Cyropædia; or, The institution of Cyrus, ...

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CYROPtEDIA;

OR,

THE INSTITUTION

Book II

^Discoursing in this manner, they arrived at the borders of Persia; when an eagle appearing to the right, led the way before them. And when they had made their supplications to the gods and heroes, guardians of Persia, to dismiss them favourably and propitiously, they passed the borders. When they had passed them, they again made supplication to the gods, guardians of Media, to re^ ceive them propitiously and favourably; and, having done this, and embraced each other, as usual, the father returned into Persia, and Cyrus marched on into Media to Cyaxares.

When Cyrus came to Cyaxares in Media, they first embraced each other, as usual, and Cyaxares' afterwards asked Cyrus, "What force he was to bring him." He replied, " Thirty thousand of such as have been before with you, and served for their pay; but there are others coining, who have never yet served out of their own country, and are of the order of those that are free, and equally entitled to all honours. " " And how many of these?" said Cyaxares. " The number of them," replied* Cyrus,

"will not please you, when you hear it: but, consider," said he, " -that those who are called the alike-honoured, though but few, rule with ease the rest of the Persians, who are very numerous. But," said he, " are you in any real want of these men, or are you under a vain alarm, and the enemy not coming?" " Indeed they are," said he, "and in great numbers." " How does this appear?" "Why, a great many people, who come from thence, some by one means and some by another, all say the same thing ; then engage with these men we must: we must of necessity," said he. "Well, then," said Cyrus, "why do not you tell me whether you know what these forces are, that are coming upon us, and what we have of our own,, that, being apprized of both, we may afterwards consult how to carry on the war in the best manner? " "Attend; then," said Cyaxares; " Crcesus, the Lydian, is said to bring with him ten thousand horse, targeteers and archers upwards of forty thousand. They say, that Arsamas, who governs the Greater Phrygia, brings eight thousand horse ; targeteers and lance-men not less than forty thousand. That Ariboeus, king of the Cappadocians, brings six thousand horse, archers and targeteers not less than thirty thousand. The Arabian Maragdus, ten thousand horse, one hundred chariots, and of slingers a very considerable body. As to the Greeks that are settled in Asia, there's nothing said of certain whether they attend the expedition or no. They say, that Gabaeus, who rules those that inhabit the country that extends from Phrygia on the Hellespont to the plain of Cayster, contributes six thousand horse, and ten thousand targeteers.

The Carians, Cilicians, and Paphlagonians, though invited, they say, do not attend the expedition. The Assyrians, who possess Babylon and the rest of Assyria, will, as I judge, bring no less than twenty thousand horse; chariots, as I know very well, not more than two hundred; but, I believe a vast body of foot; for so he is accustomed to do when he falls in upon us." " The enemy then," said Cyrus, "you say, amount to sixty thousand horse, and to more than two hundred thousand targeteers and archers. To proceed, then, what do you say is the number of your own forces?" "The Median horse are above ten thousand ; and of targeteers and archers there may be, perhaps, in our own territories, about sixty thousand ; and of the Armenians, our neighbours, we shall have four thousand horse and twenty thousand foot." "You say, then," said Cyrus, "that we shall have in horse lesss than a third part of the enemy's force of that sort, and scarce half the number of their foot" "What!" said Cyaxares, " do you think those Persians, that you say you bring, are but an inconsiderable number?" " We will take another time," said Cyrus, " to consider whether we want men or no : at present, pray tell me what is the method of fight that is in use with those several people." " They almost all," said Cyaxares, " use the same : some of their men, as well as of our own, use the bow, and others the javelin." "Then," said Cyrus, "since such are their arms, they must necessarily engage at a distance." "Necessarily," said Cyaxares. "In this case, therefore," said Cyrus, "the victory falls to the greater number; for the few, wounded by those weapons, are much sooner destroyed by the many, than the many by the few." " If it be so, Cyrus," said he, "what way can one find better than to send to the Persians, acquaint them that, if the Medes sustain any loss, the misfortune will reach to themselves, and, at the same time, to require from them a greater force." " Be assured," said Cyrus, " that if all the Persians should come, we should not- exceed the enemy in numbers." " What have, you in view, then, that is better?" " Why," said Cyrus, " if I were yon, I would immediately make, for all the Persians that are coming, such arms as those

