The Old and the Restless - The Egyptians and the Scythians in Herodotus' Histories by Robert J. Hagan

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of him, the Magi try to convince the messenger to reassure the Persians that they were being
ruled by Smerdis, the rightful son of Cyrus (3.74). Prexaspes goes to address the people from a
high tower, but ignores the wishes of the Magi and instead recalls Cyrus and his venerable
lineage, as well as the great things he did for the Persians. He tells the crowd below how he was
forced to kill the real Smerdis by Cambyses’ order, and that the Magi had taken power for
themselves, and that he was precluded from expressing the truth under the threat of death. With
this final praise of Cyrus and an entreaty to the Persians to take back their empire, he throws
himself from the tower to his death, a death symbolic of the end of the customs valued in Cyrus’
day (3.75).
Darius’ own advancement of the use of lying later leads to discord on the domestic front.
After the completion of the plot against the Magi, one of the conspirators, Intaphrenes, wishes to
see Darius, knowing that, as a rule states, he is allowed to visit unannounced unless the king is
having sex with a woman. However, when the guards stop him on those very grounds, he doesn’t
believe them, and proceeds to maim the guards and has them dragged by his horse. After being
convinced that the other conspirators were not involved, Darius has Intaphrenes and all his male
relatives executed, except his brother-in-law and son (3.118-9). Intaphrenes’ motivation for his
action is unclear; Herodotus does not tell us whether Darius was indeed with a woman, or if the
conspirator was actually planning to overthrow him. This passage along with others in Book
Three is intended to make up a theme of Darius’ consolidation of power and suppression of
revolts, 35 but the facts surrounding this possible revolt are fuzzy, so it is difficult to tell whether
Intaphrenes’ rage was justified.
35 Dewald, C. (ed.) The Histories by Herodotus, 639.