Chapter 6

As they advanced from this point (opposite Charmande), they came upon the hoof-prints and dung of horses at frequent intervals. It looked like the trail of some two thousand horses. Keeping ahead of the army, these fellows burnt up the grass and everything else that was good for use. Now there was a Persian, named Orontas; he was closely related to the king by birth: and in matters pertaining to war reckoned among the best of Persian warriors. Having formerly been at war with Cyrus, and afterwards reconciled to him, he now made a conspiracy to destroy him. he made a proposal to Cyrus: if Cyrus would furnish him with a thousand horsemen, he would deal with these troopers, who were burning down everything in front of them; he would lay an ambuscade and cut them down, or he would capture a host of them alive; in any case, he would put a stop to their aggressiveness and burnings; he would see to it that they did not ever get a chance of setting eyes on Cyrus's army and reporting its advent to the king. The proposal seemed plausible to Cyrus, who accordingly authorised Orontas to take a detachment from each of the generals, and be gone. He, thinking that he had got his horsemen ready to his hand, wrote a letter to the king, announcing that he would ere long join him with as many troopers as he could bring; he bade him, at the same time, instruct the royal cavalry to welcome him as a friend. The letter further contained certain reminders of his former friendship and fidelity. This despatch he delivered into the hands of one who was a trusty messenger, as he thought; but the bearer took and gave it to Cyrus. Cyrus read it. Orontas was arrested. Then Cyrus summoned to his tent seven of the noblest Persians among his personal attendants, and sent orders to the Hellenic generals to bring up a body of hoplites. These troops were to take up a position round his tent. This the generals did; bringing up about three thousand hoplites. Clearchus was also invited inside, to assist at the court-martial; a compliment due to the position he held among the other generals, in the opinion not only of Cyrus, but also of the rest of the court. When he came out, he reported the circumstances of the trial (as to which, indeed, there was no mystery) to his friends. He said that Cyrus opened the inquiry with these words: "I have invited you hither, my friends, that I may take advice with you, and carry out whatever, in the sight of God and man, it is right for me to do, as concerning the man before you, Orontas. The prisoner was, in the first instance, given to me by my father, to be my faithful subject. In the next place, acting, to use his own words, under the orders of my brother, and having hold of the acropolis of Sardis, he went to war with me. I met war with war, and forced him to think it more prudent to desist from war with me: whereupon we shook hands, exchanging solemn pledges. After that," and at this point Cyrus turned to Orontas, and addressed him personally—"after that, did I do you any wrong?" Answer, "Never." Again another question: "Then later on, having received, as you admit, no injury from me, did you revolt to the Mysians and injure my territory, as far as in you lay?"—"I did," was the reply. "Then, once more having discovered the limits of your power, did you flee to the altar of Artemis, crying out that you repented? and did you thus work upon my feelings, that we a second time shook hands and made interchange of solemn pledges? Are these things so?" Orontas again assented. "Then what injury have you received from me," Cyrus asked, "that now for the third time, you have been detected in a treasonous plot against me?"—"I must needs do so," he answered. Then Cyrus put one more question: "But the day may come, may it not, when you will once again be hostile to my brother, and a faithful friend to myself?" The other answered: "Even if I were, you could never be brought to believe it, Cyrus."

