus's having rai the Perfian empire upon the ruins of that of the Medes Herodotus relates it) thofe two nations attacked Babylon 1 gether, and united their forces, to reduce the formidable pov of the Babylonian monarchy. From whence then could fo great a difference, as there between these two hiftorians proceed? Herodotus himself e. plains it to us. In the very place, where he gives the accour of Cyrus's birth, and in that where he speaks of his death, acquaints us, that even at that time thofe two great events were related different ways. Herodotus followed that which pleafed him beft, for it appears that he was fond of extraor dinary and wonderful things, and was very credulous. Xenophon was of a graver difpofition, and of lefs credulity; and in the very beginning of his hiftory acquaints us, that he had taken great care and pains to inform himself of Cyrus's birth, education, and character. (9) Her, l. i. c. 189. K 3 (r) Sen. 1. iii. de Ira, e. 21. Satia te, inquit, fanguine, quem | fuifti. Juftin. 1, i. c. 8. Gtifti, cujufque infatiabilis femper + Gyndes. CHAP. CHA P. II. The HISTORY of CAMBYSES. S foon as Cambyfes was feated in the throne, he refolved to make war against Egypt, for a particular affront, which, according to Herodotus, he pretended to have received from Amafis: Of this I have already given an account. But it is more probable, that Amafis, who had fubmitted to Cyrus, and become tributary to him, might draw this war upon himself, by refufing, after Cyrus's death, to pay the fame homage and tribute to his fucceffor, and by attempting to shake off his yoke. (7) Cambyfes, in order to carry on the war with fuccefs, made vaft preparations both by fea and land. The Cypriots and Phoenicians furnished him with fhips. As for his landarmy, he added to his own troops a great number of Grecians, Ionians, and Æolians, which made up the principal part of his forces. But none was of greater fervice to him in this war, than Phanes of Halicarnaffus, who being the commander of fome auxiliary Greeks, in the fervice of Amafis, and being fome way or other diffatisfied with that prince, came over to Cambyfes, and gave him fuch intelligence concerning the nature of the country, the ftrength of the enemy, and the ftate of his affairs, as very much facilitated the fuccefs of his expedition. It was particularly by his advice, that he contracted with an Arabian king, whofe territories lay between the confines of Palestine and Egypt, to furnish his army with water during their march through the defert, that lay between thofe two countries: Which agreement that prince fulfilled, by fending the water on the backs of camels, without which Cambyfes could never have marched his army that way. (u) Having made all thefe preparations, he invaded Egypt in the fourth year of his reign. When he was arrived upon the frontiers, he was informed that Amafis was just dead, and that Pfammenitus, his fon, who fucceeded him, was bufy in gathering all his forces together, to hinder him from penetrating into his kingdom. Before Cambyfes could open a paffage into the country, it was neceffary he fhould render himself mafter of Pelufium, which was the key of Egypt on the fide he invaded it. Now Pelufium was fo ftrong a place, that in all likelihood it must have stopped him a great while. But according to Polyenus, to facilitate this enterprize, (w) Camby (3) A. M. 3475. 1. iii. c.4-9. Ant. J. C. $29.. Herod. I. iii. c. 137 fes (1) Herod. fes invented the following ftratagem. Being informed, that the whole garrifon confifted of Egyptians, he placed in the front of his army a great number of cats, dogs, sheep, and other animals, which were looked upon as fácred by that nation; and then attacked the city by ftorm. The foldiers of the garrifon not daring either to fling a dart, or fhoot an arrow that way, for fear of hitting fome of thofe animals, Cambyfes became mafter of the place without oppofition. (x) When Cambyfes had got poffeffion of the city, Pfammenitus advanced with a great army, to flop his progrefs; and a confiderable battle enfued between them. But before they engaged, the Greeks, who were in Pfammenitus's army, in order to be revenged of Phanes for his revolt, took his children, which he had been obliged to leave in Egypt when he fled, cut their throats between the two camps, and in prefence of the two armies, drank their blood. This outrageous cruelty did not procure them the victory. The Perfians, enraged at fo horrid a fpectacle, fell upon them with great fury, quickly routed and overthrew the whole Egyptian army, of which the greatest part were killed upon the spot. Thofe that could fave themfelves efcaped to Memphis. (y) On occafion of this battle Herodotus takes notice of an extraordinary circumftance, of which he himself was a witnefs. The bones of the Perfians and Egyptians were ftill in the place where the battle was fought, but feparated from one another. The skulls of the Egyptians were so hard, that a violent stroke of a stone would hardly break them; and those of the Perfians -fo foft, that you might break them, or pierce them through, with the greatest eafe imaginable. The reafon of this differ ence was, that the former, from their infancy, were accustomed to have their heads fhaved, and to go uncovered, whereas the latter had their heads always covered with their tiara's, which is one of their principal ornaments. (x) Cambyfes, having purfued the run-aways to Memphis, fent an herald into the city, in a veffel of Mitylene, by the river Nile, on which Memphis ftood, to fummon the inhabitants to furrender. But the people, transported with rage, fell upon the herald, and tore him to pieces, and all that were with him. Cambyfes, having foon after taken the place, fully revenged the indignity, caufing ten times as many Egyptians, c the prime nobility, as there had been of his people maffacred to be publickly executed. Among thefe was the eldest fon Pfammenitus. As for the king himself, Cambyfes was inclined K 4 (y) Cap. 12. (x) Herod. 