committed various other atrocities; and a certain courier of Darius who came to him, because he brought him an unwelcome message, he had assassinated on his return, having set men to way-lay him; and when he had caused him to be slain, he had him and his horse put out of sight. 127. Darius, therefore, when he got possession of the throne, was anxious to punish Orætes for all his iniquities, and especially for the death of Mitrobates and his son. But he did not think it prudent to send an army against him openly, as his affairs were still in a ferment, and he had but just got possession of the throne, and he heard that Oroetes had great strength; for he had a body-guard of a thousand Persians, and held the government of Phrygia, Lydia, and Ionia. Under these circumstances, therefore, Darius had recourse to the following plan having called the most eminent of the Persians to

gether, he addressed them as follows: "Which of you, O Persians, will undertake to accomplish for me this by address, and not by force and numbers? for where skill is required, force is of no avail. Which of you, then, will either bring me Oroetes alive, or put him to death? He has never done the Persians any service, but has brought great mischiefs upon them. In the first place, he destroyed two of us, Mitrobates and his son; and in the next place, he slew the messenger sent by me to recall him, displaying intolerable insolence. He must therefore be stopped by death, before he has perpetrated any greater evils against the Persians." 128. Darius asked the above questions; and thirty men offered to undertake it, each being willing to accomplish the plan alone. But Darius put an end to their competitions, by desiring them to cast lots; and when they cast lots it fell to Bagæus, son of Artontes. Bagæus, having obtained it, did as follows: having written several letters relating to a variety of affairs, he affixed to them Darius's seal, and then proceeded with them to Sardis. On his arrival, having come into the presence of Orœtes, he opened the letters one by one, and gave them to the royal secretary to read; for all the governors have royal secretaries. Bagæus gave the letters in order to make trial of the guards whether they would listen to a revolt from Orotes: and perceiving they paid great respect to the letters, and still more to the contents, he gave one in which were these words: "Persians, King Darius forbids you to be guards to Orœtes."

They, when they heard this, lowered their lances to him. When Bagæus saw them so obedient to the letter, he thereupon took confidence, and delivered the last letter to the secretary, in which was written: "King Darius commands the Persians at Sardis to put Oroetes to death." The guards, when they heard this, drew their scimetars, and killed him immediately. Thus vengeance overtook Orates the Persian, on account of Polycrates the Samian.

129. When the treasures of Orates had been removed, and had arrived at Susa, it happened not long after that Darius, in leaping from his horse while hunting, twisted his foot, and it was twisted with such violence that the ancle-bone was dislocated; and at first thinking he had about him those of the Egyptians who had the first reputation for skill in the healing art, he made use of their assistance. But they, by twisting the foot, and using force, made the evil worse; and from the pain which he felt, Darius lay seven days and seven nights without sleep. On the eighth day, as he still continued in a bad state, some one who had before heard at Sardis of the skill of Democedes the Crotonian, made it known to Darius; and he ordered them to bring him to him as quickly as possible. They found him among the slaves of Oroetes, altogether neglected; and brought him forward, dragging fetters behind him, and clothed in rags. 130. As he stood before him, Darius asked him whether he understood the art. He denied that he did, fearing lest, if he discovered himself, he should be altogether precluded from returning to Greece. But he ap

peared to Darius to dissemble, although he was skilled in the art; he therefore commanded those who had brought him thither to bring out whips and goads. Whereupon he discovered himself, saying that he did not know it perfectly, but having been intimate with a physician, he had some poor knowledge of the art. Upon which, when Darius put himself under his care, by using Grecian medicines, and applying lenitives after violent remedies, he caused him to sleep, and in a little time restored him to his health, though he had before despaired of ever recovering the use of his foot. After this cure, Darius presented him with two pair of golden fetters; but Democedes asked him, if he purposely gave him a double evil because he had restored him to health. Darius, pleased with the speech, sent him to his own wives; and the eunuchs,

introducing him, said to the women, that this was the man who had saved the king's life; whereupon each of them, dipping a goblet into a chest of gold, presented Democedes with such a munificent gift, that a servant whose name was Sciton, following behind, picked up the staters that fell from the goblets, and collected a large quantity of gold.