As they advanced from this point, opposite Charmande, they frequently came upon horse tracks and dung. They seemed to be following the trail of about two thousand horses. Riding ahead of the army, these men burned the grass and everything else that could be put to use. There was a Persian named Orontas, who was closely related to the king by birth. He was considered one of the best Persian warriors. He had once been at war with Cyrus and had later made peace with him. Now he plotted to destroy him. Orontas made Cyrus a proposal. If Cyrus gave him a thousand horsemen, he would deal with the cavalry burning everything in their path. He would ambush and kill them, or capture many of them alive. In any case, he would put an end to their attacks and burning. He would make sure they never had a chance to see Cyrus's army and report its arrival to the king. The proposal seemed reasonable to Cyrus, so he authorized Orontas to take a detachment from each general and set out. Thinking his horsemen were ready, Orontas wrote a letter to the king. He announced that he would soon join him with as many cavalrymen as he could bring. He also asked the king to order the royal cavalry to welcome him as a friend. The letter included reminders of his past friendship and loyalty. Orontas gave the message to a man he thought was a trustworthy messenger, but the man took it to Cyrus. Cyrus read the letter, and Orontas was arrested. Cyrus then summoned seven of the noblest Persians among his personal attendants to his tent. He also ordered the Hellenic generals to bring up a body of hoplites to take positions around it. The generals did so, bringing about three thousand hoplites. Clearchus was invited inside to help judge the case. Cyrus and the rest of the court thought this honor was due to his position among the generals. When Clearchus came out, he told his friends what had happened at the trial, which was no secret. He said Cyrus opened the inquiry with these words: "I have invited you here, my friends, to seek your advice. I want to do whatever is right in the sight of God and man concerning Orontas, the man before you. My father first gave him to me as a loyal subject. Then, acting under my brother's orders, as he himself says, he held the acropolis of Sardis and went to war with me. I fought back and forced him to see that it was wiser to stop fighting me. We then shook hands and exchanged solemn promises. After that," Cyrus said, turning to Orontas, "did I do you any wrong?" "Never," Orontas replied. Cyrus asked another question: "Then, later on, you received no injury from me, as you admit. Even so, did you join the Mysians in revolt and do as much harm as you could to my territory?" "I did," he replied. "Then, once you realized the limits of your power, did you flee to the altar of Artemis, crying that you repented? Did you move me so that we shook hands and exchanged solemn promises a second time? Is that what happened?" Orontas agreed again. "Then what injury have you received from me," Cyrus asked, "that you have now been caught plotting against me for the third time?" "I had to do so," he answered. Then Cyrus asked one more question: "But could the day come when you will again be hostile to my brother and a loyal friend to me?" Orontas answered: "Even if I were, you could never be made to believe it, Cyrus."

At this point Cyrus turned to those who were present and said: "Such has been the conduct of the prisoner in the past: such is his language now. I now call upon you, and you first, Clearchus, to declare your opinion—what think you?" And Clearchus answered: "My advice to you is to put this man out of the way as soon as may be, so that we may be saved the necessity of watching him, and have more leisure, as far as he is concerned, to requite the services of those whose friendship is sincere."—"To this opinion," he told us, "the rest of the court adhered." After that, at the bidding of Cyrus, each of those present, in turn, including the kinsmen of Orontas, took him by the girdle; which is as much as to say, "Let him die the death," and then those appointed led him out; and they who in old days were wont to do obeisance to him, could not refrain, even at that moment, from bowing down before him, albeit they knew he was being led forth to death.

At this point, Cyrus turned to those present and said: "That is how the prisoner has behaved in the past. Those are his words now. I ask you to give your opinion, Clearchus first. What do you think?" Clearchus answered: "My advice is to put this man to death as soon as possible. Then we will no longer need to watch him. We will also have more time to repay those whose friendship is sincere." "The rest of the court agreed," he told us. After that, Cyrus ordered each person present to take Orontas by the belt in turn. Even the kinsmen of Orontas did so. This was their way of saying, "Let him be put to death." Then the men appointed to do so led him out. In the past, some had bowed before him. Even now, they could not refrain from bowing, though they knew he was being led to his death.

After they had conducted him to the tent of Artapates, the trustiest of Cyrus's wand-bearers, none set eyes upon him ever again, alive or dead. No one, of his own knowledge, could declare the manner of his death; though some conjectured one thing and some another. No tomb to mark his resting-place, either then or since, was ever seen.

After they took him to the tent of Artapates, the most trusted of Cyrus's wand-bearers, no one ever saw him again, alive or dead. No one knew firsthand how he died, though some guessed one way and some another. No tomb marking his resting place was ever seen, either then or later.