"No bodily ones, certainly; but mental ones, likely enough.  Young man,
young man, you're on a dangerous road."

"Have winged creatures any need to be afraid of precipices?"

"Certainly; when their strength fails them."

"But I am strong."

"Stronger creatures than you will try to break your pinions."

"Let them.  I want nothing but what is right, and shall trust to my
star."

"Do you know its name?"

"It ruled in the hour of my birth, and its name is Anahita."

"I think I know better.  A burning ambition is the sun, whose rays guide
all your actions.  Take care; I tried that way myself once; it leads to
fame or to disgrace, but very seldom to happiness.  Fame to the ambitious
is like salt water to the thirsty; the more he gets, the more he wants.
I was once only a poor soldier, and am now Cambyses' ambassador.  But
you, what can you have to strive for?  There is no man in the kingdom
greater than yourself, after the sons of Cyrus .  .  .  Do my eyes
deceive me?  Surely those two men riding to meet us with a troop of
horsemen must be Gyges and Zopyrus.  The Angare, who left the inn before
us, must have told them of our coming."

"To be sure.  Look at that fellow Zopyrus, how he's waving and beckoning
with that palm-leaf."

"Here, you fellows, cut us a few twigs from those bushes-quick.  We'll
answer his green palm-leaf with a purple pomegranate-branch."

In a few minutes the friends had embraced one another, and the two bands
were riding together into the populous town, through the gardens
surrounding the lake Gygaeus, the Sardians' place of recreation.  It was
now near sunset, a cooler breeze was beginning to blow, and the citizens
were pouring through the gates to enjoy themselves in the open air.
Lydian and Persian warriors, the former wearing richly-ornamented
helmets, the latter tiaras in the form of a cylinder, were following
girls who were painted and wreathed.  Children were being led to the lake
by their nurses, to see the swans fed.  An old blind man was seated under
a plane-tree, singing sad ditties to a listening crowd and accompanying
them on the Magadis, the twenty-stringed Lydian lute.  Youths were
enjoying themselves at games of ball, ninepins, and dice, and half-grown
girls screaming with fright, when the ball hit one of their group or
nearly fell into the water.

The travellers scarcely noticed this gay scene, though at another time it
would have delighted them.  They were too much interested in enquiring
particulars of Bartja's illness and recovery.

At the brazen gates of the palace which had formerly belonged to Croesus,
they were met by Oroetes, the satrap of Sardis, in a magnificent court-
dress overloaded with ornaments.  He was a stately man, whose small
penetrating black eyes looked sharply out from beneath a bushy mass of
eyebrow.  His satrapy was one of the most important and profitable in the
entire kingdom, and his household could bear a comparison with that of
Cambyses in richness and splendor.  Though he possessed fewer wives and
attendants than the king, it was no inconsiderable troop of guards,
slaves, eunuchs and gorgeously-dressed officials, which appeared at the
palace-gates to receive the travellers.

The vice-regal palace, which was still kept up with great magnificence,
had been, in the days when Croesus occupied it, the most splendid of
royal residences; after the taking of Sardis, however, the greater part
of the dethroned king's treasures and works of art had been sent to
Cyrus's treasure-house in Pasargadae.  When that time of terror had
passed, the Lydians brought many a hidden treasure into the light of day
once more, and, by their industry and skill in art during the peaceful
years which they enjoyed under Cyrus and Cambyses, recovered their old
position so far, that Sardis was again looked upon as one of the
wealthiest cities of Asia Minor, and therefore, of the world.

Accustomed as Darius and Prexaspes were to royal splendor, they were
still astonished at the beauty and brilliancy of the satrap's palace.
The marble work, especially, made a great impression on them, as nothing
of the kind was to be found in Babylon, Susa or Ecbatane, where burnt
brick and cedar-wood supply the place of the polished marble.

[The palace of Persepolis did not exist at the date of our story.
It was built partly of black stone from Mount Rachmed, and partly of
white marble; it was probably begun by Darius.  The palace of Susa
was built of brick, (Strabo p. 728) that of Ecbatana of wood
overlaid with plates of gold of immense value, and roofed with tiles
made of the precious metals.]

