Cyrus asked him how he thought the procession might be made most beautiful in the eyes of friends and most formidable in the sight of foes. [6] So they took counsel and were of the same mind, and Cyrus bade Pheraulas see that all was done on the morrow as they had agreed.
'I have issued orders,' he added, 'for all to obey you in the matter, but to make them the more willing, take these tunics yourself and give them to the captains of the guard, and these military cloaks for the cavalry officers, and these tunics for those who command the chariots.'
[7] So Pheraulas took the raiment and departed, and when the generals saw him, they met him with shouts and cries, 'A monstrous fine fellow you are, Pheraulas!' said one: 'you are to give us our orders, it seems!'
'Oh, yes,' said Pheraulas, 'and carry your baggage too. Here I come with two cloaks as it is, one for you and another for somebody else: you must choose whichever you like the best.'
[8] At that the officer put out his hand to take the cloak; he had clean forgotten his jealousy, and fell to asking Pheraulas which he had better choose. And Pheraulas gave his advice, adding, 'But if you inform against me, and let out that I gave you the choice, the next time I have to wait upon you you will find me a very different sort of serving-man.'
Thus he distributed the gifts he brought, and then he saw to the arrangements for the procession so that everything should be as far as possible.
[9] On the morrow all things were ready before day-break, ranks lining the road on either hand, as they do to this day when the king is expected to ride abroad--no one may pass within the lines unless he is a man of mark-- and constables were posted with whips, to use at any sign of disturbance.
In front of the palace stood the imperial guard of lancers, four thousand strong, drawn up four deep on either side of the gates. [10] And all the cavalry were there, the men standing beside their horses, with their hands wrapped in their cloaks, as is the custom to this day for every subject when the king's eye is on him. The Persians stood on the right, and the allies on the left, and the chariots were posted in the same way, half on one side and half on the other. [11] Presently the palace-gates were flung open, and at the head of the procession were led out the bulls for sacrifice, beautiful creatures, four and four together. They were to be offered to Zeus and to any other gods that the Persian priests might name. For the Persians think it of more importance to follow the guidance of the learned in matters pertaining to the gods than in anything else whatever.
[12] After the oxen came horses, an offering to the Sun, then a white chariot with a golden yoke, hung with garlands and dedicated to Zeus, and after that the white car of the Sun, wreathed like the one before it, and then a third chariot, the horses of which were caparisoned with scarlet trappings, and behind walked men carrying fire upon a mighty hearth. [13] And then at last Cyrus himself was seen, coming forth from the gates in his chariot, wearing his tiara on his head, and a purple tunic shot with white, such as none but the king may wear, and trews of scarlet, and a cloak of purple. Round his tiara he wore a diadem, and his kinsmen wore the same, even as the custom is to this day. [14] And the king's hands hung free outside his cloak. Beside him stood a charioteer--he was a tall man, but he seemed to be dwarfed by Cyrus; whether it was really so, or whether there was some artifice at work, Cyrus towered above him. At the sight of the king, the whole company fell on their faces. Perhaps some had been ordered to do this and so set the fashion, or perhaps the multitude were really overcome by the splendour of the pageant and the sight of Cyrus himself, stately and tall and fair. [15] For hitherto none of the Persians had done obeisance to Cyrus.
And now, as the chariot moved onwards, the four thousand lancers went before it, two thousand on either side, and close behind came the mace-bearers, mounted on horseback, with javelins in their hands, three hundred strong. [16] Then the royal steeds were led past, with golden bridles and striped housings, two hundred and more, and then followed two thousand spearmen and after them the squadron of cavalry first formed, ten thousand men, a hundred deep and a hundred riding abreast, with Chrysantas at their head. [17] And behind them the second body of the Persian horse, ten thousand more, in the same order, under Hystaspas, and then again ten thousand under Datamas, and others behind them under Gadatas. [18] And after them the Median cavalry, and then the Armenians, the Hyrcanians, the Cadousians, and the Sakians in their order; and after the cavalry a squadron of war- chariots, drawn up four deep, with Artabatas the Persian in command.
