Thalia   

household; and it was he who began the revolt. Aware that Smerdis
was dead, and that his death was hid and known to few of the Persians,
while most believed that he was still alive, he laid his plan, and
made a bold stroke for the crown. He had a brother- the same of whom I
spoke before as his partner in the revolt- who happened greatly to
resemble Smerdis the son of Cyrus, whom Cambyses his brother had put
to death. And not only was this brother of his like Smerdis in person,
but he also bore the selfsame name, to wit Smerdis. Patizeithes, the
other Magus, having persuaded him that he would carry the whole
business through, took him and made him sit upon the royal throne.
Having so done, he sent heralds through all the land, to Egypt and
elsewhere, to make proclamation to the troops that henceforth they
were to obey Smerdis the son of Cyrus, and not Cambyses.
The other heralds therefore made proclamation as they were
ordered, and likewise the herald whose place it was to proceed into
Egypt. He, when he reached Agbatana in Syria, finding Cambyses and his
army there, went straight into the middle of the host, and standing
forth before them all, made the proclamation which Patizeithes the
Magus had commanded. Cambyses no sooner heard him, than believing that
what the herald said was true, and imagining that he had been betrayed
by Prexaspes (who, he supposed, had not put Smerdis to death when sent
into Persia for that purpose), he turned his eyes full upon Prexaspes,
and said, "Is this the way, Prexaspes, that thou didst my errand?"
"Oh! my liege," answered the other, "there is no truth in the
tidings that Smerdis thy brother has revolted against thee, nor hast
thou to fear in time to come any quarrel, great or small, with that
man. With my own hands I wrought thy will on him, and with my own
hands I buried him. If of a truth the dead can leave their graves,
expect Astyages the Mede to rise and fight against thee; but if the
course of nature be the same as formerly, then be sure no ill will
ever come upon thee from this quarter. Now, therefore, my counsel is
that we send in pursuit of the herald, and strictly question him who
it was that charged him to bid us obey king Smerdis."
When Prexaspes had so spoken, and Cambyses had approved his words,
the herald was forthwith pursued, and brought back to the king. Then
Prexaspes said to him, "Sirrah, thou bear'st us a message, sayst thou,
from Smerdis, son of Cyrus. Now answer truly, and go thy way
scathless. Did Smerdis have thee to his presence and give thee thy
orders, or hadst thou them from one of his officers?" The herald
answered, "Truly I have not set eyes on Smerdis son of Cyrus, since
the day when king Cambyses led the Persians into Egypt. The man who
gave me my orders was the Magus that Cambyses left in charge of the
household; but he said that Smerdis son of Cyrus sent you the
message." In all this the herald spoke nothing but the strict truth.
Then Cambyses said thus to Prexaspes:- "Thou art free from all
blame, Prexaspes, since, as a right good man, thou hast not failed
to do the thing which I commanded. But tell me now, which of the
Persians can have taken the name of Smerdis, and revolted from me?" "I
think, my liege," he answered, "that I apprehend the whole business.
The men who have risen in revolt against thee are the two Magi,
Patizeithes, who was left comptroller of thy household, and his
brother, who is named Smerdis."
Cambyses no sooner heard the name of Smerdis than he was struck
with the truth of Prexaspes' words, and the fulfilment of his own
dream- the dream, I mean, which he had in former days, when one
appeared to him in his sleep and told him that Smerdis sate upon the
royal throne, and with his head touched the heavens. So when he saw
that he had needlessly slain his brother Smerdis, he wept and bewailed
his loss: after which, smarting with vexation as he thought of all his
ill luck, he sprang hastily upon his steed, meaning to march his
army with all haste to Susa against the Magus. As he made his
spring, the button of his sword-sheath fell off, and the bared point
entered his thigh, wounding him exactly where he had himself once
wounded the Egyptian god Apis. Then Cambyses, feeling that he had