They found Bartja lying on a couch in the great hall; he looked very
pale, and stretched out his arms towards them.

The friends supped together at the satrap's table and then retired to
Bartja's private room, in order to enjoy an undisturbed conversation.

"Well, Bartja, how did you come by this dangerous illness?"  was Darius'
first question after they were seated.

"I was thoroughly well, as you know," said Bartja, "when we left Babylon,
and we reached Germa, a little town on the Sangarius, without the
slightest hindrance.  The ride was long and we were very tired, burnt too
by the scorching May sun, and covered with dust; the river flows by the
station, and its waves looked so clear and bright--so inviting for a
bathe--that in a minute Zopyrus and I were off our horses, undressed, and
in the water.  Gyges told us we were very imprudent, but we felt
confident that we were too much inured to such things to get any harm,
and very much enjoyed our swim in the cool, green water.  Gyges,
perfectly calm as usual, let us have our own way, waited till our bath
was over, and then plunged in himself.

"In two hours we were in our saddles again, pushing on as if for our very
lives, changing horses at every station, and turning night into day.

"We were near Ipsus, when I began to feel violent pains in the head and
limbs.  I was ashamed to say anything about it and kept upright on my
saddle, until we had to take fresh horses at Bagis.  Just as I was in the
very act of mounting, I lost my senses and strength, and fell down on the
ground in a dead faint."

"Yes, a pretty fright you gave us,"  interrupted Zopyrus, "by dropping
down in that fashion.  It was fortunate that Gyges was there, for I lost
my wits entirely; he, of course, kept his presence of mind, and after
relieving his feelings in words not exactly flattering to us two, he
behaved like a circumspect general.--A fool of a doctor came running up
and protested that it was all over with poor Bart, for which I gave him a
good thrashing."

"Which he didn't particularly object to," said the satrap, laughing,
"seeing that you told them to lay a gold stater on every stripe."

"Yes, yes, my pugnacity costs me very dear sometimes.  But to our story.
As soon as Bartja had opened his eyes, Gyges sent me off to Sardis to
fetch a good physician and an easy travelling-carriage.  That ride won't
so soon be imitated.  An hour before I reached the gates my third horse
knocked up under me, so I had to trust to my own legs, and began running
as fast as I could.  The people must all have thought me mad.  At last I
saw a man on horseback--a merchant from Kelaenze--dragged him from his
horse, jumped into the saddle, and, before the next morning dawned, I was
back again with our invalid, bringing the best physician in Sardis, and
Oroetes' most commodious travelling-carriage.  We brought him to this
house at a slow footpace, and here a violent fever came on, he became
delirious, talked all the nonsense that could possibly come into a human
brain, and made us so awfully anxious, that the mere remembrance of that
time brings the big drops of perspiration to my forehead."

Bartja took his friend's hand: "I owe my life to him and Gyges," said he,
turning to Darius.  "Till to-day, when they set out to meet you, they
have never left me for a minute; a mother could not have nursed her sick
child more carefully.  And Oroetes, I am much obliged to you too; doubly
so because your kindness subjected you to annoyance."

"How could that be?"  asked Darius.

"That Polykrates of Samos, whose name we heard so often in Egypt, has the
best physician that Greece has ever produced.  While I was lying here
ill, Oroetes wrote to this Democedes, making him immense promises, if he
would only come to Sardis directly.  The Sainian pirates, who infest the
whole Ionian coast, took the messenger captive and brought Oroetes'
letter to their master Polykrates.  He opened it, and sent the messenger
back with the answer, that Democedes was in his pay, and that if Oroetes
needed his advice he must apply to Polykrates himself.  Our generous
friend submitted for my sake, and asked the Samian to send his physician
to Sardis."

"Well," said Prexaspes, "and what followed?"  The proud island-prince
sent him at once.  He cured me, as you see, and left us a few days ago
loaded with presents."