1. iii, c. 11. (x) Cap. 13. to treat him kindly. He not only fpared his life, but appointed him an honourable maintenance. But the Egyptian monarch, little affected with this kind ufage, did what he could to raise new troubles and commotions, in order to recover his kingdom; as a punishment for which he was made to drink bull's blood, and died immediately. His reign lafted but fix months; after which all Egypt fubmitted to the conqueror. On the news of this fuccefs the Libyans, the Cyrenians, and the Barceans, all fent ambaffadors with prefents to Cambyfes, to make him their fubmiffions. (a) From Memphis he went to the city of Sais, which was the burying-place of the kings of Egypt. As foon as he entered the palace, he caufed the body of Amafis to be taken out of its tomb; and, after having expofed it to a thousand indig. nities in his own prefence, he ordered it to be caft into the fire, and to be burnt; which was a thing equally contrary to the cuftoms of the Perfians and Egyptians. The rage this prince teftified against the dead carcafe of Amafis, fhews, to what a degree he hated his perfon. Whatever was the cause of that averfion, it seems to have been one of the chief motives Cambyfes had of carrying his arms into Egypt. (6) The next year, which was the fixth of his reign, he refolved to make war in three different countries; against the Carthaginians, the Ammonians, and the Ethiopians. The first of thefe projects he was obliged to lay afide, because the Phoenicians, without whofe affiftance he could not carry on that war, refufed to fuccour him against the Carthaginians, who were defcended from them, Carthage being originally a Ty rian colony. (c) But, being determined to invade the other two nations, he fent ambafladors into Ethiopia, who under that character were to act as fpies for him, to learn the ftate and strength of the country, and give him intelligence of both. They carried prefents along with them, such as the Perfians were used to make, as purple, golden bracelets, compound perfumes, and wine. Thefe prefents, amongst which there was nothing ufeful, or ferviceable to life, except the wine, were defpifed by the Ethiopians; neither did they make much more account of his ambaffadors, whom they took for what they really were, fpies and enemies in difguife. However, the king of Ethiopia was willing after his way to make a prefent to the king of Perfia; and taking a bow in his hands, which a Perfian was fo far from being able to draw, that he could fcarce lift it, he drew it in prefence of the ambaffadors, and told them : "This is "the (a) Herod. lib, iii, c. 16, (b) Cap. 17, 19. (c) Cap. 20-24+ "the present and the counsel the king of Ethiopia gives the "king of Perfia. When the Perfians fhall be able to use a bow "of this bignefs and ftrength, with as much ease as I have "now bent it, then let him come to attack the Ethiopians, "and bring more troops with him than Cambyfes is matter of. "In the mean time, let them thank the gods for not having put it into the hearts of the Ethiopians to extend their do"minions beyond their own country. (d) This anfwer having enraged Cambyfes, he commanded his army to begin their march immediately, without confidering, that he neither had provifions, nor any thing neceffary for fuch an expedition: But he left the Grecians behind him, in his new-conquered country, to keep it in fubjection during his absence. (e) As foon as he arrived at Thebes, in upper Egypt, he detached fifty thousand of his men against the Ammonians, ordering them to ravage the country, and to deftroy the temple of Jupiter Ammon, which was famous there. But, after they had made feveral days march in the defert, a violent wind blowing from the fouth, brought fuch a vast quantity of fand upon the army, that the men were all overwhelmed, and buried under it. In the mean time, Cambyfes marched forwards like a mad man towards the Ethiopians, notwithstanding his being deftitute of all forts of provifions; which quickly caused a terrible famine in his army. He had ftill time, fays Herodotus, to remedy this evil: But Cambyfes would have thought it a difhonour to have defifted from his undertaking, and therefore he proceeded in his expedition. At first his army was obliged to live upon herbs, roots, and leaves of trees: But, coming afterwards into a country entirely barren, they were reduced to the neceffity of eating their beafts of burden. At laft they were brought to fuch a cruel extremity, as to be obliged to eat one another; every tenth man, upon whom the lot fell, being doomed to ferve as meat for his companions; a meat, fays Seneca, more cruel and terrible than famine itself: (ƒ) Decimum quemque fortiti, alimentum habuerunt fame fævius. Notwithtanding all this, the king ftill perfifted in his defign, or rather in his madness, nor did the miferable defolation of his army make him fenfible of his error. But at length, beginning to be afraid for his own perfon, he ordered them to return. Ďuring all this dreadful famine among the troops (who would believe it?) there was no abatement of delicacies at his table, and camels were ftill referved to carry his kitchen-furniture, and De-Isa, hiii, c. 204 (d) Herod. 1. iii. c.25. (4) Cap. 25, 26. |