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You seem to think, said the other, that the insolent do not recognize those more discreet than they, that thieves do not recognize the truthful, and wrong-doers those who do right. Do you not know, he continued, that even now your father has played false and has not kept his agreement with us, although he knew that we have not been violating any of the agreements made by Astyages?

Yes; but neither do I mean that simply recognizing their superiors makes people discreet, unless they are punished by those superiors, as my father now is.But said Cyrus, your father has not yet suffered the least harm; but he is afraid, to be sure, that he will suffer the worst.

Do you think, then, said Tigranes, that[*](Fear of harm worse than the reality) anything breaks a man’s spirit sooner than object fear? Do you not know that those who are beaten with the sword, which is considered the most potent instrument of correction, are nevertheless ready to fight the same enemy again; but when people really fear anyone very much, then they cannot look him in the face, even when he tries to cheer them? You mean to say, said he, that fear is a heavier punishment to men than real correction.

And you, said he, know that what I say is true; for you are aware that, on the one hand, those who are afraid that they are to be exiled from their native land, and those who on the eve of battle are afraid that they shall be defeated, and those who fear slavery or bondage, all such can neither eat nor sleep for fear; whereas those who are already in exile or already defeated or already in slavery can sometimes eat and sleep better than those enjoying a happier lot.

And from the following considerations it is still clearer what a burden fear is: some, for fear that they will be caught and put to death, in terror take their own lives before their time—some by hurling themselves over a precipice, other by hanging themselves, others by cutting their own throats; so does fear crush down the soul more than all other terrors. As for my father, he added, in what a state of mind do you think he is? For he is in dread not only for himself, but also for me, for his wife, and for all of his children.

Well, answered Cyrus, it is not at all unlikely, I suppose, that he is for the moment in such a state of mind. However, it seems to me that we expect of a man who is insolent in success and abject in failure that, when set on his feet once more, he will again wax arrogant and again cause more trouble.

Well, by Zeus, Cyrus, said he, our wrong-doing[*](Tigranes discusses plans for adjustment) does, no doubt, give you cause to distrust us; but you may build forts in our country and occupy the strongholds already built and take whatever else you wish as security. And yet, he added, you will not find us very much aggrieved by your doing so; for we shall remember that we are to blame for it all. But if you hand over our government to some one of those who have done no wrong and yet show that you distrust them, see to it lest they regard you as no friend, in spite of your favours to them. But if again, on your guard against incurring their hatred, you fail to place a check upon them to keep them from rebellion, see to it lest you need to bring them to discretion even more than you did in our case just now.

Nay, by the gods, said he, I do not think I should like to employ servants that I knew served me only from compulsion. But if I had servants who I thought assisted me, as in duty bound, out of goodwill and friendship toward me, I think I should be better satisfied with them when they did wrong than with others who disliked me, when they performed all their tasks faithfully but from compulsion. To this Tigranes replied: From whom could you ever get such friendship as you now can from us? From those, I presume, said he, who have never been my enemies, if I would do them such favours as you now bid me do you.

But, Cyrus, said he, as things now are,[*](He argues for the continuance of his father’s reign) could you find any one to whom you could do as great favours as you can to my father? For example, if you grant any one of those who have done you no wrong his life, what gratitude do you think he will feel toward you for that? And again, who will love you for not depriving him of his wife and children more than he who thinks that it would serve him right to lose them? And do you know of any one who would be more grieved than we, not to have the throne of Armenia? Well, then, he added, it is evident that he who would be most grieved not to be king, would also be most grateful for receiving the throne.

And if you care at all to leave matters here in as little confusion as possible when you go away, consider whether you think the country would be more tranquil under the beginning of a new administration than if the one we are used to should continue. And if you care to take with you as large an army as possible, who do you think would be in a better position to organize the troops properly than he who has often employed them? And if you need money also, who do you think could supply it better than he who knows and commands all the sources of supply? My good Cyrus,” he added, beware lest in casting us aside you do yourself a greater injury than any harm my father has been able to do you. Thus he spoke.

And Cyrus was more than pleased at hearing him, for he thought that everything that he had promised Cyaxares to do was in course of accomplishment; for he remembered having told him that he would make the Armenian more his friend than he was before. Tell me, king of Armenia, he therefore asked,[*](Cyrus takes a conciliatory attitude) if I yield to you in this matter, how large an army will you send with me and how much money will you contribute to the war?

I have nothing to propose more simple or more fair, Cyrus, the Armenian replied to this, than for me to show you all the forces I have and for you, when you have seen them, to take as many as you see fit, leaving the rest here to protect the country. And in the same way in regard to the money, it is proper for me to show you all that I have, and for you to decide for yourself and take as much as you please and to leave as much as you please.

Come then, said Cyrus, tell me how large your forces are and how much money you have. Well, the Armenian then answered, there are about eight thousand cavalry and about forty thousand infantry. And the property, said he, including the treasures that my father left me, amounts, when reduced to cash, to more than three thousand talents.

And without hesitation, Cyrus replied: Send[*](His demands) with me then, said he, only half the army, since your neighbours, the Chaldaeans, are at war with you. And of the money, instead of the fifty talents which you used to pay as tribute, pay Cyaxares double that sum because you are in arrears with your payments. And lend me personally a hundred more, said he; and I promise you that if God prospers me, I will in return for your loan either do you other favours worth more than that amount or at least pay you back the money, if I can; but if I cannot, I may seem insolvent, I suppose, but I should not justly be accounted dishonest.

For heaven’s sake, Cyrus, said the Armenian, do not talk that way. If you do, you will make me lose heart. But consider, said he, that what you leave here is no less yours than what you take away. Very well, said Cyrus; now how much money would you give to get your wife back? As much as I could, said he. And how much to get your children? For these also, said he, as much as I could. Well then, said Cyrus, that makes already twice as much as you have.

And you, Tigranes, said he, tell me how much you would pay to get your wife back?Now it happened that he was newly married and loved his wife very dearly. I would give my life, Cyrus, said he, to keep her from slavery.

Well then, said he, take her back; she is[*](His generosity) your own. For I, for my part, do not consider that she has been made a prisoner of war at all, since you never ran away from us. And you too, king of Armenia, may take back your wife and children without paying any ransom for them, that they may know that they return to you free men and women. And now, said he, stay and have dinner with us; and when you have dined you may drive away wherever you have a mind to go. So they stayed.

And after dinner, as the party was breaking up,[*](A Socrates in Armenia)Cyrus asked: Tell me, Tigranes, where is the man who used to hunt with us? You seemed to admire him very much.Ah, he replied, did not my father here have him put to death? What wrong did he find him doing? He said that he was corrupting me. And yet, Cyrus, said he, he was so noble and so good that when he was about to be put to death, he called me to him and said: Be not angry with your father, Tigranes, for putting me to death; for he does it, not from any spirit of malice, but from ignorance, and when men do wrong from ignorance, I believe they do it quite against their will.

Poor man!Cyrus exclaimed on hearing this.Here the Armenian king interrupted: Do not men who discover strangers in intercourse with their wives kill them, not on the ground that they make their wives more inclined to folly, but in the belief that they alienate from them their wives’ affections—for this reason they treat them as enemies. So I was jealous of him because I thought that he made my son regard him more highly than he did me.

Well, by the gods, king of Armenia, said Cyrus, your sin seems human; and you, Tigranes, must forgive your father.Then when they had thus conversed and showed their friendly feelings toward one another, as was natural after a reconciliation, they entered their carriages and drove away with their wives, happy.