herodotus

These then having come together, being seven in number, gave pledgesof faith to one another and deliberated together; and when it came toDareios to declare his opinion, he spoke to them as follows: "Ithought that I alone knew this, namely that it was the Magian who wasreigning as king and that Smerdis the son of Cyrus had brought hislife to an end; and for this very reason I am come with earnestpurpose to contrive death for the Magian. Since however it has come topass that ye also know and not I alone, I think it well to act at onceand not to put the matter off, for that is not the better way." Tothis replied Otanes: "Son of Hystaspes, thou art the scion of a noblestock, and thou art showing thyself, as it seems, in no way inferiorto thy father: do not however hasten this enterprise so much withoutconsideration, but take it up more prudently; for we must first becomemore in numbers, and then undertake the matter." In answer to thisDareios said: "Men who are here present, if ye shall follow the waysuggested by Otanes, know that ye will perish miserably; for some onewill carry word to the Magian, getting gain thereby privately forhimself. Your best way would have been to do this action upon your ownrisk alone; but since it seemed good to you to refer the matter to agreater number, and ye communicated it to me, either let us do thedeed to-day, or be ye assured that if this present day shall pass by,none other shall prevent me[61] as your accuser, but I will myselftell these things to the Magian." 72. To this Otanes, when he sawDareios in violent haste, replied: "Since thou dost compel us tohasten the matter and dost not permit us to delay, come expound to usthyself in what manner we shall pass into the palace and lay handsupon them: for that there are guards set in various parts, thouknowest probably thyself as well as we, if not from sight at leastfrom hearsay; and in what manner shall we pass through these?" Dareiosmade reply with these words: "Otanes, there are many things in soothwhich it is not possible to set forth in speech, but only in deed; andother things there are which in speech can be set forth, but from themcomes no famous deed. Know ye however that the guards which are setare not difficult to pass: for in the first place, we being what weare, there is no one who will not let us go by, partly, as may besupposed, from having respect for us, and partly also perhaps fromfear; and secondly I have myself a most specious pretext by means ofwhich we may pass by; for I shall say that I am just now come from thePersian land and desire to declare to the king a certain message frommy father: for where it is necessary that a lie be spoken, let it bespoken; seeing that we all aim at the same object, both they who lieand they who always speak the truth; those lie whenever they arelikely to gain anything by persuading with their lies, and these tellthe truth in order that they may draw to themselves gain by the truth,and that things[62] may be entrusted to them more readily. Thus, whilepractising different ways, we aim all at the same thing. If however