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tion, invent the method of clothing them with graceful | to Apollo, and to give each inhabitant a considerable and familiar images borrowed from nature, by giving sum. A quarrel, which arose between him and the language to brute beasts, and ascribing sense and rea-people of Delphi, occasioned him, after the sacrifice, son to plants and trees, and all sorts of inanimate

creatures.

to send back the money to Croesus, and to inform him, that those for whom it was intended had rendered The fables of Esop are void of all ornament; but themselves unworthy of his bounty. The inhabitants abound with good sense, and are adapted to the capa- of Delphi caused him to be condemned as guilty of city of children, for whom they are more particularly sacrilege, and to be thrown down from the top of a composed. Those of Phædrus are in a style some- rock. The god, offended by this action, punished what more elevated and diffused, but at the same time them with a plague and famine; so that to put an end have a simplicity and elegance, that very much resem- to these evils, they caused it to be signified in all the ble the Attic spirit and style in the plain way of writ-assemblies of Greece, that if any one, for the honour ing, which was the finest and most delicate kind of of Esop, would come and claim vengeance for his composition in use among the Grecians. Monsieur death, they would give him satisfaction. At the third de la Fontaine, who was very sensible that the French generation, a man from Samos presented himself, tongue is not susceptible of the same elegant simpli- who had no other relation to Esop than being de city, has enlivened his fables with a sprightly and ori-scended from the persons who had bought that fabu ginal turn of thought and expression, peculiar to him- list. The Delphians made this man satisfaction, and self, which no other person has yet been able to imi- thereby delivered themselves from the pestilence and famine that distressed them.

tate.

It is not easy to conceive, why Seneca asserts as a fact, that the Romans in his time had never tried their pens in this kind of composition. Were the fables of Phædrus unknown to him?

Plutarch relates the manner of Æsop's death. He went to Delphi, with a great quantity of gold and silver, to offer, in the name of Croesus, a great sacrifice

Non audeo to usque eò producere, ut fabellas quoque et Esopeos logos intentatum Romanis ingeniis opus, solitâ tibi venustate connectas. Senec. de Consol. ad Polyb. c. 27.

"De sera Numinis vindictâ, p. 556, 557.

The Athenians, those excellent judges of true glory, erected a noble statue to this learned and ingenious slave; to let all the people know, says Phædrus, that the ways of honour were open indifferently to all mankind, and that it was not to birth, but merit, they paid so honourable a distinction.

Æsopo ingentem statuam posuere Attici,
Servumque collocârunt æterna in basi,
Patere honoris scirent ut cuncti viam,
Nec generi tribui, sed vertuti glofiam.

Four minæ, equal to 240 livres, or about 81. 10s.
Herod. lib. ii. cap. 134.
Ibid. lib. ii.

THE HISTORY

OF THE

PERSIANS AND GRECIANS.

BOOK VI.

This Book contains the history of the Persians and Grecians, in | Artabarzanes, the eldest of the three sons whom he the reigns of Darius I. and Xerxes I., during the space of forty had by her, afterwards disputed the empire with

eight years, from the year of the world 3483, to the year 3531.

CHAPTER I.

THE HISTORY OF DARIUS, INTERMIXED WITH THAT OF

THE GREEKS.

Xerxes.

When Darius was seated in the A. M. 3483. throne, the better to secure himself therein, he married two of Cyrus's Ant. J. C. 521. daughters, Atossa, and Aristona.

BEFORE Darius came to be king,' he was called Ochus. At his succession he took the name of Da- The former had been wife to Cambyses, her own brorius, which, according to Herodotus, in the Persianther, and afterwards to Smerdis the Magian, during language signifies an Avenger, or a man that defeats the schemes of another; probably because he had punished and put an end to the insolence of the Magian impostor. He reigned thirty-six years. SECTION I.-DARIUS'S MARRIAGES. THE IMPOSI

TION OF TRIBUTES. THE INSOLENCE AND PUNISH-
MENT OF INTAPHERNES. THE DEATH OF ORETES.
THE STORY OF DEMOCEDES A PHYSICIAN. THE JEWS

the time he possessed the throne. Aristona was still a virgin when Darius married her; and of all his wives was the person he most loved. He likewise married Parmys, daughter of the true Smerdis, who was Cambyses' brother, as also Phedyma, daughter to Otanes, by whose management the imposture of the Magian was discovered. By these wives he had a great number of children of both sexes.