131. This Democedes visited Polycrates, after having left Crotona on the following account. He was harshly treated at Crotona by his father, who was of a severe temper, and being unable to endure this, he left him and went to Ægina; having settled there, in the first year, though he was unprovided with means, and had none of the instruments necessary for the exercise of his art, he surpassed the most skilful of their physicians; and in the second year, the Æginetæ engaged him for a talent out of the public treasury; and in the third year the Athenians, for a hundred minæ; and in the fourth year Polycrates, for two talents; thus he came to Samos. From this man the Crotonian physicians obtained a great reputation; for at this period the physicians of Crotona were said to be the first throughout Greece, and the Cyrenæans the second. At the same time the Argives were accounted the most skilful of the Greeks in the art of music. 132. At that time then Democedes, having completely cured Darius at Susa, had a very large house, and had a seat at the king's table; and he had every thing he could wish for, except the liberty of returning to Greece. And in the first place he obtained from the king a pardon for the Egyptian physicians, who first attended the king, and were about to be empaled, because they had been outdone by a Greek physician; and in the next place he procured the liberty of a prophet of Elis, who had attended Polycrates, and lay neglected among the slaves. In short, Democedes had great influence with the king.

133. Not long after these things, the following events took place: Atossa, daughter of Cyrus, and wife to Darius, had a tumour on her breast; after some time it burst, and spread considerably. As long as it was small, she concealed it, and from delicacy informed no one of it; when it became dangerous, she sent for Democedes and showed it to him. He, saying that he could cure her, exacted from her a solemn promise, that she in return would perform for him whatever he should require of her, but added that he would ask nothing which

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might bring disgrace on her. 134. When therefore he had healed her, and restored her to health, Atossa, instructed by Democedes, addressed Darius, as he lay in bed, in the following words: "O king, you who possess so great power, sit idle, and do not add any nation or power to the Persians. It were right that a man who is both young and master of such vast treasures, should render himself considerable by his actions, that the Persians may know that they are governed by a man. Two motives should influence you to such a course; first, that the Persians may know that it is a man who rules over them, and secondly, that they may be worn in war, and not tempted by too much ease to plot against you. You should therefore perform some illustrious action, while you are in the flower of your age; for the mind grows with the growth of the body, and as it grows old, grows old with it, and dull for every action." She spoke thus according to her instructions, and he answered, "Lady, you have mentioned the very things that I myself purpose to do; for I have determined to make a bridge and march from this continent to the other, against the Scythians; and this shall shortly be put in execution." Atossa replied, "Look you now, give up the thought of marching first against the Scythians, for they will be in your power whenever you choose; but take my advice, and lead an army into Greece; for from the account I have heard, I am anxious to have Lacedæmonian, Argive, Athenian, and Corinthian attendants: and you have the fittest man in the world to show and inform you of every thing concerning Greece; I mean the person who cured your foot." Darius answered, "Lady, since you think I ought to make my first attempt against Greece, I think it better first to send some Persians thither as spies with the man you mention; they, when they are informed of and have seen every particular, will make a report to me; and then, being thoroughly informed, I will turn my arms against them." 135. Thus he spoke; and no sooner said than done; for as soon as day dawned, having summoned fifteen eminent Persians, he commanded them to accompany Democedes, and pass along the maritime parts of Greece; and to take care that Democedes did not escape from them, but they must by all means bring him back again. Having given these commands to them, he next summoned Democedes himself, and requested him, when

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he had conducted the Persians through all Greece, and shown it to them, to return back again; he also commanded him to take with him all his movables as presents to his father and brothers, promising to give him many times as much instead. Moreover, he said, that for the purpose of transporting the presents he would give a merchant ship, filled with all kinds of precious things, which should accompany him on his voyage. Now Darius, in my opinion, promised him these things without any deceitful intention; but Democedes, fearing lest Darius was making trial of him, received all that was given, without eagerness, but said that he would leave his own goods where they were, that he might have them on his return; the merchant ship which Darius promised him to convey the presents to his brothers, he said he would accept of. Darius having given him these instructions, sent them down to the coast.

136. Accordingly, going down to Phoenicia and Sidon, a city of Phoenicia, they manned two triremes, and with them also a large trading vessel, laden with all kinds of precious things; and having prepared every thing, they set sail for Greece; and keeping to the shore, they surveyed the coasts, and made notes in writing; at length, having inspected the greatest part of it, and whatever was most remarkable, they proceeded to Tarentum in Italy. There, out of kindness towards Democedes, Aristophilides, king of the Tarentines, first took off the rudders of the Median ships, and next shut up the Persians as spies. Whilst they were in this condition Democedes went to Crotona, and when he had reached his own home, Aristophilides set the Persians at liberty, and restored what he had taken from their ships. 137. The Persians sailing from thence, and pursuing Democedes, arrived at Crotona, and having found him in the public market, they laid hands on him. Some of the Crotonians, dreading the Persian power, were ready to deliver him up; but others seized the Persians in turn, and beat them with staves, though they expostulated in these terms: "Men of Crotona, have a care what you do, you are rescuing a man who is a runaway from the king; how will king Darius endure to be thus insulted? How can what you do end well, if you force this man from us? What city shall we sooner attack than this? What sooner shall we endeavour to reduce to slavery?" Saying this, they