Cyropaedia

On the morrow Cyrus took with him Tigranes,[*](Preparations for the conquest of Chaldaea) the best of the Median horsemen, and as many of his own friends as he thought proper, and rode around to inspect the country with a view to finding a place in which to build a fort. And when he had come to a certain eminence he asked Tigranes which were the mountains from which the Chaldaeans were accustomed to descend to make forays into the country. And Tigranes pointed them out. And again he asked: And are these mountains now unoccupied? No, by Zeus, said he; but they always have scouts up there who signal to the rest whatever they see. Then said he, what do they do, when they receive the signals? They run out to the heights to help, said he, each as best he can.

Such was the account to which Cyrus listened; and as he looked he observed that a large portion of the Armenians’ country was deserted and uncultivated as a result of the war. And then they went back to camp and after they had dined they went to rest.

On the following day Tigranes presented himself with his baggage all ready for the start; and under his command were assembled about four thousand horsemen and about ten thousand bowmen and as many peltasts besides. While they had been coming together, Cyrus had been sacrificing; and when his sacrifice gave favourable omens, he called a meeting of the officers of the Persians and of the Medes;

and when they were come together, he spoke as follows: My friends, these mountains which we see belong to Chaldaea; but if we should seize them and have a fort of our own built upon the summit, both parties—the Armenians, I mean, and the Chaldaeans—would have to behave with discretion toward us. Now, the sacrifices give us favourable omens; but, for the execution of our plan, nothing would be so strong an ally to human zeal as dispatch. For if we get up there before the enemy have time to come together, we may gain possession of the heights altogether without a battle, or we may at least find enemies few in number and without strength.

Of the tasks before us, therefore, none is[*](He hurls his army into the Chaldaean mountains) easier or less fraught with danger, said he, than now bravely to endure the strain of haste. Therefore, to arms! And.... You, Medes, march on our left; and you, Armenians, half keep to our right and half lead on in front; while you, cavalrymen, shall follow behind, to encourage and push us on upward; and if any one is inclined to show weakness, do not allow it.

With this command Cyrus brought his companies to ploy into column and took his place at their head. And when the Chaldaeans realized that the movement was directed toward the heights, they immediately gave the signal to their people, called to one another to assemble, and began to come together. And Cyrus gave command: Fellow-Persians, they are signalling us to hasten; for if we get up there first, the enemy’s efforts will be of no avail.

Now the Chaldaeans carried each a wicker shield and two spears, and they were said to be the most warlike of the peoples in that region. They also serve for hire when any one wants them, for they are fond of war and poor of purse; for their country is mountainous and only a small part of it is productive.

But when Cyrus and his men were getting[*](The battle) nearer to the heights, Tigranes, who was marching with Cyrus, said: Do you know, Cyrus, that we ourselves shall have to do the fighting, and in a very few moments? For the Armenians, I am sure, will never sustain the enemy’s attack. Cyrus answered that he knew that and gave the command to the Persians to make ready, as it would be necessary in a moment to give chase, as soon as the Armenians by pretending flight should decoy the enemy into close quarters.

So the Armenians led on. And when they came near, the Chaldaeans already there raised the battle cry, according to their custom, and charged upon them. And the Armenians, according to their custom, failed to sustain the charge.

But when the Chaldaeans in pursuit saw before them the swordsmen rushing up against them, some came near and were cut down at once, others fled, and some others of their number were taken prisoners; and soon the heights were taken. And when Cyrus and his men were in possession of the heights, they looked down on the dwellings of the Chaldaeans and saw the people fleeing from their homes near by.

Then when the soldiers were all together, Cyrus bade his men take luncheon; and when they had lunched and he had discovered that the place where the scouts had their posts of observation was strong and well supplied with water, he at once proceeded to build a fort there. He also bade Tigranes send for his father and bid him come with all the carpenters and masons that he had. So a messenger was off to bring the Armenian king, but Cyrus proceeded to build the wall with the men he had at hand.

At this juncture they brought to Cyrus the[*](He releases the prisoners) prisoners in chains and also some that had been wounded. And when he saw them he at once ordered that the fetters be taken off, and he sent for surgeons and bade them attend to the wounded men. And then he told the Chaldaeans that he had come with no wish to destroy them and with no desire to make war, but because he wished to make peace between the Armenians and the Chaldaeans.Now I know that before the heights were taken you had no wish at all for peace, for everything of yours was secure, while you carried off and plundered the property of the Armenians; but now see in what a predicament you are!

Now I am going to let you who have been captured go home and consult with the rest of the Chaldaeans whether you wish to have war with us or to be our friends. And if you choose war, do not come this way again without weapons, if you are wise; but if you decide that you desire peace, come without arms. I shall see to it that you have no cause to complain, if you become our friends.

And when the Chaldaeans heard this, they commended Cyrus highly, shook hands with him heartily, and departed for home. Now, when the king of Armenia received Cyrus’s summons and heard of his plans, he came to Cyrus as quickly as he could with the carpenters and all that he thought was necessary.

And when he saw Cyrus, he said: How little of[*](The Armenian king expresses his gratification) the future, Cyrus, we mortals can foresee, and yet how much we try to accomplish. Why, just now, when I was striving to secure liberty, I became more a slave than ever before; and when we were taken prisoners, we then thought our destruction certain, but we now find that we are saved as never before. For those who never ceased to do us no end of injury I now behold in just the condition that I desired.

And believe me, Cyrus, said he, when I say that to have driven the Chaldaeans from these heights I would have given many times as much money as you now have from me; and the benefit that you promised to do us, when you received the money, you have already conferred so fully that we obviously now owe you a new debt of gratitude besides; and we on our part, if we have not lost all self-respect, should be ashamed if we did not repay it to you.

Thus the Armenian king spoke. Now the Chaldaeans had come back with the request that Cyrus should make peace with them. And Cyrus asked them: Is this the reason that you, Chaldaeans, now desire peace, because you think, that since we are in possession of these heights, you could live in greater security if we had peace than if we were at war?The Chaldaeans assented.

And what, said he, if still other blessings should accrue to you as a result of the proposed peace? We should be still more pleased, they answered. Well said he, do you think that you are now poor for any other reason than because you have so little fertile land? In this also they agreed with him. Well then, said Cyrus, would you avail yourselves of the permission to till as much Armenian land as you wish on condition that you paid in full just as much rental as other tenants in Armenia do? Yes said the Chaldaeans, if we could be sure of not being molested.

Tell me, King of Armenia, said he, would you be willing that that land of yours which now lies uncultivated should be cultivated, if those who cultivate it would pay you the usual rental? The Armenian answered that he would give a great deal to have it so; for in this way his revenues would be greatly increased.

And tell me, Chaldaeans, said he, seeing that you have fine mountains, would you be willing to let the Armenians pasture their herds there, if the herdsmen would pay you what is fair?The Chaldaeans said they would; for they would get large profits by it, without any labour on their own part.And you, King of Armenia, said he, would you be willing to rent their pasture lands, if by letting the Chaldaeans have a little profit you were to get much greater profit for yourself? Why, of course, said he, if I thought I could pasture my cattle there in security. Well then, said he, could you pasture them there in security, if the heights were in the possession of your friends? Yes said the Armenian.