Thalia   

got his death-wound, inquired the name of the place where he was,
and was answered, "Agbatana." Now before this it had been told him
by the oracle at Buto that he should end his days at Agbatana. He,
however, had understood the Median Agbatana, where all his treasures
were, and had thought that he should die there in a good old age;
but the oracle meant Agbatana in Syria. So when Cambyses heard the
name of the place, the double shock that he had received, from the
revolt of the Magus and from his wound, brought him back to his
senses. And he understood now the true meaning of the oracle, and
said, "Here then Cambyses, son of Cyrus, is doomed to die."
At this time he said no more; but twenty days afterwards he called
to his presence all the chief Persians who were with the army, and
addressed them as follows:- "Persians, needs must I tell you now
what hitherto I have striven with the greatest care to keep concealed.
When I was in Egypt I saw in my sleep a vision, which would that I had
never beheld! I thought a messenger came to me from my home, and
told me that Smerdis sate upon the royal throne, and with his head
touched the heavens. Then I feared to be cast from my throne by
Smerdis my brother, and I did what was more hasty than wise. Ah!
truly, do what they may, it is impossible for men to turn aside the
coming fate. I, in my folly, sent Prexaspes to Susa to put my
brother to death. So this great woe was accomplished, and I then lived
without fear, never imagining that, after Smerdis was dead, I need
dread revolt from any other. But herein I had quite mistaken what
was about to happen, and so I slew my brother without any need, and
nevertheless have lost my crown. For it was Smerdis the Magus, and not
Smerdis my brother, of whose rebellion God forewarned me by the
vision. The deed is done, however, and Smerdis, son of Cyrus, be
sure is lost to you. The Magi have the royal power- Patizeithes,
whom I left at Susa to overlook my household, and Smerdis his brother.
There was one who would have been bound beyond all others to avenge
the wrongs I have suffered from these Magians, but he, alas! has
perished by a horrid fate, deprived of life by those nearest and
dearest to him. In his default, nothing now remains for me but to tell
you, O Persians, what I would wish to have done after I have
breathed my last. Therefore, in the name of the gods that watch over
our royal house, I charge you all, and specially such of you as are
Achaemenids, that ye do not tamely allow the kingdom to go back to the
Medes. Recover it one way or another, by force or fraud; by fraud,
if it is by fraud that they have seized on it; by force, if force
has helped them in their enterprise. Do this, and then may your land
bring you forth fruit abundantly, and your wives bear children, and
your herds increase, and freedom be your portion for ever: but do it
not- make no brave struggle to regain the kingdom- and then my curse
be on you, and may the opposite of all these things happen to you- and
not only so, but may you, one and all, perish at the last by such a
fate as mine!" Then Cambyses, when he left speaking, bewailed his
whole misfortune from beginning to end.
Whereupon the Persians, seeing their king weep, rent the
garments that they had on, and uttered lamentable cries; after
which, as the bone presently grew carious, and the limb gangrened,
Cambyses, son of Cyrus, died. He had reigned in all seven years and
five months, and left no issue behind him, male or female. The
Persians who had heard his words, put no faith in anything that he
said concerning the Magi having the royal power; but believed that
he spoke out of hatred towards Smerdis, and had invented the tale of
his death to cause the whole Persian race to rise up in arms against
him. Thus they were convinced that it was Smerdis the son of Cyrus who
had rebelled and now sate on the throne. For Prexaspes stoutly
denied that he had slain Smerdis, since it was not safe for him, after
Cambyses was dead, to allow that a son of Cyrus had met with death
at his hands.
Thus then Cambyses died, and the Magus now reigned in security,
and passed himself off for Smerdis the son of Cyrus. And so went by