BABYLON AND PERSIA

KAMBYSES, ^2g-$22 B.C. 349Midianites and Amalekites whose dominion thevirtually was, so that they promised notonly not to molest his army on its march, but to sup¬ply it with water.It seemed as though luck wouldcomplete what prudence and foresight had so wellbegun, for a short time before Kambyses started onthe expedition, there came to him a Greek deserter,a certain Phanes, who had commanded the Greekbodyguard of Amasis, and secretly left it, being dis¬contented with something or other, to join the inva¬ders.Amasis was well aware of the evil consequencesthis desertion could have for Egypt, and sent trustymen in pursuit. They tracked him as far as Lycia,where they actually captured him, but he managedto escape and gain the Persian court. He followedthe king and, as Amasis had expected, made himselfvery useful by his knowledge of the country and theadvice he was able to impart on every occasion.5. Every thing was now ready (525 B.C.), but theking still lingered.He was leaving his empire on adangerous expedition that would keep him awaymonths, perhaps years. To whom should he entrustthe government in his absence ? The most naturaland fittest person for such a trust would have beenhis only brother Bardiya, his heir presumptive also,as he himself was childless. But the inveterate dis¬trust of all Oriental despots towards their own fleshand blood Avould not suffer him to entertain thethought. Nay, so much was that feeling intensifiedby his own individual temperament, jealous and su.spiciousto the verge of monomania, that he couldnot even bear to leave his brother behind ; visions of