Histories

Having to choose between these three options, four of the seven men preferred the last. Then Otanes, whose proposal to give the Persians equality was defeated, spoke thus among them all:

“Fellow partisans, it is plain that one of us must be made king (whether by lot, or entrusted with the office by the choice of the Persians, or in some other way), but I shall not compete with you; I desire neither to rule nor to be ruled; but if I waive my claim to be king, I make this condition, that neither I nor any of my descendants shall be subject to any one of you.”

To these terms the six others agreed; Otanes took no part in the contest but stood aside; and to this day his house (and no other in Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia) remains free, and is ruled only so far as it is willing to be, so long as it does not transgress Persian law.