Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/29

CYRUS DISAPPOINTED OF THE THRONE. 7 favor of Cyrus as his successor. Accordingly Artaxerxes, being proclaimed king, went to Pasargadse, the religious capital of the Persians, to perform the customary solemnities. Thus disap- pointed, Cyrus was farther accused by Tissaphernes of conspiring the death of his brother ; who caused him to be seized, and was even on the point of putting him to death, when the all-powerful intercession of Parysatis saved his life. 1 He was sent down to his former satrapy at Sardis, whither he returned with insupportable feelings of anger and wounded pride, and with a determined reso- lution to leave nothing untried for the purpose of dethroning his brother. This statement, given to us by Xenophon, represents doubtless the story of Cyrus and his friends, current among the Cyreian army. But if we look at the probabilities of the case, we shall be led to suspect that the charge of Tissaphernes may well have been true, and the conspiracy of the disappointed Cyrus against his brother, a reality instead of a fiction. 2 The moment when Cyrus returned to Sardis was highly favor able to his plans and preparations. The long war had just been concluded by the capture of Athens and the extinction of her power. Many Greeks, after having acquired military tastes and habits, were now thrown out of employment ; many others were driven into exile, by the establishment of the Lysandrian De- karchies throughout all the cities at once. Hence competent recruits, for a well-paid service like that of Cyrus, were now unu- sually abundant. Having already a certain number of Greek mercenaries, distributed throughout the various garrisons in his satrapy, he directed the officers in command to strengthen their garrisons by as many additional Peloponnesian soldiers as they could obtain. His pretext was, first, defence against Tissa- phernes, with whom, since the denunciation by the latter, he was at open war, next, protection of the Ionic cities on the seaboard, who had been hitherto comprised under the government of Tissa- phernes, but had now revolted of their own accord, since the en- mity of Cyrus against him had been declared. Miletus alone had been prevented from executing this resolution, for Tissaphernes, reinforcing his garrison in that place, had adopted violent meas nres of repression, kilhng or banishing several of the leading men J Xcn. Anab. i, 1, 4. * So it is presented by Justin, v, 11.