We have already seen, that the seven conspirators PERMITTED TO CARRY ON THE BUILDING OF THEIR who put the Magian to death, had agreed among TEMPLE. THE GENEROSITY OF SYLOSON REWARDED. themselves, that he whose horse, on a day appointed, BEFORE Darius was elected king he had married the first neighed at the rising of the sun, should be de daughter of Gobryas, whose name is not known.clared king; and that Darius's horse, by an artifice of his groom, procured his master that honour. *For the Author's Introduction to this division of the The king, desiring to transmit to future ages his grawork, see page xxx. of the Preface.

Herod. I. vi. c. 98. Val. Max. 1. ix. c. 2.

2 Herod. 1. iii. c. 88.

Herod. l. iii. c. 88,

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titude for this signal service, caused an equestrian statue to be set up, with this inscription: Darius the son of Hystaspes acquired the kingdom of Persia by means of his horse (whose name was inserted,) and of his groom Oebares. There is in this inscription, in which we see the king is not ashamed to own himself indebted to his horse and his groom, for so transcendant a benefaction as the regal diadem, when it was his interest, one would think, to have it considered as the fruits of a superior merit; there is, I say, in this inscription, a simplicity and sincerity strikingly characteristic of those ancient times, and extremely remote from the pride and vanity of our own. One of the first çares of Darius,' when he was set-sured of the contrary, he caused Intaphernes, with his tled in the throne, was to regulate the state of the provinces, and to put his finances into good order. Before his time, Cyrus and Cambyses had contented themselves with receiving from the conquered nations such free gifts only as they voluntarily offered, and with requiring a certain number of troops when they had occasion for them. But Darius perceived that it was impossible for him to preserve all the nations subject to him in peace and security, without keeping up regular forces; and equally impossible to maintain these forces, without assigning them a certain pay; or to be able punctually to give them that pay, with out laying taxes and impositions upon the people.

After the death of the Magian impostor, it was agreed that the Persian noblemen who had conspired against him, should, besides several other marks of distinction, have the liberty of free access to the king's presence at all times, except when he was alone with the queen. Intaphernes, one of those noblemen, being refused admittance into the king's apartment at a time when the king and queen were in private together, in a violent rage attacked the officers of the palace, abused them outrageously, cutting their faces with his scymitar. Darius highly resented so heinous an insult; and at first apprehended it might be a conspiracy amongst the noblemen. But when he was well aschildren, and all that were of his family, to be seized, and had them all condemned to death, confounding through a blind excess of severity, the innocent with the guilty. In these unhappy circumstances, the wife of the criminal went every day to the gates of the palace, crying and weeping in the most lamentable manner, and never ceasing to implore the king's clemency with all the pathetic eloquence of sorrow and distress. The king could not resist so moving a spectacle, and besides her own, granted her the pardon of any one of her family whom she should choose. This gave the unhappy lady great perplexity, who desired, no doubt, to save them all. At last, after a long deliberation, she determined in favour of her brother.

In order therefore the better to regulate the administration of his finances, he divided the whole empire This choice, wherein she seemed not to have followinto twenty districts or governments, each of which ed the sentiments which nature should dictate to a was annually to pay a certain sum to the satrap ap-mother and a wife, surprised the king; and when he pointed for that purpose. The natural subjects, that is, the Persians, were exempt from all imposts. Herodotus gives an exact enumeration of these provinces, which may very much contribute to give us a just idea of the extent of the Persian empire.

In Asia it comprehended all that now belongs to the Persians and Turks; in Africa, it took in Egypt and part of Nubia, as also the coast of the Mediterranean as far as the kingdom of Barca; in Europe, part of Thrace and Macedonia. But it must be observed, that in this vast extent of country, there were several nations which were only tributary, and not properly subjects to Persia; as is the case at this day with respect to the Turkish empire.

History observes, that Darius, in imposing these tributes, showed great wisdom and moderation. He sent for the principal inhabitants of every province; such as were best acquainted with the condition and ability of their country, and were interested in giving him a true and impartial account. He then asked them, if such and such sums, which he proposed to each of them for their respective provinces, were not too great, or did not exceed what they were able to pay; his intention being, as he told them, not to oppress his subjects, but only to require such aids from them as were proportioned to their incomes, and absolutely necessary for the defence of the state. They all answered, that the sums he proposed were very reasonable, and such as would not be burdensome to the people. The king, however, was pleased to abate one half, choosing rather to keep a great deal within bounds, than to risk a possibility of exceeding them.

desired she might be asked the reason of it, she made answer, that by a second marriage the loss of a husband and children might be retrieved; but that, her father and mother being dead, there was no possibility of recovering a brother. Darius, besides the life of her brother, granted her the same favour for the eldest of her children.

