Histories

writing what he liked on a paper, he assembled the Persians, and then unfolded the paper and declared that in it Astyages appointed him leader of the Persian armies. “Now,” he said in his speech, “I command you, men of Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia, to come, each provided with a sickle.” This is what Cyrus said.

Now there are many tribes in Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia: those of them that Cyrus assembled and persuaded to revolt from the Medes were the Pasargadae, the Maraphii, and the Maspii. On these all the other Persians depend. The chief tribe is that of the Pasargadae; to them belongs the clan of the Achaemenidae, the royal house of Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia.

The other Persian tribes are the Panthialaei, the Derusiaei, and the Germanii, all tillers of the soil, and the Dai, the Mardi, the Dropici, the Sagartii, all wandering herdsmen.

So when they all came with sickles as ordered, Cyrus commanded them to reclaim in one day a thorny tract of Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia, of two and one quarter or two and one half miles each way in extent.

The Persians accomplished the task appointed; Cyrus then commanded them to wash themselves and come the next day; meanwhile, collecting his father's goats and sheep and oxen in one place, he slaughtered and prepared them as a feast for the Persian host, providing also wine and all the foods that were most suitable.

When the Persians came on the next day he had them sit and feast in a meadow. After dinner he asked them which they liked more: their task of yesterday or their present pastime.