"Well," interrupted Zopyrus, "I can quite understand, that Polykrates
likes to keep his physician near him.  I assure you, Darius, it would not
be easy to find his equal.  He's as handsome as Minutscher, as clever as
Piran Wisa, as strong as Rustem, and as benevolent and helpful as the god
Soma. I wish you could have seen how well he threw those round metal
plates he calls discs.  I am no weakling, but when we wrestled he soon
threw me.  And then he could tell such famous stories--stories that made
a man's heart dance within him."

[This very Oroetes afterwards succeeded in enticing Polykrates to
Sardis and there crucified him.  Herod. III. 120-125.  Valerius
Maximus VI.  9. 5.]

"We know just such a fellow too," said Darius, smiling at his friend's
enthusiasm.  "That Athenian Phanes, who came to prove our innocence."

"The physician Democedes is from Crotona, a place which must he somewhere
very near the setting sun."

"But is inhabited by Greeks, like Athens."  added Oroetes.  "Ah, my young
friends, you must beware of those fellows; they're as cunning, deceitful,
and selfish, as they are strong, clever, and handsome."

"Democedes is generous and sincere," cried Zopyrus.

"And Croesus himself thinks Phanes not only an able, but a virtuous man,"
added Darius.

"Sappho too has always, and only spoken well of the Athenian," said
Bartja, in confirmation of Darius's remark.  "But don't let us talk any
more about these Greeks," he went on.  "They give Oroetes so much trouble
by their refractory and stubborn conduct, that he is not very fond of
them."

"The gods know that," sighed the satrap.  "It's more difficult to keep
one Greek town in order, than all the countries between the Euphrates and
the Tigris."

While Oroetes was speaking, Zopyrus had gone to the window.  "The stars
are already high in the heavens," he said, "and Bartja is tired; so make
haste, Darius, and tell us something about home."

The son of Hystaspes agreed at once, and began by relating the events
which we have heard already.  Bartja, especially, was distressed at
hearing of Nitetis' sad end, and the discovery of Amasis' fraud filled
them all with astonishment.  After a short pause, Darius went on:

"When once Nitetis' descent had been fully proved, Cambyses was like a
changed man.  He called a council of war, and appeared at table in the
royal robes instead of his mourning garments.  You can fancy what
universal joy the idea of a war with Egypt excited.  Even Croesus, who
you know is one of Amasis' well-wishers, and advises peace whenever it is
possible, had not a word to say against it.  The next morning, as usual,
what had been resolved on in intoxication was reconsidered by sober
heads; after several opinions had been given, Phanes asked permission to
speak, and spoke I should think for an hour.  But how well!  It was as if
every word he said came direct from the gods.  He has learnt our language
in a wonderfully short time, but it flowed from his lips like honey.
Sometimes he drew tears from every eye, at others excited stormy shouts
of joy, and then wild bursts of rage.  His gestures were as graceful as
those of a dancing-girl, but at the same time manly and dignified.  I
can't repeat his speech; my poor words, by the side of his, would sound
like the rattle of a drum after a peal of thunder.  But when at last,
inspired and carried away by his eloquence, we had unanimously decided on
war, he began to speak once more on the best ways and means of
prosecuting it successfully."

Here Darius was obliged to stop, as Zopyrus had fallen on his neck in an
ecstasy of delight.  Bartja, Gyges and Oroetes were not less delighted,
and they all begged him to go on with his tale.

"Our army," began Darius afresh, "ought to be at the boundaries of Egypt
by the month Farwardin, (March) as the inundation of the Nile, which
would hinder the march of our infantry, begins in Murdad (July).  Phanes
is now on his way to the Arabians to secure their assistance; in hopes
that these sons of the desert may furnish our army with water and guides
through their dry and thirsty land.  He will also endeavor to win the
rich island of Cyprus, which he once conquered for Amasis, over to our
side.  As it was through his mediation that the kings of the island were
allowed to retain their crowns, they will be willing to listen to his
advice.  In short the Athenian leaves nothing uncared for, and knows
every road and path as if he were the sun himself  He showed us a picture
of the world on a plate of copper."

Oroetes nodded and said, "I have such a picture of the world too.  A
Milesian named Hekataeus, who spends his life in travelling, drew it, and
gave it me in exchange for a free-pass."

