Histories

Smerdis having gone to Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia, Cambyses saw in a dream a vision, in which it seemed to him that a messenger came from Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia and told him that Smerdis sitting on the royal throne touched heaven with his head.

Fearing therefore for himself, lest his brother might slay him and so be king, he sent Prexaspes, the most trusted of his Persians, to Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia to kill him. Prexaspes went up to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa and killed Smerdis; some say that he took Smerdis out hunting, others that he brought him to the Red[*](Not our +Red Sea [42,15] (sea) Red Sea (*)ara/bios ko/lpos) but the Persian Gulf [53.83,25.583] (gulf), AsiaPersian Gulf, probably; but it is to be noted that Herodotus has no definite knowledge of a gulf between Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia and Arabian Peninsula [45,25] (region (general)), AsiaArabia.) Sea and there drowned him.

This, they say, was the first of Cambyses' evil acts; next, he destroyed his full sister, who had come with him to Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, and whom he had taken to wife.

He married her in this way (for before this, it had by no means been customary for Persians to marry their sisters): Cambyses was infatuated with one of his sisters and when he wanted to marry her, because his intention was contrary to usage, he summoned the royal judges[*](A standing body of seven; cp. Book of Esther, i. 14.) and inquired whether there were any law enjoining one, that so desired, to marry his sister.