Thalia   

the seven months which were wanting to complete the eighth year of
Cambyses. His subjects, while his reign lasted, received great
benefits from him, insomuch that, when he died, all the dwellers in
Asia mourned his loss exceedingly, except only the Persians. For no
sooner did he come to the throne than forthwith he sent round to every
nation under his rule, and granted them freedom from war-service and
from taxes for the space of three years.
In the eighth month, however, it was discovered who he was in
the mode following. There was a man called Otanes, the son of
Pharnaspes, who for rank and wealth was equal to the greatest of the
Persians. This Otanes was the first to suspect that the Magus was
not Smerdis the son of Cyrus, and to surmise moreover who he really
was. He was led to guess the truth by the king never quitting the
citadel, and never calling before him any of the Persian noblemen.
As soon, therefore, as his suspicions were aroused he adopted the
following measures:- One of his daughters, who was called Phaedima,
had been married to Cambyses, and was taken to wife, together with the
rest of Cambyses' wives, by the Magus. To this daughter Otanes sent
a message, and inquired of her "who it was whose bed she shared,-
was it Smerdis the son of Cyrus, or was it some other man?" Phaedima
in reply declared she did not know- Smerdis the son of Cyrus she had
never seen, and so she could not tell whose bed she shared. Upon
this Otanes sent a second time, and said, "If thou dost not know
Smerdis son of Cyrus thyself, ask queen Atossa who it is with whom
ye both live- she cannot fail to know her own brother." To this the
daughter made answer, "I can neither get speech with Atossa, nor
with any of the women who lodge in the palace. For no sooner did
this man, be he who he may, obtain the kingdom, than he parted us from
one another, and gave us all separate chambers."
This made the matter seem still more plain to Otanes. Nevertheless
he sent a third message to his daughter in these words following:-
"Daughter, thou art of noble blood- thou wilt not shrink from a risk
which thy father bids thee encounter. If this fellow be not Smerdis
the son of Cyrus, but the man whom I think him to be, his boldness
in taking thee to be his wife, and lording it over the Persians,
must not be allowed to pass unpunished. Now therefore do as I command-
when next he passes the night with thee, wait till thou art sure he is
fast asleep, and then feel for his ears. If thou findest him to have
ears, then believe him to be Smerdis the son of Cyrus, but if he has
none, know him for Smerdis the Magian." Phaedima returned for
answer, "It would be a great risk. If he was without ears, and
caught her feeling for them, she well knew he would make away with
her- nevertheless she would venture." So Otanes got his daughter's
promise that she would do as he desired. Now Smerdis the Magian had
had his ears cut off in the lifetime of Cyrus son of Cambyses, as a
punishment for a crime of no slight heinousness. Phaedima therefore,
Otanes' daughter, bent on accomplishing what she had promised her
father, when her turn came, and she was taken to the bed of the
Magus (in Persia a man's wives sleep with him in their turns),
waited till he was sound asleep, and then felt for his ears. She
quickly perceived that he had no ears; and of this, as soon as day
dawned, she sent word to her father.
Then Otanes took to him two of the chief Persians, Aspathines
and Gobryas, men whom it was most advisable to trust in such a matter,
and told them everything. Now they had already of themselves suspected
how the matter stood. When Otanes therefore laid his reasons before
them they at once came into his views; and it was agreed that each
of the three should take as companion in the work the Persian in
whom he placed the greatest confidence. Then Otanes chose Intaphernes,
Gobryas Megabyzus, and Aspathines Hydarnes. After the number had
thus become six, Darius, the son of Hystaspes, arrived at Susa from
Persia, whereof his father was governor. On his coming it seemed
good to the six to take him likewise into their counsels.
After this, the men, being now seven in all, met together to