[Hekataeus of Miletus maybe called "the father of geography," as
Herodotus was "the father of history."  He improved the map made by
Anaximander, and his great work, "the journey round the world," was
much prized by the ancients; but unfortunately, with the exception
of some very small fragments, has now perished.  Herodotus assures
us, (V.  36.) that Hekataeus was intimately acquainted with every
part of the Persian empire, and had also travelled over Egypt.  he
lived at the date of our narrative, having been born at Miletus 550
B. C.  He lived to see the fall of his native city in 4966 B. C.
His map has been restored by Klausen and can be seen also in Mure's
Lan. and Lit. of Ancient Greece.  Vol. IV.  Maps existed, however,
much earlier, the earliest known being one of the gold-mines, drawn
very cleverly by an Egyptian priest, and so well sketched as to give
a pretty clear idea of the part of the country intended.  It is
preserved in the Egyptian Museum at Turin.]

"What notions these Greeks have in their heads!"  exclaimed Zopyrus, who
could not explain to himself what a picture of the world could look like.

"To-morrow I will show you my copper tablet, said Oroetes, but now we
must allow Darius to go on."

"So Phanes has gone to Arabia," continued Darius, "and Prexaspes was sent
hither not only to command you, Oroetes, to raise as many forces as
possible, especially Ionians and Carians, of whom Phanes has offered to
undertake the command, but also to propose terms of alliance to
Polykrates."

"To that pirate!"  asked Oroetes, and his face darkened.

"The very same," answered Prexaspes, not appearing to notice the change
in Oroetes' face.  "Phanes has already received assurances from this
important naval power, which sound as if we might expect a favorable
answer to my proposal."

"The Phoenician, Syrian and Ionian ships of war would be quite sufficient
to cope with the Egyptian fleet."

"There you are right; but if Polykrates were to declare against us, we
should not be able to hold our own at sea; you say yourself that he is
all-powerful in the AEgean."

"Still I decidedly disapprove of entering into treaty with such a
robber."

"We want powerful allies, and Polykrates is very powerful at sea.  It
will be time to humble him, when we have used him to help us in
conquering Egypt.  For the present I entreat you to suppress all personal
feeling, and keep the success of our great plan alone in view.  I am
empowered to say this in the king's name, and to show his ring in token
thereof."

Oroetes made a brief obeisance before this symbol of despotism, and
asked: "What does Cambyses wish me to do?"

"He commands you to use every means in your power to secure an alliance
with the Samian; and also to send your troops to join the main army on
the plains of Babylon as soon as possible."

The satrap bowed and left the room with a look betraying irritation and
defiance.

When the echo of his footsteps had died away among the colonnades of the
inner court, Zopyrus exclaimed: "Poor fellow, it's really very hard for
him to have to meet that proud man, who has so often behaved insolently
to him, on friendly terms.  Think of that story about the physician for
instance."

"You are too lenient,"  interrupted Darius.  "I don't like this Oroetes.
He has no right to receive the king's commands in that way.  Didn't you
see him bite his lips till they bled, when Prexaspes showed him the
king's ring?"

"Yes," cried the envoy, "he's a defiant, perverse man.  He left the room
so quickly, only because he could not keep down his anger any longer."

"Still," said Bartja, "I hope you will keep his conduct a secret from my
brother, for he has been very good to me."

Prexaspes bowed, but Darius said: "We must keep an eye on the fellow.
Just here, so far from the king's gate and in the midst of nations
hostile to Persia, we want governors who are more ready to obey their
king than this Oroetes seems to be.  Why, he seems to fancy he is King of
Lydia!"

"Do you dislike the satrap?"  said Zopyrus.

"Well, I think I do," was the answer.  "I always take an aversion or a
fancy to people at first sight, and very seldom find reason to change my
mind afterwards.  I disliked Oroetes before I heard him speak a word, and
I remember having the same feeling towards Psamtik, though Amasis took my
fancy."