I have already related, in this volume,5 by what an instance of perfidiousness Oretes, one of the king's governors in Asia Minor, brought about the death of Polycrates, tyrant of Samos. So black and detestable a crime did not go unpunished. Darius found out, that Oretes strangely abused his power, making no account of the blood of those persons who had the misfortune to displease him. This satrap carried his insolence so far, as to put to death a messenger sent him by the king, because the orders he had brought him were disagreeable. Darius, who did not yet think himself well settled in the throne, would not venture to attack him openly; for the satrap had no less than 1000 soldiers for his guard, not to mention the soldiers he was able to raise from his government, which included Phrygia, Lydia, and Ionia. The king therefore thought fit to proceed in a secret manner to rid himself of so dangerous a servant. With this commission he intrusted one of his officers, of approved fidelity, and attachment to his person. The officer, under pretence of other business, went to Sardis, where with great dexterity, he sounded the dispositions of the people. To pave the way to his design, he first gave the principal officers of the governor's guard letters from the king, which contained nothing but gene. ral orders. A little while after he delivered them other letters, in which their orders were more express and particular. And as soon as he found himself perfectly sure of the disposition of the troops, he then read them a third letter, wherein the king in plain terms comThe several sums levied by the imposition of these manded them to put the governor to death; and this tributes or taxes, as far as we can infer from the cal-order was executed without delay. All his effects culation of Herodotus, which is attended with great difficulties, amounted in the whole to about 44,000,000 per annum French, or something less than 2,000,000 English money.

But notwithstanding this extraordinary moderation on the king's part, as there is something odious in all imposts, the Persians, who had given the surname of Father to Cyrus, and of Master to Cambyses, thought fit to characterize Darius by that of Merchant.3

Herod. l. ii. c. 89-97. 2 Plut, in Apophthegm, p. 172. * Κάπηλος signifies something still more mean and contemptible, but I do not know how to express it in our language. It may signify a broker or a retailer, any one that buys to sell again.

VOL. 1.-25

were confiscated to the king; and all the persons belonging to his family and household were removed to Susa. Among the rest there was a celebrated physician of Crotona, whose name was Democedes. This physician's story is very singular, and happened to be the occasion of some considerable events.

* Herod. L. iii. c. 118, 119.
Ibid. 1. iii. c. 120, 128.

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2

Not long after the forementioned transaction, Da- its commands, of what nature soever, should be inrius chanced to have a fall from his horse in hunting, stantly performed! We have seen something of this by which he wrenched one of his feet in a violent kind in the history of Nebuchadnezzar, who promanner, and put his heel out of joint. The Egyptians nounced a general sentence of death upon all his mawere then reckoned the most skilful in physic; for gicians, because they could not divine what it was he which reason the king had several physicians of that had dreamed in the night, which he himself had fornation about him. These undertook to cure the king, gotten. Democedes procured also the enlargement and exerted all their skill on so important an occa- of several of those persons who had been imprisoned sion; but they were so awkward in the operation, and with him. He lived in the greatest affluence, and was in the handling and managing the king's foot, that in the highest esteem and favour with the king. But they put him to incredible pain; so that he passed he was at a great distance from his own country, and seven days and seven nights without sleeping. De- his thoughts and desires were continually bent upon mocedes was mentioned on this occasion by some Greece. person, who had heard him extolled at Sardis as a very able physician. He was sent for immediately, and brought to the king in the condition he was in, with his irons on, and a very poor apparel; for he was at that time actually a prisoner. The king asked him, whether he had any knowledge of physic? At first he denied he had, fearing, that if he should give any proofs of his skill, he should be detained in Persia, and by that means be forever debarred from returning to his own country, for which he had an exceeding affection. Darius, displeased with his answer, ordered him to be put to the torture. Democedes found it was necessary to own the truth; and therefore offered his service to the king. The first thing he did, was to apply gentle fomentations to the part affected. This remedy had a speedy effect; the king recovered his sleep; and in a few days was perfectly cured, both of the sprain and the dislocation. To recompense the physician, the king made him a present of two pair of golden chains. Upon which Democedes asked him, whether he meant to reward the happy success of his endeavours by doubling his misfortunes? The king was pleased with that saying; and ordered his eunuchs to conduct Democedes to his wives, that they might see the person to whom he was indebted for his recovery. They all made him very magnificent presents; so that in one day's time he became extremely rich.

