The histories of Herodotus;

l8o HERODOTUS—BOOK III, THALIA [68-69
dis, the son of Cyrus, but the person he really was; forming
his conjecture from this circumstance, that he never went out
of the citadel, and that he never summoned any of the principal
men of Persia to his presence. Having conceived suspicion
of him, he contrived the following artifice: Cambyses
had married his daughter, whose name was Phsedyma; the
magus therefore had her as his wife, as well as with all the rest
of the wives of Cambyses. Otanes, therefore, sending to this
daughter, inquired with what man she lay, whether with Smerdis,
son of Cyrus, or some other person : she sent back word
to him, saying that she did not know, for that she had never
seen Smerdis, son of Cyrus, nor knew who it was that cohabited
with her. Otanes sent a second time, saying, " If you
do not yourself know Smerdis, son of Cyrus, then inquire
of Atossa who this man is with whom she as well as you cohabits,
for she must of necessity know her own brother." To
this his daughter replied : " I can neither have any conversation
with Atossa, nor see any of the women who used to live
with me ; for as soon as this man, whoever he is, succeeded
to the throne, he dispersed us all, assigning us separate apart- \/
ments." When Otanes heard this, the matter appeared much/>
more plain ; and he sent a third message to her in these words
" Daughter, it becomes you, being of noble birth, to undertake
any peril that your father may require you to incur.
For if this Smerdis is not the son of Cyrus, but the person
whom I suspect, it is not fit that he, lying with you and possessing
the empire of the Persians, should escape with impunity,
but suffer the punishment due to his offences. Now,
he sleeps with you, and
therefore, follow my directions : When
you know him to be sound asleep, touch his ears ; and if you
find he has ears, be assured that you cohabit with Smerdis,
son of Cyrus; but if he has none, with Smerdis the magus."
To this message Phaedyma answered, saying that she should
incur very great danger by doing so; for if he had no
ears, and she should be discovered touching him, she well
knew that he would put her to death ; nevertheless she would
make the attempt. She accordingly promised to accomplish
this for her father. Now Cyrus, son of Cambyses, during his
reign, had cut off the ears of this Smerdis, the magus, for some
grave offence. This Phaedyma, daughter of Otanes, therefore,
determining to execute all that she had promised her
father, when her turn came to approach the magus (for in
Persia the wives visit their husbands in regular succession),
went and slept with him : and when the magus was sound
asleep, she felt for his ears, and perceiving without any diffi-
: