herodotus

and he supposed that he should die of old age in Agbatana in Media,where was his chief seat of power; but the oracle, it appeared, meantin Agbatana of Syria. So when by questioning now he learnt the name ofthe town, being struck with fear both by the calamity caused by theMagian and at the same time by the wound, he came to his right mind,and understanding the meaning of the oracle he said: "Here it is fatedthat Cambyses the son of Cyrus shall end his life." 65. So much onlyhe said at that time; but about twenty days afterwards he sent for themost honourable of the Persians who were with him, and said to them asfollows: "Persians, it has become necessary for me to make known toyou the thing which I was wont to keep concealed beyond all otherthings. Being in Egypt I saw a vision in my sleep, which I would I hadnever seen, and it seemed to me that a messenger came from home andreported to me that Smerdis was sitting upon the royal throne and hadtouched the heaven with his head. Fearing then lest I should bedeprived of my power by my brother, I acted quickly rather thanwisely; for it seems that it is not possible for man[55] to avert thatwhich is destined to come to pass. I therefore, fool that I was, sentaway Prexaspes to Susa to kill Smerdis; and when this great evil hadbeen done, I lived in security, never considering the danger that someother man might at some time rise up against me, now that Smerdis hadbeen removed: and altogether missing the mark of that which was aboutto happen, I have both made myself the murderer of my brother, whenthere was no need, and I have been deprived none the less of thekingdom; for it was in fact Smerdis the Magian of whom the divinepower declared to me beforehand in the vision that he should rise upagainst me. So then, as I say, this deed has been done by me, and yemust imagine that ye no longer have Smerdis the son of Cyrus alive:but it is in truth the Magians who are masters of your kingdom, hewhom I left as guardian of my household and his brother Smerdis. Theman then who ought above all others to have taken vengeance on mybehalf for the dishonour which I have suffered from the Magians, hasended his life by an unholy death received from the hands of those whowere his nearest of kin; and since he is no more, it becomes mostneedful for me, as the thing next best of those which remain,[56] tocharge you, O Persians, with that which dying I desire should be donefor me. This then I lay upon you, calling upon the gods of the royalhouse to witness it,--upon you and most of all upon those of theAchaemenidai who are present here,--that ye do not permit the returnof the chief power to the Medes, but that if they have acquired it bycraft, by craft they be deprived of it by you, or if they haveconquered it by any kind of force, by force and by a strong hand yerecover it. And if ye do this, may the earth bring forth her produceand may your wives and your cattle be fruitful, while ye remain freefor ever; but if ye do not recover the power nor attempt to recoverit, I pray that curses the contrary of these blessings may come upon