4

Democedes was a native of Crotona, a city of Græcia Magna in the lower Calabria in Italy, from whence he had been obliged to fly, on account of the ill-treatment he received from his father. He first went to Ægina, where, by several successful cures, he acquired great reputation: the inhabitants of this place settled on him a yearly pension of a talent. The talent contained sixty mine, and was worth about 3000 livres French money. Some time after he was invited to Athens; where they augmented his pension to 5000 livres per annum.5 After this he was received into the family of Polycrates, tyrant of Samos, who gave him a pension of 2000 crowns. It redounds much to the honour of cities or princes, by handsome pensions or salaries, to engage such persons in their service as are of public benefit to mankind; and even to induce foreigners of worth and merit to come and settle among them. The Crotonians from this time had the reputation of having the ablest physicians; and next after them, the people of Cyrene in Africa. The Argives were at the same time reputed to excel in music.

Democedes, after performing this cure upon the king, was admitted to the honour of eating at his table, and came to have great influence at Susa. At his intercession, the Egyptian physicians were pardoned, who had all been condemned to be hanged for having been less skilful than the Grecian physician; as if they were obliged to answer for the success of their remedies, or that it was a crime not to be able to cure a king. This is a strange abuse, though too common an effect of unlimited power, which is seldom guided by reason or equity, and which, being accustomed to see every thing give way implicitly to its authority, expects that

1 Herod, l. iii, c. 129, 130.

Anciently the same persons practised both as physi cians and surgeons.

Herod, 1. iii. c. 131.

He had the good fortune to perform another cure,8 which contributed to raise his credit and reputation still higher. Atossa, one of the king's wives, and daughter to Cyrus, was attacked with a cancer in her breast. As long as the pain was moderate, she bere it with patience, not being able to prevail on herself, out of modesty, to discover her disorder. But at last she was constrained to it, and sent for Democedes; who promised to cure her, and at the same time requested that she would be pleased to grant him a certain favour he should beg of her, entirely consistent with her honour. The queen engaged her word, and was cured. The favour desired by the physician was to procure him a journey into his own country; and the queen was not unmindful of her promise. It was worth while to take notice of such events, which, though not very considerable in themselves, often give occasion to the greatest enterprises of princes, and are even the secret springs and distant causes of them.

As Atossa was conversing one day with Darius, she took occasion to represent to him, that, as he was in the flower of his age, and of a vigorous constitution, capable of enduring the fatigues of war, and had numerous armies at command, it would be for his honour to form some great enterprise, and let the Persians see they had a man of courage for their king. You have hit my thoughts, replied Darius; for I was meditating an attack upon the Scythians. I had much rather, says Atossa, you would first turn your arms against Greece. I have heard great things said in praise of the women of Lacedæmon, of Argos, Athens, and Corinth; and should be very glad to have some of them in my service. Besides, you have a person here that might be very useful to you in such an enterprise, and could give you a perfect knowledge of the coun try: the person I mean is Democedes, who hath cured both you and me. This was enough for the king, and the affair was resolved upon immediately. Fifteen Persian noblemen were appointed to accompany Democedes into Greece, and to examine with him all the maritime places as thoroughly as possible. The king strictly charged these persons, above all things, to keep a watchful eye upon the physician, that he did not give them the slip, and to bring him back with them to the Persian court.

Darius, in giving such an order, plainly showed he did not understand the proper methods for engaging men of abilities and merit to reside in his dominions, and for attaching them to his person. To pretend to do this by authority and compulsion, is the sure way of suppressing all knowledge and industry, and of driving away the liberal arts and sciences, which must be free and unconfined, like the genius from whence they spring. For one man of genius that will be kept in a country by force, thousands will be driven away, who would probably have chosen to reside in it, if they could enjoy their liberty and meet with kind

treatment.

When Darius had formed his design of sending into Greece, the acquainted Democedes with it, laid open his views to him, and told him the occasion he

Herod. 1. iii. c. 135, 137.

Non sine usa fuerit introspicere illa primo aspectu levia, ex queis magnarum sæpe rerum motus oriuntu Herod. l. iii. c. 132. Tac. 1. iv. c. 32.

An island between Attica and Peloponnesus.
100 minæ. • Two talents.

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