"There's no doubt that you're very different from the rest of us," said
Zopyrus laughing, "but now, to please me, let this poor Oroetes alone.
I'm glad he's gone though, because we can talk more freely about home.
How is Kassandane? and your worshipped Atossa?  Croesus too, how is he?
and what are my wives about?  They'll soon have a new companion.  To-
morrow I intend to sue for the hand of Oroetes' pretty daughter.  We've
talked a good deal of love with our eyes already.  I don't know whether
we spoke Persian or Syrian, but we said the most charming things to one
another."

The friends laughed, and Darius, joining in their merriment, said: "Now
you shall hear a piece of very good news.  I have kept it to the last,
because it is the best I have.  Now, Bartja, prick up your ears.  Your
mother, the noble Kassandane, has been cured of her blindness!  Yes, yes,
it is quite true.--Who cured her?  Why who should it be, but that crabbed
old Nebenchari, who has become, if possible, moodier than ever.  Come,
now, calm yourselves, and let me go on with my story; or it will be
morning before Bartja gets to sleep.  Indeed.  I think we had better
separate now: you've heard the best, and have something to dream about
What, you will not?  Then, in the name of Mithras, I must go on, though
it should make my heart bleed.

"I'll begin with the king.  As long as Phanes was in Babylon, he seemed
to forget his grief for Nitetis.

"The Athenian was never allowed to leave him.  They were as inseparable as
Reksch and Rustem.  Cambyses had no time to think of his sorrow, for
Phanes had always some new idea or other, and entertained us all, as well
as the king, marvellously.  And we all liked him too; perhaps, because no
one could really envy him.  Whenever he was alone, the tears came into
his eyes at the thought of his boy, and this made his great cheerfulness
--a cheerfulness which he always managed to impart to the king, Bartja,--
the more admirable.  Every morning he went down to the Euphrates with
Cambyses and the rest of us, and enjoyed watching the sons of the
Achaemenidae at their exercises.  When he saw them riding at full speed
past the sand-hills and shooting the pots placed on them into fragments
with their arrows, or throwing blocks of wood at one another and cleverly
evading the blows, he confessed that he could not imitate them in these
exercises, but at the same time he offered to accept a challenge from any
of us in throwing the spear and in wrestling.  In his quick way he sprang
from his horse, stripped off his clothes--it was really a shame--and, to
the delight of the boys, threw their wrestling-master as if he had been a
feather.

[In the East, nudity was, even in those days, held to be
disgraceful, while the Greeks thought nothing so beautiful as the
naked human body.  The Hetaira Phryne was summoned before the judges
for an offence against religion.  Her defender, seeing that sentence
was about to be pronounced against his client, suddenly tore away
the garment which covered her bosom.  The artifice was successful.
The judges pronounced her not guilty, being convinced that such
wondrous grace and beauty could only belong to a favorite of
Aphrodite.  Athen. XIII.  p. 590]

"Then he knocked over a number of bragging fellows, and would have thrown
me too if he had not been too fatigued.  I assure you, I am really
stronger than he is, for I can lift greater weights, but he is as nimble
as an eel, and has wonderful tricks by which he gets hold of his
adversary.  His being naked too is a great help.  If it were not so
indecent, we ought always to wrestle stripped, and anoint our skins, as
the Greeks do, with the olive-oil.  He beat us too in throwing the spear,
but the king, who you know is proud of being the best archer in Persia,
sent his arrow farther.  Phanes was especially pleased with our rule,
that in a wrestling-match the one who is thrown must kiss the hand of his
victor.  At last he showed us a new exercise:--boxing.  He refused,
however, to try his skill on any one but a slave, so Cambyses sent for
the biggest and strongest man among the servants--my groom, Bessus--a
giant who can bring the hind legs of a horse together and hold them so
firmly that the creature trembles all over and cannot stir.  This big
fellow, taller by a head than Phanes, shrugged his shoulders
contemptuously on hearing that he was to box with the little foreign
gentleman.  He felt quite sure of victory, placed himself opposite his
adversary, and dealt him a blow heavy enough to kill an elephant.  Phanes
avoided it cleverly, in the same moment hitting the giant with his naked
fist so powerfully under the eyes, that the blood streamed from his nose
and mouth, and the huge, uncouth fellow fell on the ground with a yell.
When they picked him up his face looked like a pumpkin of a greenish-blue
color.  The boys shouted with delight at his discomfiture; but we admired
the dexterity of this Greek, and were especially glad to see the king in
such good spirits; we noticed this most when Phanes was singing Greek
songs and dance-melodies to him accompanied by the lute.

