Cyopaedia 7.2

[C.2] Then Cyrus and his men took their evening meal and posted their pickets and went to rest. But Croesus and his army fled in haste to Sardis, and the other tribes hurried away homewards under cover of night as fast and as far as they could. [2] When day broke Cyrus marched straight for Sardis, and when he came before the citadel he set up his engines as though for the assault and got out his ladders. But the following night he sent a scaling party of Persians and Chaldaeans to climb the fortifications at the steepest point. The guide was a Persian who had served as a slave to one of the garrison in the citadel, and who knew a way down to the river by which one could get up. [4] As soon as it became clear that the heights had been taken, all the Lydians without exception fled from the walls and hid wherever they could. At daybreak Cyrus entered the city and gave orders that not a man was to leave the ranks. [5] Croesus, who had shut himself up inside his palace, cried out on Cyrus, and Cyrus left a guard round the building while he himself went to inspect the captured citadel. Here he found the Persians keeping guard in perfect order, but the Chaldaean quarters were deserted, for the men had rushed down to pillage the town. Immediately he summoned their officers, and bade them leave his army at once. [6] "I could never endure," he said, "to have undisciplined fellows seizing the best of everything. You know well enough," he added, "all that was in store for you. I meant to make all who served with me the envy of their fellows; but now," he said, "you cannot be surprised if you encounter some one stronger than yourselves on your way home."

[7] Fear fell on the Chaldaeans at this, and they intreated him to lay aside his anger and vowed they would give back all the booty they had taken. He answered that he had no need of it himself. "But if," he added, "you wish to appease me, you will hand it over to those who stayed and guarded the citadel. For if my soldiers see that discipline means reward, all will be well with us."

[8] So the Chaldaeans did as he bade them, and the faithful and obedient received all manner of good things.

Then Cyrus made his troops encamp in the most convenient quarter of the town, and told them to stay at their posts and take their breakfast there. [9] That done, he gave orders that Croesus should be brought to him, and when he came into his presence, Croesus cried:

"Hail, Cyrus, my lord and master! Fate has given you that title from now henceforward, and thus must I salute you."

[20] "All hail to you likewise," answered Cyrus: "we are both of us men. And tell me now," he continued, "would you be more willing to advise me as a friend?" "I should be more than glad," said Croesus, "to do you any good. It would mean good for myself, I know." [11] "Listen, then," answered Cyrus: "I see that my soldiers have endured much toil and encountered many dangers, and now they are persuaded that they have taken the wealthiest city in all Asia, after Babylon. I would not have them cheated of their recompense, seeing that if they win nothing by their labour, I know not how I can keep them obedient to me for long. Yet I am unwilling to give them this city over to plunder. I believe it would be utterly destroyed, and moreover I know full well that in plunder the worst villains win the most."

[12] To this Croesus answered, "Suffer me then to tell what Lydians I please that I have won your promise that the city shall not be sacked, nor their women and children made away with. [13] I promise you in return that my men will bring you willingly everything that is costly and beautiful in Sardis. If I can announce such terms, I am certain there is not one treasure belonging to man or woman that will not be yours to-morrow. Further, on this day year, the city will overflow once more with wealth and beauty. But if you sack it, you will destroy the crafts in its ruin, and they, we know, are the well-spring of all loveliness. [14] Howbeit, you need not decide at once, wait and see what is brought to you. Send first," he added, "to my own treasuries, and let your guards take some of my own men with them."

To all this Cyrus consented, and then he said:

[15] "And now, O Croesus, tell me one thing more. How did matters go between you and the oracle at Delphi? It is said that you did much reverence to Apollo and obeyed him in all things."

[16] "I could wish it had been so," said Croesus, "but, truth to say, from the beginning I have acted in all things against him." "How can that be?" said Cyrus. "Explain it to me: for your words seem strange indeed." [17] "Because," he answered, "in the first place, instead of asking the god for all I wanted I must needs put him to the test, to see if he could speak the truth. This," he added, "no man of honour could endure, let be the godhead. Those who are doubted cannot love their doubters. [18] And yet he stood the test; for though the things I did were strange, and I was many leagues from Delphi, he knew them all. And so I resolved to consult him about my children. [19] At first he would not so much as answer me, but I sent him many an offering, some of gold and some of silver, and I propitiated him, as I deemed, by countless sacrifices, and at last he answered me when I asked him what I must do that sons might be born to me. He said they should be born. [20] And so they were; in that he uttered no lie, but they brought me no joy. One of them was dumb his whole life long, and the noblest perished in the flower of his youth. And I, crushed by these sorrows, sent again to the god and asked him how I could live in happiness for the rest of my days, and he answered:

  "'Know thyself, O Croesus, and happiness shall be thine.'

"And when I heard the oracle, I was comforted. [21] I said to myself, the god has laid the lightest of tasks upon me, and promised me happiness in return. Some of his neighbours a man may know and others not: but every one can know himself. [22] So I thought, and in truth so long as I was at peace I had no fault to find with my lot after my son's death; but when the Assyrian persuaded me to march against you I encountered every danger. Yet I was saved, I came to no harm. Once again, therefore, I have no charge to bring against the god: when I /knew myself/ incapable of warring against you, he came to my help and saved mine and me. [23] But afterwards, intoxicated by my wealth, cajoled by those who begged me to be their leader, tempted by the gifts they showered on me, flattered by all who said that if I would but lead them they would obey me to a man, and that I would be the greatest ruler in all the world, and that all their kings had met together and chosen me for their champion in the war, I undertook the generalship as though I were born to be the monarch of the world, for I did not /know myself/. [24] I thought myself able to fight against you, you who are sprung from the seed of the gods, born of a royal line, trained in valour and virtue from your youth, while I--I believe that the first of my ancestors to reign won his freedom and his crown on the self-same day. For this dull ignorance of mine I see I am justly punished. [25] But now at last, O Cyrus," he cried, "now I /know myself/. And tell me, do you think the god will still speak truth? Do you think that, knowing myself, I can be happy now? I ask you, because you of all men have it in your power to answer best. Happiness is yours to give."

[26] Cyrus answered, "Give me time to deliberate, Croesus. I bear in mind your former happiness and I pity you. I give you back at once your wife and your daughters (for they tell me you have daughters), and your friends and your attendants; they are yours once more. And yours it is to sit at your own table as you used to live. But battles and wars I must put out of your power."

[27] "Now by the gods above us," cried Croesus, "you need take no further thought about your answer: if you will do for me what you say, I shall live the life that all men called the happiest of lives, and I knew that they were right." [28] "And who," said Cyrus, "who was it that lived that life of happiness?" "My own wife," said Croesus; "she shared all my good things with me, my luxuries, my softest joys; but in the cares on which those joys were based, in war and battle and strife, she had no part or lot. Methinks, you will provide for me as I provided for her whom I loved beyond all others in the world, and I must needs send to Apollo again, and send thank-offerings."

[29] And as Cyrus listened he marvelled at the man's contentedness of soul, and for the future wherever he went he took Croesus with him, either because he thought he might be useful or perhaps because he felt it was safer so.