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Come then, said Cyrus, turn over to the magi what belongs to the gods, set apart for the army its share, and then call Gobryas in and give the rest to him. So they set aside what was required and gave the rest to Gobryas.

After this Cyrus renewed his march upon[*](The Assyrian refuses battle) Babylon, with his army in the same order as when the battle was fought. But as the Assyrians did not march out to meet them, Cyrus ordered Gobryas to ride up and say: If the king wishes to come out and fight for his country, I myself would join him and fight for him too; but if the king will not protect his country, then I must needs submit to the victors.

Accordingly, Gobryas rode to a place where he could safely give his message; and the king sent out a messenger to deliver to Gobryas this reply: This is your sovereign’s response to you, Gobryas: I do not regret that I killed your son, but only that I did not kill you, too. And if you and your men wish to fight, come back a month from now. Just at present we have no time to fight, for we are still busy with our preparations.

I only hope that this regret of yours may never cease, Gobryas replied; for it is evident that I have been something of a thorn in your flesh, ever since you began to feel it.

Gobryas returned with the Assyrian king’s reply, and when Cyrus heard it he drew off his army; then summoning Gobryas he said to him: Tell me, you were saying, were you not, that you thought that the prince who was castrated by the Assyrian would be on our side? Why, of course; he replied, I feel perfectly sure of it; for he and I have often talked together freely.

Well then, when you think best, go to him;[*](Cyrus plans to gain the secret support of Gadatas) but first of all be sure that you meet him alone and in secret; and when you have conferred with him, if you see that he wishes to be our friend, you must manage to keep his friendship a secret. For in time of war one could not in any way do more good to one’s friends than by seeming to be their enemy, nor more harm to enemies than by seeming to be their friend.

Now mark my word, said Gobryas; I am sure that Gadatas would even pay for the opportunity of doing the present Assyrian king some serious harm. But what harm he could do it is for us on our part to consider.

Now tell me this, said Cyrus, in regard to the fort which stands upon the frontier of the country and which you say was built to serve as a base of operations against the Hyrcanians and the Sacians and an outwork to protect this country in time of war—do you think that the eunuch, if he went there with his army, would be admitted by the commandant? Yes; certainly he would, said Gobryas, if he came to him as unsuspected as he now is.

Then, answered Cyrus, if I should make an attack on his fortifications as if I wished to gain possession of them, while he defended himself with all his might; and if I should take something of his and he in turn should capture either some of our other men or some of the messengers I send to those who, you say, are enemies of the Assyrian king; and if these captives should say that they had come out to get an army and ladders to use against the fortress; and if then the eunuch, on hearing this, should pretend that he had come to give warning; under these conditions, he would be unsuspected.

Under such circumstances, answered Gobryas, the commandant would certainly admit him—aye, and would beg him to remain there until you went away. Well then, said Cyrus, if he could but once get in, he would be in a position to put the fort in our hands?

That is at all events probable, answered Gobryas, if he were within, helping with the preparations, while you on the outside made a vigorous attack. In that case, Cyrus replied, go and try to explain these plans to him and win his cooperation and then return. And no better assurance of our good faith could you give him in word or deed than to show him what you happen to have received at our hands.

Thereupon Gobryas went away; and when[*](Gadatas plays into Cyrus’s hands) the eunuch saw him, he gladly concurred in all the plans and settled with him the things they were to do. So, when Gobryas reported back that all the proposals were heartily accepted by the eunuch, on the day following Cyrus made his attack and Gadatas his defence. And there was also a fort which Cyrus took, as Gadatas had indicated;

while of the messengers whom Cyrus sent with instructions which way to go, some Gadatas allowed to escape to bring the troops and fetch the ladders; but some he took and straitly examined in the presence of many witnesses, and when he heard from them the purpose of their journey, he made ready at once and set out in the night as if to give the alarm.

And the end was that he was trusted and entered the fort as an ally to defend it; and for a while he helped the commandant to the extent of his ability in making preparations; but when Cyrus came, he made himself master of the place, employing also as[*](Cyrus gains the desired stronghold) his assistants in seizing it those men of Cyrus’s whom he had taken prisoners.

When this was accomplished, the eunuch, after setting things in order within the fort, came out and did him obeisance according to the custom and said: Joy be with you, Cyrus!

So it is, said he; for by the favour of the gods you not only bid me joy but even compel me to be joyful. For believe me, I consider it a great advantage to leave this place friendly to my allies in this country. From you, Gadatas, Cyrus went on, the Assyrian has, it seems, taken away the power of begetting children, but at any rate he has not deprived you of the ability of acquiring friends. Let me assure you that by this deed you have made of us friends who will try, if we can, to stand by you and aid you no less efficiently than if we were your own children.

Thus he spoke; and at this juncture the Hyrcanian king, who had just heard what had happened, ran up to Cyrus and taking his right hand said to him: O what a blessing you are to your friends, Cyrus, and what a debt of gratitude to the gods you lay upon me, because they have brought me into association with you!

Go then, said Cyrus, take this fortress on[*](A base of operations established in the north-east) account of which you congratulate me and so dispose of it that it may be of the most service to your people and to the rest of the allies, and especially, he added, to Gadatas here, who gained possession of it and delivered it to us.

What then? said the Hyrcanian. When the Cadusians come and the Sacians and my people, are we to call in some of them also, that all of us who are concerned may consult together how we may use the fortress to the best advantage?

To this plan Cyrus gave assent. And when all those who were interested in the fort were gathered together, they decided that it should be occupied in common by those to whose advantage it was to have it in the hands of friends, so that it might be an outwork for them in time of war and a base of operations against the Assyrians.