[19] All along the route thousands of men followed, outside the barriers, with petitions to Cyrus. Accordingly he sent his mace- bearers, who rode beside him for the purpose, three on either side of his chariot, bidding them tell the crowd of suitors, if they had need of anything, to acquaint one of the cavalry officers and he would speak for them. So the petitioners withdrew, and fell to marching along the lines of the cavalry, considering whom they should address. [20] Cyrus meanwhile would send messengers to the friends he wished to be courted, saying to them, 'If any man appeals to you and you think nothing of what he says, pay no heed to him, but if his request seems just, report it to me, and we will discuss it together and arrange matters for him.' [21] As a rule the officers so summoned did not loiter, but dashed up at full speed, glad to enhance the authority of Cyrus and to show their own allegiance. But there was a certain Daïpharnes, a person of somewhat boorish manners, who fancied that he would make a show of greater independence if he did not hurry himself. [22] Cyrus noted this, and quietly, before the man could reach him, sent another messenger to say he had no further need of him; and that was the last time Daïpharnes was ever summoned. [23] And when the next officer rode up, in front of Daïpharnes though sent for after him, Cyrus presented him with a horse from his train and bade one of the mace-bearers lead it wherever he wished. The people saw in this a high mark of honour; and a greater crowd than ever paid their court to the favoured man.
[24] When the procession reached the sacred precincts, sacrifice was offered to Zeus, a whole burnt-offering of bulls, and a whole burnt- offering of horses to the Sun; and then they sacrificed to the Earth, slaying the victims as the Persian priests prescribed, and then to the heroes who hold the Syrian land. [25] And when the rites were done, Cyrus, seeing that the ground was suitable for racing, marked out a goal, and a course half-a-mile in length, and bade the cavalry and the chariots match their horses against each other, tribe by tribe. He himself raced among his Persians, and won with ease, for he was far the best horseman there. The winner among the Medes was Artabazus, the horse he rode being a gift from Cyrus. The Syrian race was won by their chieftain, the Armenian by Tigranes, the Hyrcanian by the general's son, and the Sakian by a private soldier who left all his rivals half the course behind him.
[26] Cyrus, so the story says, asked the young man if he would take a kingdom for his horse.
'No kingdom for me,' answered the soldier, 'but I would take the thanks of a gallant fellow.'
[27] 'Well,' said Cyrus, 'I would like to show you where you could hardly fail to hit one, even if you shut your eyes.'
'Be so good as to show me now,' said the Sakian, 'and I will take aim with this clod,' picking up one from the ground.
[28] Then Cyrus pointed to a group of his best friends, and the other shut his eyes and flung the clod, and it struck Pheraulas as he galloped by, bearing some message from Cyrus. But he never so much as turned, flashing past on his errand. [29] Then the Sakian opened his eyes and asked whom he had hit?
'Nobody, I assure you,' said Cyrus, 'who is here.'
'And nobody who is not, of course,' said the young man.
'Oh yes, you did,' answered Cyrus, 'you hit that officer over there who is riding so swiftly paste the chariot- lines.'
[30] 'And how is it,' asked the other, 'that he does not even turn his head?'
'Half-witted, probably,' said Cyrus.
Whereat the young man rode off to see who it was, and found Pheraulas, with his chin and beard all begrimed and bloody, gore trickling from his nostrils were the clod had struck him. [31] The Sakian cried out to know if he was hit.
'As you see,' answered Pheraulas.
'Then,' said the other, 'let me give you my horse.'
'But why?' asked Pheraulas.
And so the Sakian had to tell him all about the matter, adding, 'And after all, you see, I did not miss a gallant fellow.'
[32] 'Ah,' said Pheraulas, 'if you had been wise, you would have chosen a richer one; but I take your gift with all my thanks. And I pray the gods,' he added, 'who let me be your target, to help me now and see that you may never regret your gift. For the present, mount my horse yourself and ride back; I will be with you shortly.'
So they exchanged steeds and parted.