"Meanwhile  Kassandane's  blindness  had  been cured, and this of course
tended not a little to disperse the king's melancholy.

"In short it was a very pleasant time, and I was just going to ask for
Atossa's hand in marriage, when Phanes went off to Arabia, and everything
was changed.

"No sooner had he turned his back on the gates of Babylon than all the
evil Divs seemed to have entered into the king.  He went about, a moody,
silent man, speaking to no one; and to drown his melancholy would begin
drinking, even at an early hour in the morning, quantities of the
strongest Syrian wine.  By the evening he was generally so intoxicated
that he had to be carried out of the hall, and would wake up the next
morning with headache and spasms.  In the day-time he would wander about
as if looking for something, and in the night they often heard him
calling Nitetis.  The physicians became very anxious about his health,
but when they sent him medicine he threw it away.  It was quite right of
Croesus to say, as he did once 'Ye Magi and Chaldaeans! before trying to
cure a sick man we must discover the seat of his disease.  Do you know it
in this case?  No?  Then I will tell you what ails the king.  He has an
internal complaint and a wound.  The former is called ennui, and the
latter is in his heart.  The Athenian is a good remedy for the first, but
for the second I know of none; such wounds either scar over of
themselves, or the patient bleeds to death inwardly.'"

"I know of a remedy for the king though," exclaimed Otanes when he heard
these words.  "We must persuade him to send for the women, or at least
for my daughter Phaedime, back from Susa.  Love is good for dispersing
melancholy, and makes the blood flow faster."  We acknowledged that he
was right, and advised him to remind the king of his banished wives.  He
ventured to make the proposal while we were at supper, but got such a
harsh rebuff for his pains, that we all pitied him.  Soon after this,
Cambyses sent one morning for all the Mobeds and Chaldaeans, and
commanded them to interpret a strange dream which he had bad.  In his
dream he had been standing in the midst of a dry and barren plain: barren
as a threshing-floor, it did not produce a single blade of grass.
Displeased at the desert aspect of the place, he was just going to seek
other and more fruitful regions, when Atossa appeared, and, without
seeing him, ran towards a spring which welled up through the arid soil as
if by enchantment.  While he was gazing in wonder at this scene, he
noticed that wherever the foot of his sister touched the parched soil,
graceful terebinths sprang up, changing, as they grew, into cypresses
whose tops reached unto heaven.  As he was going to speak to Atossa, he
awoke.

The Mobeds and Chaldaeans consulted together and interpreted the dream
thus?  'Atossa would be successful in all she undertook.'

"Cambyses seemed satisfied with this answer, but, as the next night the
vision appeared again, he threatened the wise men with death, unless they
could give him another and a different interpretation.  They pondered
long,  and at  last answered, 'that Atossa would become a queen and the
mother of mighty princes.'

"This answer really contented the king, and he smiled strangely to
himself as he told us his dream.  "The same day Kassandane sent for me
and told me to give up all thoughts of her daughter, as I valued my life.

"Just as I was leaving the queen's garden I saw Atossa behind a
pomegranate-bush.  She beckoned.  I went to her; and in that hour we
forgot danger and sorrow, but said farewell to each other for ever.  Now
you know all; and now that I have given her up--now that I know it would
be madness even to think of her again--I am obliged to be very stern with
myself, lest, like the king, I should fall into deep melancholy for the
sake of a woman.  And this is the end of the story, the close of which we
were all expecting, when Atossa, as I lay under sentence of death, sent
me a rose, and made me the happiest of mortals.  If I had not betrayed my
secret then, when we thought our last hour was near, it would have gone
with me to my grave.  But what am I talking about?  I know I can trust to
your secrecy, but pray don't look at me so deplorably.  I think I am
still to be envied, for I have had one hour of enjoyment that would
outweigh a century of misery.  Thank you,--thank you: now let me finish
my story as quickly as I can.

