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meat　and　drink　in　every　tent　as　you　have　been　wont　to　do；　with　all
things　that　are　needed　for　a　fine　repast。　The　victors；　whoever　they
are；　will　be　here　anon；　and　will　expect　an　overflowing　board。　You　may

rest　assured　it　will　not　be　against　your　interests　to　give　them　a
welcome　they　can　approve。〃

＇38＇　At　that　the　stewards　went　off　at　once　and　set　to　work　with　all
zeal　to　carry　out　their　instructions。　Then　Cyrus　summoned　his　own
officers　and　said　to　them：

〃My　friends；　it　is　clear　that　we　have　it　in　our　power；　now　that　our
allies'　backs　are　turned；　to　help　ourselves　to　breakfast；　and　take　our
choice　of　the　most　delicate　dishes　and　the　rarest　wines。　But　I
scarcely　think　this　would　do　us　so　much　good　as　to　show　that　we　study
the　interest　of　our　friends：　the　best　of　cheer　will　not　give　us　half
the　strength　we　could　draw　from　the　zeal　of　loyal　allies　whose
gratitude　we　had　won。　＇39＇　If　we　forget　those　who　are　toiling　for　us
now；　pursuing　our　foes；　slaying　them；　and　fighting　wherever　they
resist；　if　they　see　that　we　sit　down　to　enjoy　ourselves　and　devour　our
meal　before　we　know　how　it　goes　with　them；　I　fear　we　shall　cut　a　sorry
figure　in　their　eyes；　and　our　strength　will　turn　to　weakness　through
lack　of　friends。　The　true　banquet　for　us　is　to　study　the　wants　of
those　who　have　run　the　risk　and　done　the　work；　to　see　that　they　have
all　they　need　when　they　come　home；　a　banquet　that　will　give　us　richer
delight　than　any　gorging　of　the　belly。　＇40＇　And　remember；　that　even　if
the　thought　of　them　were　not　enough　to　shame　us　from　it；　in　no　case　is
this　a　moment　for　gluttony　and　drunkenness：　the　thing　we　set　our　minds
to　do　is　not　yet　done：　everything　is　full　of　danger　still；　and　calls
for　carefulness。　We　have　enemies　in　this　camp　ten　times　more　numerous
than　ourselves；　and　they　are　all　at　large：　we　need　both　to　guard
against　them　and　to　guard　them；　so　that　we　may　have　servants　to
furnish　us　with　supplies。　Our　cavalry　are　not　yet　back；　and　we　must
ask　ourselves　where　they　are　and　whether　they　mean　to　stay　with　us
when　they　return。　＇41＇　Therefore；　gentlemen；　I　would　say；　for　the
present　let　us　above　all　be　careful　to　avoid　the　food　and　drink　that
leads　to　slumber　and　stupefaction。　＇42＇　And　there　is　another　matter：
this　camp　contains　vast　treasures；　and　I　am　well　aware　we　have　it　in
our　power　to　pick　and　choose　as　much　as　we　like　for　ourselves　out　of
what　belongs　by　right　to　all　who　helped　in　its　capture。　But　it　does
not　seem　to　me　that　grasping　will　be　so　lucrative　as　proving　ourselves
just　toward　our　allies；　and　so　binding　them　closer。　＇43＇　I　go　further：
I　say　that　we　should　leave　the　distribution　of　the　spoil　to　the　Medes；
the　Hyrcanians；　and　Tigranes；　and　count　it　gain　if　they　allot　us　the
smaller　share；　for　then　they　will　be　all　the　more　willing　to　stay　with
us。　＇44＇　Selfishness　now　could　only　secure　us　riches　for　the　moment；
while　to　let　these　vanities　go　in　order　to　obtain　the　very　fount　of
wealth；　that；　I　take　it；　will　ensure　for　us　and　all　whom　we　call　ours
a　far　more　enduring　gain。　＇45＇　Was　it　not；〃　he　continued；　〃for　this
very　reason　that　we　trained　ourselves　at　home　to　master　the　belly　and
its　appetites；　so　that；　if　ever　the　need　arose；　we　might　turn　our
education　to　account？　And　where；　I　ask；　shall　we　find　a　nobler
opportunity　than　this；　to　show　what　we　have　learnt？〃