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men, that are called the alike-honoured, come provided with ; and these are, a corselet about the breast, a shield for the left hand, and a sword, or cutlass, for the right. If you provide these arms, you will make it the safest way for us to come to close fight with the enemy ; and better for the enemy to fly than to stand their ground. For our own station," said he, " we appoint against those that stand their ground; and those that fly we allot to you and to your horse, that they may not have time to make their escape or to turn again.'' Thus Cyrus spoke. Cyaxares was of opinion that he said very right, and he thought no longer of sending for more men, but applied himself to the providing of the arms before mentioned ; and they were scarce got ready before the Persian gentlemen, or alike-honoured, arrived, bringing the Persian army with them.

.Upon this, Cyrus is said to have called the gentlemen together, and to have spoken to them thus: K Friends, I, who saw r that your persons were armed, and your minds prepared for close fight with your enemy, and knew that the Persians who attend you were armed in such manner as to engage "only at a distance, was afraid that, being but few in number, and destitute of others to support you, whenyou fell in with the great number of the enemy, you might come by some misfortune. Now, therefore," said he, " that you are come, and bring with you men whose bodies are not contemptible, and who are to be supplied with arms like our own; to raise their minds is now your part. For it is the business of a commander not only to be himself brave, but to take such care of those that he rules, that they may be made as brave as is possible." Thus he said.

They were all much pleased ; imagining they should now engage the enemy with more to assist and support them. And one of them spoke to this effect " Perhaps," said he, "I shall be thought to talk strangely, if I advise Cyrus, instead of us, to

THE TNSTITUTIOX OF CYRUS. 87..

say something to these men, who are to be our supports and fellow combatants, when they receive their arms; for, I know," said he, "that the words of those, who have the most power to do service or to do hurt, sink deeper into the minds of the hearers. And the presents that such men make, though they happen to be less than what men may receive from others like themselves, yet the receivers value them more. So now," said he, "the Persians will be much more pleased if they receive an exhortation from Cyrus, than if they receive it from us. And when they are placed in the degree of the alike-honoured, they will think themselves more strongly confirmed in it, if done bv the son of our king, and by our commander in chief, than if they are introduced to it by us. Nor ought our endeavours to be wanting; but we should use all possible means to excite and raise the courage of these men; for how much soever they become braver and better men, it will be so much the more to our advantage."

So Cyrus, setting down the arms in a place exposed to view, and, calling together all the Persian soldiers, spoke to this effect : " Men of Persia, you were born and bred in the same country that we were ; you have bodies that are noways inferior to ours, and you ought to have souls too not inferior to ours. And yet, though such you are in yourselves, in our own country you were not upon an equal foot with us. Not that you were excluded from it by us, but by the necessity you were under of providing yourselves with necessaries. Now, with the help of the gods, it shall be my care that you shall be supplied with these. And even though you may be in any sort inferior to us, yet by accepting these arms, that are such as we have ourselves, it is in your power, if you will, to run the same hazards with us ; and, if any thing great and advantageous happen to us upon it, to be thought worthy of like advantages with ourselves. Heretofore, you have used the bow and the javelin; we have done the same : and if you are inferior to us in the practice of these, it is not at all wonderful; for you have not had the leisure that we have had, to exercise yourselves in them. But, in this sort of arms, we have no advantage above you, for every one will have a corselet fitted to his breast, for the left hand a shield, which you are all accustomed to wear; and, for the right, a sword or cutlass, which you are to use against the enemy; not needing to be mindful of any thing but how not to miss your blow. Under these arms, therefore, what difference can there be between one and another amongst us, unless it be in boldness, in which you ought not to be inferior to us? How should it be our part more than yours to be desirous of victory, by which all things great and advantageous are acquired and preserved? How can superiority of arms be less necessary to you than to us, when it is by this, that all the conquered possess becomes yielded to the victors?" In conclusion, he said, " Yon have heard all these things; you, all of you, see your arms; he that thinks fit, let him take them, and list himself under his officer into the same order and degree with us. He that thinks it enough for him to be in the station of a mercenary, let him continue under servile arms." Thus he said. The Persians who heard him were of opinion, that if, when they were invited to an equal share of all advantages, by sharing in like labours, they should not agree to it, they should then justly pass all their days in a mean and low condition. So they were all listed, and all took the arms.

