Histories

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.

These royal judges are men chosen out from the Persians to function until they die or are detected in some injustice; it is they who decide suits in Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia and interpret the laws of the land; all matters are referred to them.

These then replied to Cambyses with an answer which was both just and prudent, namely, that they could find no law enjoining a brother to marry his sister; but that they had found a law permitting the King of Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia to do whatever he liked.

Thus, although they feared Cambyses they did not break the law, and, to save themselves from death for keeping it, they found another law abetting one who wished to marry sisters.

So Cambyses married the object of his desire; yet not long afterwards he took another sister as well. It was the younger of these who had come with him to Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, and whom he now killed.