＇46＇　Such　were　his　words　and　Hystaspas　the　Persian　rose　to　support
him；　saying：

〃Truly；　Cyrus；　it　would　be　a　monstrous　thing　if　we　could　go　fasting
when　we　hunt；　and　keep　from　food　so　often　and　so　long　merely　to　lay
some　poor　beast　low；　worth　next　to　nothing；　maybe；　and　yet；　when　a
world　of　wealth　is　our　quarry；　let　ourselves　be　baulked　by　one　of
those　temptations　which　flee　before　the　noble　and　rule　the　bad。　Such
conduct；　methinks；　would　be　little　worthy　of　our　race。〃

＇47＇　So　Hystaspas　spoke；　and　the　rest　approved　him；　one　and　all。　Then
Cyrus　said：

〃Come　now；　since　we　are　all　of　one　mind；　each　of　you　give　me　five　of
the　trustiest　fellows　in　his　company；　and　let　them　go　the　rounds；　and
see　how　the　supplies　are　furnished；　let　them　praise　the　active
servants；　and　where　they　see　neglect；　chastise　them　more　severely　than
their　own　masters　could。〃

Thus　they　dealt　with　these　matters。

＇C。3＇　But　it　was　not　long　before　some　of　the　Medes　returned：　one　set
had　overtaken　the　waggons　that　had　gone　ahead；　seized　them　and　turned
them　back；　and　were　now　driving　them　to　the　camp；　laden　with　all　that
an　army　could　require；　and　others　had　captured　the　covered　carriages
in　which　the　women　rode；　the　wives　of　the　Assyrian　grandees　or　their
concubines；　whom　they　had　taken　with　them　because　of　their　beauty。　＇2＇
Indeed；　to　this　day　the　tribes　of　Asia　never　go　on　a　campaign　without
their　most　precious　property：　they　say　they　can　fight　better　in　the
presence　of　their　beloved；　feeling　they　must　defend　their　treasures；
heart　and　soul。　It　may　be　so；　but　it　may　also　be　that　the　desire　for
pleasure　is　the　cause。

＇3＇　And　when　Cyrus　saw　the　feats　of　arms　that　the　Medes　and　the
Hyrcanians　had　performed；　he　came　near　reproaching　himself　and　those
that　were　with　him；　the　others；　he　felt；　had　risen　with　the　time；　had
shown　their　strength　and　won　their　prizes；　while　he　and　his　had　stayed
behind　like　sluggards。　Indeed　it　was　a　sight　to　watch　the　victors
riding　home；　driving　their　spoil　before　them；　pointing　it　out　with
some　display　to　Cyrus；　and　then　dashing　off　again　at　once　in　search　of
more；　according　to　the　instructions　they　had　received。

But　though　he　ate　out　his　heart　with　envy　Cyrus　was　careful　to　set　all
their　booty　apart；　and　then　he　summoned　his　own　officers　again；　and
standing　where　they　could　all　hear　what　he　had　to　propose；　he　spoke　as
follows：