During the time that the enemy was said to be approaching, but did not actually come, Cyrus endeavoured to exercise the bodies of his men, in order to give them strength and vigour; to teach them how to form themselves, and to move in proper order, and to raise their minds to warlike affairs. And, in the first place, being supplied with servants by

Cyaxares, he ordered them to supply all the soldiers with every thing, ready-made, that they wanted. And having provided for this, he left them nothing to do but to practise such things as related to war, seeming to have learned this maxim, that those men were best at any thing, who, taking off their minds from application to many things, apply themselves to one business singly. And of affairs that relate to war,

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cutting them off from the practice of the bow and javelin, he left them only this one thing to do, which was to fight with sword, shield, and corselet. So that he presently brought their minds to this state, that they found they were either to engage their enemy hand to hand, or to confess, that they were very worthless supports and fellow combatants. And this was a difficult thing to be owned by such as knew they were maintained for nothing else but to fight for those that maintained them. Besides, having considered that, whatever the things are wherein men are raised to an emulation one against another, those are the things they are most willing to exercise themselves in; he appointed them to contend and vie with each other in all those kinds of things that he knew were fit to be exercised and practised by the soldiers.

The things he so appointed were these: to the private man, to make himself a good soldier, obedient to his commanders; ready to undergo labour; to be enterprising in dangers, but consistently with good order; to be skilful in the military exercises; fond of having his arms beautiful and in good condition; and in all such matters desirous of praise. To the leader of live, to make himself such as it became the private man to be; and to do his utmost to make his iive likewise such. To the leader of ten, to make his ten such. To the captain to do the same for his company ; the colonel for his regiment; and, in the same manner, to the rest of the commanding officers, to render themselves unexceptionable and blameless ; and to take care that those who were under their command should, in their several stations, make those under them ready to do their duties. The rewards he proposed in this contention were these : to the colonels, who, by their care, appeared to have made themselves the best regiments, to be made commanders cf a thousand ; to the captains, who appeared to have made themselves the best companies, to be made colonels; to the leaders of ten, that approved themselves the best, to be advanced to the degree of captains; and to the leaders of five, in like manner to be advanced to the degree of leaders of ten : and to the private men that behaved best, to be advanced to the degree of leaders of five. In the first place, therefore, all these officers were well served by those they commanded, and then all those other honours, suitable to every one, attended them. He likewise gave greater hopes to those who deserved praise, in case any more than ordinary advantage should upon occasion fall in their way. He proposed also certain rewards of victory to whole regiments and companies. So, likewise, to whole tens and fives, if they appeared to be the most obedient to their commanders, and to perform the things before-mentioned with the greatest ardour and readiness ; and the rewards to these were such as were the most proper to be bestowed in common upon a number of men. These were the things that were proposed to the army, and exercised amongst them.

Tents he likewise provided for them, as many in number as were the colonels, and of a size such as was sufficient for each regiment; and a regiment consisted of a hundred men. Thus they were quartered in tents by regiments. And it seemed to him to be of use to his men, in the war that was coming on, that*, by thus inhabiting together, they, saw each other maintained alike ; and there was no pretence of lying under a disadvantage, so as to allow any one

THE INSTITUTION OF CYRUS. g$

to be remiss, or one to be worse than another, in acting against the enemy. It seemed to him likewise that this joint habitation was of use to them with respect to their knowing one another; for, by being known, he thought that a sense of shame and reproach took more place upon all; for they who are unknown seem to act with less caution and restraint, as men do who are in the dark. And this cohabitation seemed to him to be of great service to his men with respect to exactness in their orders; for thus the colonels had their several regiments in order under them in their sleep, just as when a regiment is in a body upon the march ; so the captains their companies; the commanders of tens their tens; and the commanders of five their five : and this exactness in their orders seemed to him to be of great service, both to prevent their being put into disorder, and, if disordered, to settle themselves more readily into order again. Just as in the case of stones and pieces of wood, that are to be fitted together, which, if they have certain marks, to make it evident to what place each of them belongs, one may with ease rlt together again, into whatever irregular form they may have been thrown. And their being thus maintained together, he thought, was of service to them, in order to make them less ready to desert each other: because he observed that beasts, that had their maintenance together, were in great pain if separated by any one.

