Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

24 CYRUS.have conquered territory as far east as the Oxus and Indus,and to have levied contributions on thepopulations of these countries. But hisconquests had no duration, even if what isrelated of him by tradition has a more thanproblematical basis of truth.Persians. — Under Cyrus the warriorcaste was not only the uppermost, but washereditary, and at all times thoroughly pre.pared for war. Assuming the Cyropsediato be exact, Cyrus undertook his great conquestswith but thirty thousand men, whichlater increased to seventy thousand, and stillPersian Soldier.more by accessions from the conquered provinces.In all these provinces a kernel ofPersian troops was stationed, but the local govermnent wasuniformly preserved. This proceeding testifies to the keengood sense of Cyrus, who left behind himcontented peoples, under satraps closelywatched by his own Persian officers. Hiscourse was later imitated by Alexanderthe Great, with equally satisfactory results.Cyrus subdued as large a part ofAsia as Alexander did after him, holdingthe cities as points d'appid as he wentalong. During his lifetime, Persian disciplinewas excellent. After his death,contact with the luxury of the Medesdestroyed much of his structure.Persian Irregular.The Cyropsedia is, however, a sort ofmilitary romance, into which Xenophon has woven his ownmilitary experience and astuteness. It is full of exaggeratedhero-worship. While its main features are correct, its details