"Three days after I had taken leave of Atossa I had to marry Artystone,
the daughter of Gobryas.  She is beautiful, and would make any other man
happy.  The day after the wedding the Angare reached Babylon with the
news of your illness.  My mind was made up at once; I begged the king to
let me go to you, nurse you, and warn you of the danger which threatens
your life in Egypt--took leave of my bride, in spite of all my father-in-
law's protestations, and went off at full speed with Prexaspes, never
resting till I reached your side, my dear Bartja.  Now I shall go with
you and Zopyrus to Egypt, for Gyges must accompany the ambassador to
Samos, as interpreter.  This is the king's command; he has been in better
spirits the last few days; the inspection of the masses of troops coming
up to Babylon diverts him, besides which, the Chaldaeans have assured him
that the planet Adar, which belongs to their wargod Chanon, promises a
great victory to the Persian arms.  When do you think you shall be able
to travel, Bartja?"

"To-morrow, if you like," was the answer.  "The doctors say the sea-
voyage will do me good, and the journey by land to Smyrna is very short."

"And  I can assure you," added Zopyrus, "that Sappho will cure you sooner
than all the doctors in the world."

"Then we will start in three days;" said Darius after some consideration,
"we have plenty to do before starting.  Remember we are going into what
may almost be called an enemy's country.  I have been thinking the matter
over, and it seems to me that Bartja must pass for a Babylonian carpet-
merchant, I for his brother, and Zopyrus for a dealer in Sardian red."

"Couldn't we be soldiers?"  asked Zopyrus.  "It's such an ignominious
thing to be taken for cheating pedlers.  How would it be, for instance,
if we passed ourselves off for Lydian soldiers, escaped from punishment,
and seeking service in the Egyptian army?"

"That's not a bad idea," said Bartja, "and I think too that we look more
like soldiers than traders."

"Looks and manner are no guide," said Gyges.  "Those great Greek
merchants and ship-owners go about as proudly as if the world belonged
to them.  But I don't find Zopyrus' proposal a bad one."

"Then so let it be," said Darius, yielding.  "In that case Oroetes must
provide us with the uniform of Lydian Taxiarchs."

"You'd better take the splendid dress of the Chiliarchs" at once, I
think," cried Gyges.

"Why, on such young men, that would excite suspicion directly."

"But we can't appear as common soldiers."

"No, but as Hekatontarchs."

"All right," said Zopyrus laughing.  "Anything you like except a shop-
keeper.--So in three days we are off.  I am glad I shall just have time
to make sure of the satrap's little daughter, and to visit the grove of
Cybele at last.  Now, goodnight, Bartja; don't get up too early.  What
will Sappho say, if you come to her with pale cheeks?"




CHAPTER X.

The sun of a hot midsummer-day had risen on Naukratis.  The Nile had
already begun to overflow its banks, and the fields and gardens of the
Egyptians were covered with water.

The harbor was crowded with craft of all kinds.  Egyptian vessels were
there, manned by Phoenician colonists from the coasts of the Delta, and
bringing fine woven goods from Malta, metals and precious stones from
Sardinia, wine and copper from Cyprus.  Greek triremes laden with oil,
wine and mastic-wood; metal-work and woollen wares from Chalcis,
Phoenician and Syrian craft with gaily-colored sails, and freighted with
cargoes of purple stuffs, gems, spices, glass-work, carpets and cedar-
trees,--used in Egypt, where wood was very scarce, for building purposes,
and taking back gold, ivory, ebony, brightly-plumaged tropical birds,
precious stones and black slaves,--the treasures of Ethiopia; but more
especially the far-famed Egyptian corn, Memphian chariots, lace from
Sais, and the finer sorts of papyrus.  The time when commerce was carried
on merely by barter was now, however, long past, and the merchants of
Naukratis not seldom paid for their goods in gold coin and carefully-
weighed silver.