Cyrus also took care that they should never go to their dinner or supper without a sweat; for he either led them out to hunt, and gave them a sweat that way, or he contrived such sports for them as would put them into one ; or if any business happened that was to be done, he so managed it, that they should not return without sweating ; for this he judged to be of service, in order to make them eat with pleasure, and to make them healthy, and to make them able to undergo labour : and labour he

<)<! CYROPiEDIA; on,

judged to be of use in making them more gentle one towards another, because even horses, that labour jointly together, stand likewise more gently and tamely together. And they who are conscious to themselves of being duly exercised, are inspired with more bravery and courage against the enemy.

Cyrus likewise provided himself with a tent sufficient to contain those that he invited to sup with him : he invited, for the most part, such of the colonels as he thought proper; but he sometimes invited some of the captains, some of the commanders of ten, and some of the commanders of five; sometimes some of the soldiers, and sometimes a whole live, a whole ten, a whole company, or a whole regiment together. lie invited them likewise, and rewarded those that he saw r practise any such thing as he desired all the others should imitate. And the things that were set before himself, and before those that he invited to supper were always alike. He always made the servants of the army likewise equal sharers in all things ; for he thought it was not less becoming him to reward those who served in the concerns of the army, than to reward heralds and ambassadors; for he was of opinion that they ought to be faithful, skilled in military affairs, and intelligent, as w r ell as zealous in their business, quick of dispatch, diligent, and orderly. Besides, whatever good quality they had, who were accounted the better sort, that Cyrus thought the servants ought to be possessed of; and that it was their duty to bring themselves, by practice, to refuse no work, but to think it becoming them to do all things whatever that their commanders should enjoin.

And Cyrus always took care that while he entertained any of them in his tent, the most agreeable subjects of discourse, and such as might excite them to good, should be thrown in amongst them. Upon a certain occasion, therefore, he began this discourse : " Friends," said he, " are other men, think you, any ways inferior to us, by reason of their not being disciplined in the same manner as we are? or will they prove not to differ from us at all, either in their converse with each other, or in action against the enemy? " Hystaspes, in answer to him, said, " What they may prove to be in action against the enemy I do not yet know; but, by the gods! some of them seem already to be very perverse and churlish in their conversation ; for, yesterday," said he, " Cyaxares sent certain victims to every regiment; and we had every one of us three portions or more, that were carried and distributed around. Our cook began his first distribution by me, when the person who was to make the second distribution entered; I bid him begin with the last man, and carry round the contrary way. One, therefore, from the middle of the circle of soldiers as they lay, cried out, ' by Jove,' said he, ' there's no manner of equality or fairness in this, unless somebody begin from us here in the middle.' I, hearing this, was uneasy that any of them should think they lay under a disadvantage, and I presently bid him come to me; in this he, in a very orderly manner, obeyed me : but when the portions that were distributing came to us who were to take last, they were the least that were left; he then plainly discovered himself to be very much afflicted, and said to himself, ' O, ill fortune ! that I should happen to be called hither! ' I then said to him, do not be disturbed; it will begin presently by us, and you shall take first the biggest portion. At the third going about, which was the last turn, he took the next after me ; but as soon as the third person had taken, he fancied that this man had taken a larger portion than himself, and he threw back that that he had taken, intending to take another; but the cook, thinking that he wanted no more meat, moved on, distributing around, before he took another portion. Here he bore so ill the misfortune of losing the portion he had taken, that, being struck and in wrath

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at his ill fortune, he misplaced and overturned some sauce he had remaining. A captain, who was the nearest us, seeing this, clapped his hands, and laughed out, much delighted; I," said Hystaspes, '• made as if I coughed, for I was not able to hold from laughing. Cyrus," said he, " such a one do I show you one of our companions to be." Upon this, as was natural, they laughed.

