Histories

“Now,” he said in his speech to them, “I come as a great boon to you, men of Babylon [44.4,32.55] (deserted settlement), Babil, Iraq, AsiaBabylon, and as a great bane to Darius and to his army and to the Persians; for he shall not get away with having mutilated me so; and I know all the issues of his plans.” This was what he said.

When the Babylonians saw the most well-respected man in Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia without his nose and ears and all lurid with blood from the scourging, they were quite convinced that he was telling them the truth and came as their ally, and were ready to give him all that he asked; and he asked for a command.

When he got this from them, he did exactly as he had arranged with Darius. On the tenth day he led out the Babylonian army, surrounded and slaughtered the thousand whom he had instructed Darius to put in the field first.