Large warehouses stood round the harbor of this Greek colony, and
slightly-built dwelling-houses, into which the idle mariners were lured
by the sounds of music and laughter, and the glances and voices of
painted and rouged damsels.  Slaves, both white and colored, rowers and
steersmen, in various costumes, were hurrying hither and thither, while
the ships' captains, either dressed in the Greek fashion or in Phoenician
garments of the most glaring colors, were shouting orders to their crews
and delivering up their cargoes to the merchants.  Whenever a dispute
arose, the Egyptian police with their long staves, and the Greek warders
of the harbor were quickly at hand.  The latter were appointed by the
elders of the merchant-body in this Milesian colony.

The port was getting empty now, for the hour at which the market opened
was near, and none of the free Greeks cared to be absent from the market-
place then.  This time, however, not a few remained behind, curiously
watching a beautifully-built Samian ship, the Okeia, with a long prow
like a swan's neck, on the front of which a likeness of the goddess Hera
was conspicuous.  It was discharging its cargo, but the public attention
was more particularly attracted by three handsome youths, in the dress of
Lydian officers, who left the ship, followed by a number of slaves
carrying chests and packages.

The handsomest of the three travellers, in whom of course our readers
recognize their three young friends, Darius, Bartja and Zopyrus, spoke
to one of the harbor police and asked for the house of Theopompus the
Milesian, to whom they were bound on a visit.

Polite and ready to do a service, like all the Greeks, the police
functionary at once led the way across the market-place,--where the
opening of business had just been announced by the sound of a bell,--to a
handsome house, the property of the Milesian, Theopompus, one of the most
important and respected men in Naukratis.

The party, however, did not succeed in crossing the market-place without
hindrance.  They found it easy enough to evade the importunities of
impudent fishsellers, and the friendly invitations of butchers, bakers,
sausage and vegetable-sellers, and potters.  But when they reached the
part allotted to the flower-girls, Zopyrus was so enchanted with the
scene, that he clapped his hands for joy.

[Separate portions of the market were set apart for the sale of
different goods.  The part appointed for the flower-sellers, who
passed in general for no better than they should be, was called the
"myrtle-market."  Aristoph.  Thesmoph. 448.]

Three wonderfully-lovely girls, in white dresses of some half-transparent
material, with colored borders, were seated together on low stools,
binding roses, violets and orange-blossoms into one long wreath.  Their
charming heads were wreathed with flowers too, and looked very like the
lovely rosebuds which one of them, on seeing the young men come up, held
out to their notice.

"Buy my roses, my handsome gentlemen," she said in a clear, melodious
voice, "to put in your sweethearts' hair."

Zopyrus took the flowers, and holding the girl's hand fast in his own,
answered, "I come from a far country, my lovely child, and have no
sweetheart in Naukratis yet; so let me put the roses in your own golden
hair, and this piece of gold in your white little hand."

The girl burst into a merry laugh, showed her sister the handsome
present, and answered: "By Eros, such gentlemen as you cannot want for
sweethearts.  Are you brothers?"

"No."

"That's a pity, for we are sisters."

"And you thought we should make three pretty couples?"

"I may have thought it, but I did not say so."

"And your sisters?"

[This passage was suggested by the following epigram of Dionysius
"Roses are blooming on thy cheek, with roses thy basket is laden,
Which dost thou sell?  The flowers?  Thyself?  Or both, my pretty
maiden?"]

The girls laughed, as if they were but little averse to such a
connection, and offered Bartja and Darius rosebuds too.

The young men accepted them, gave each a gold piece in return, and were
not allowed to leave these beauties until their helmets had been crowned
with laurel.

Meanwhile the news of the strangers' remarkable liberality had spread
among the many girls, who were selling ribbons, wreaths and flowers close
by.  They all brought roses too and invited the strangers with looks and
words to stay with them and buy their flowers.

Zopyrus, like many a young gentleman in Naukratis, would gladly have
accepted their invitations, for most of these girls were beautiful, and
their hearts were not difficult to win; but Darius urged him to come
away, and begged Bartja to forbid the thoughtless fellow's staying any