Another of the colonels then spoke. " Cyrus," said he, " this Hystaspes, it seems, has met with one of a very perverse temper ; but as you instructed us in the order and discipline we were to observe, and dismissed us with commands to instruct every one his regiment in the things he had learned from you ; so I, as others did, came to a certain company, and was teaching them; and placing the captain first, and then a young man in order after him, and so the rest, as I thought proper; and then, standing before them, and looking upon the company, when I thought it proper time, I gave the command to advance. This young man, advancing before the captain, marched first; I, seeing him do thus, said to him, Friend, what are you doing? the man said, 'why I advance as you command me.' But, said I, I did not command only you to advance, but all; then, turning to his companions, ' Do not you hear,' said he, ' that the colonel commands you all to advance ? ' Then all of them passing the captain by, came up to me; but when the captain made them retire back again, they were offended, and said, ' Whom are we to obey? for now r one bids us to advance, and another will not suffer us to do it.' Bearing all this contentedly, and placing them as at first, I told them, that none of those behind should move till he that was before him led the way, but that they should all mind only to follow their leading man. In the mean time, there came to me a certain person, that was going to Persia, and he bid me give him the letter I had wrote home ; now the captain knew-

\rfaere the letter lay : I bid him therefore run and fetch this letter. He ran his way: the young man, armed as he was, with corselet and sword, followed after his captain; the rest of his company, seeing him run, ran off with him; and all of them came back again, and brought me the letter. Thus," said he, " is this company of mine mighty exact in executing all the instructions they receive from you." The rest, as was natural, laughed at this guard and attendance upon the letter: but Cyrus said, "G Jove, and all you gods ! what men have we for our companions ! They are so easily served, that many of them might be made one's friends for a little portion of meat; and they are so obedient, that they obey before they understand what they are ordered to do. For my part, I do not know what sort of men we should wish the soldiers to be, unless it be just such!" And Cyrus thus, in laughing, praised the soldiers.

There happened at that time to be in the tent a certain colonel ; his name was Aglaitadas ; a churlish and austere sort of man in his manners, and he spoke thus: "Do you think, now, Cyrus," said he, " that these men tell you the truth?" " Why, what end," said Cyrus, "have they in lying?" "What else," said he, "but to make you laugh? and, for this reason, they tell you these stories in a vain, arrogant way." "Good words, pray!" said Cyrus: "do not say that they are vain and arrogant; for the word arrogant seems to me to lie upon such as feign themselves richer or braver than they really are, and pretend to do what they are not able to do; and that plainly act thus, in order to get something and make prolit to themselves. They that move their companions to laughter, and do it neither for their own gain nor to the hearer's prejudice, nor with intent to do any manner of harm,, why may not such be called polite and agreeable, much rather than arrogant?" Thus did Cyrus apologize for such as afforded matter of laughter. The colonel, then, who had told the pleasant story of the company of soldiers, said, " If we endeavoured, Aglaitadas, to make you cry, would not you blame us very much? as there are some who, in songs and discourses, uttering certain melancholy notes and things, endeavour to move people by tears. But now, though you yourself know that we are desirous to give you pleasure, and not in the least to hurt you, yet you hold us thus in great disgrace!" " By Jove," said Aglaitadas, "I do, and justly; because, in my opinion, he that makes his friends laugh does a much more worthless and insignificant thing than he who makes him cry: and you will find, if you reckon right, that I say true.

Fathers bring their sons to a discreet and modest temper of mind, and teachers their youth to all good learning, by tears ; and it is by affliction and tears that the laws influence citizens to justice in their conduct. But can you possibly say that your movers of laughter either do any service to the bodies of men, or form their minds to a better sense of their duty, with respect to their private families, or to the public?" Upon this, Hystaspes spoke in this manner: "Aglaitadas," said he, "if you will follow my advice, you shall boldly lay out this very valuable thing upon our enemies, and you shall endeavour to set them a crying ; but that worthless thing, laughter, you shall spend upon us," said he, "here, amongst your friends. I know you have a great deal of it that lies by you in store ; for you neither use nor spend it yourself, nor do you willingly afford laughter either to your friends or to strangers: so that you have no manner of pretence to refuse bestowing it upon us." "Then," said Aglaitadas, " do you endeavour to get it out of me." And the leader of the company said, "By Jove, then, he is a fool indeed! for I believe one may strike fire out of you, more easily than draw laughter from you." At this the others laughed, knowing the temper of the man; and Aglaitadas himself smiled at it: Cyrus, seeing him pleased, said, " Indeed, captain, you are in the wrong to corrupt the most serious man we have, by tempting him to laugh; and, to do this," said he, " to one who is so great an enemy to laughter!" Here ended this subject of discourse,