＇4＇　〃My　friends；　you　would　all　agree；　I　take　it；　that　if　the　spoils
displayed　to　us　now　were　our　own　to　keep；　wealth　would　be　showered　on
every　Persian　in　the　land；　and　we　ourselves；　no　doubt；　through　whom　it
was　won；　would　receive　the　most。　But　what　I　do　not　see　is　how　we　are
to　get　possession　of　such　prizes　unless　we　have　cavalry　of　our　own。
＇5＇　Consider　the　facts；〃　he　continued；　〃we　Persians　have　weapons　with
which；　we　hope；　we　can　rout　the　enemy　at　close　quarters：　but　when　we
do　rout　them；　what　sort　of　horsemen　or　archers　or　light…armed　troops
could　ever　be　caught　and　killed；　if　we　can　only　pursue　them　on　foot？
Why　should　they　ever　be　afraid　to　dash　up　and　harry　us；　when　they　know
full　well　that　they　run　no　greater　risk　at　our　hands　than　if　we　were
stumps　in　their　orchards？　＇6＇　And　if　this　be　so；　it　is　plain　that　the
cavalry　now　with　us　consider　every　gain　to　be　as　much　theirs　as　ours；
and　possibly　even　more；　God　wot！　＇7＇　At　present　things　must　be　so：
there　is　no　help　for　it。　But　suppose　we　were　to　provide　ourselves　with
as　good　a　force　as　our　friends；　it　must　be　pretty　evident　to　all　of
us；　I　think；　that　we　could　then　deal　with　the　enemy　by　ourselves
precisely　as　we　do　now　with　their　help；　and　then　perhaps　we　should
find　that　they　would　carry　their　heads　less　high。　It　would　be　of　less
importance　to　us　whether　they　chose　to　stay　or　go；　we　should　be
sufficient　for　ourselves　without　them。　＇8＇　So　far　then　I　expect　that
no　one　will　disagree：　if　we　could　get　a　body　of　Persian　cavalry　it
would　make　all　the　difference　to　us；　but　no　doubt　you　feel　the
question　is；　how　are　we　to　get　it？　Well；　let　us　consider　first；
suppose　we　decide　to　raise　the　force；　exactly　what　we　have　to　start
with　and　what　we　need。　＇9＇　We　certainly　have　hundreds　of　horses　now
captured　in　this　camp；　with　their　bridles　and　all　their　gear。　Besides
these；　we　have　all　the　accoutrements　for　a　mounted　force；　breast…
plates　to　protect　the　trunk；　and　light　spears　to　be　flung　or　wielded
at　close　quarters。　What　else　do　we　need？　It　is　plain　we　need　men。　＇10＇
But　that　is　just　what　we　have　already　at　our　own　command。　For　nothing
is　so　much　ours　as　our　own　selves。　Only；　some　will　say；　we　have　not
the　necessary　skill。　No；　of　course　not；　and　none　of　those　who　have　it
now　had　it　either　before　they　learnt　to　get　it。　Ah；　you　object；　but
they　learnt　when　they　were　boys。　＇11＇　Maybe；　but　are　boys　more　capable
of　learning　what　they　are　taught　then　grown　men？　Which　are　the　better
at　heavy　physical　tasks；　boys　or　men？　＇12＇　Besides；　we；　of　all　pupils；
have　advantages　that　neither　boys　nor　other　men　possess：　we　have　not
to　be　taught　the　use　of　the　bow　as　boys　have；　we　are　skilled　in　that
already；　nor　yet　the　use　of　the　javelin；　we　are　versed　in　that；　our
time　has　not　been　taken　up　like　other　men's　with　toiling　on　the　land
or　labouring　at　some　craft　or　managing　household　matters；　we　have　not
only　had　leisure　for　war；　it　has　been　our　life。　＇13＇　Moreover；　one
cannot　say　of　riding　as　of　so　many　warlike　exercises　that　it　is　useful
but　disagreeable。　To　ride　a…horseback　is　surely　pleasanter　than　to
trudge　a…foot？　And　as　for　speedhow　pleasant　to　join　a　friend　betimes
whenever　you　wish；　or　come　up　with　your　quarry　be　it　man　or　beast！　And
then；　the　ease　and　satisfaction　of　it！　Whatever　weapon　the　rider
carries　his　horse　must　help　to　bear　the　load：　'wear　arms'　and　'bear
arms；'they　are　the　same　thing　on　horseback。　＇14＇　But　now；　to　meet
the　worst　we　can　apprehend：　suppose；　before　we　are　adepts；　we　are
called　upon　to　run　some　risk；　and　then　find　that　we　are　neither
infantry　nor　thoroughgoing　cavalry？　This　may　be　a　danger；　but　we　can
guard　against　it。　We　have　it　always　in　our　power　to　turn　into　infantry
again　at　a　moment's　notice。　I　do　not　propose　that　by　learning　to　ride
we　should　unlearn　the　arts　of　men　on　foot。〃

＇15＇　Thus　spoke　Cyrus；　and　Chrysantas　rose　to　support　him；　saying：

〃For　my　part　I　cannot　say　I　so　much　desire　to　be　a　horseman　as　flatter
myself　that　once　I　can　ride　I　shall　be　a　sort　of　flying　man。　＇16＇　At
present　when　I　race　I　am　quiet　content　if；　with　a　fair　start；　I　can
beat　one　of　my　rivals　by　the　head；　or　when　I　sight　my　game　I　am　happy
if；　by　laying　legs　to　the　ground；　I　can　get　close　enough　to　let　fly
javelin　or　arrow　before　he　is　clean　out　of　range。　But　when　once　I　am　a
horseman　I　shall　be　able　to　overhaul　my　man　as　far　as　I　can　see　him；
or　come　up　with　the　beasts　I　chase　and　knock　them　over　myself　or　else
spear　them　as　though　they　stood　stock　still；