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In the seventh year of the Peloponnesian war, Ar- Artax. taxerxes sent to the Lacedæmonians an ambassador Longim. named Artaphernes, with a letter written in the Assyrian language, in which he said, that he had received many embassies from them, but the purport of them all differed so widely, that he could not comprehend in any manner what it was they requested: That in this uncertainty, he had thought proper to send a Persian, to acquaint them, that if they had any proposal to make, they should send a person in whom they could confide along with him, from whom he might be exactly informed in what they desired. This ambassador, arriving at Eion on the river Strymon in Thrace, was there taken prisoner, about the close of this year, by one of the admirals of the Athenian fleet, who sent him to Athens. He was treated with the utmost civility and respect; the Athenians being extremely desirous of recovering the favour of the king his master.

The year following, as soon as the season would permit the Athenians to put to sea, they sent the ambassador back in one of their ships at the publick expence; and appointed some of their citizens to wait upon him to the court of Persia, in quality of ambassadors. Upon landing at Ephesus, they were informed that Artaxerxes was dead; whereupon the Athenian ambassadors, thinking it not advisable to proceed farther after this news, took leave of Artaphernes, and returned to their own country.

f Thucyd. 1. iv. p. 285, 286.

BOOK THE EIGHTH

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

PERSIANS AND GRECIANS.

CHAP. I.

Xerxes THIS chapter contains thirteen years of the Pelo ponnesian war, to the nineteenth inclusively.

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SECT. I. The very short reigns of Xerxes II. and Sog dianus. They are succeeded by Darius Nothus. He puts a stop to the insurrection of Egypt and that of Media. He bestows on Cyrus, his youngest son, the supreme command of all Asia minor.

A. M. ARTAXERXES died about the beginning of the 3579. Ant. J.C. forty-ninth year of his reign. Xerxes, who suc425. ceeded him, was the only son which the queen his wife brought him: But he had seventeen others by his concubines, among whom was Sogdianus, (who is called Secondianus by Ctesias) Ochus and Arsites. A. M. Sogdianus, in concert with Pharnacias, one of Xerxes's 3580. eunuchs, came insidiously, one festival day, to the new king, who, after drinking too immoderately, was retired to his chamber, in order to give the fumes of the wine he had drank time to evaporate where he killed him without any difficulty, after he had reigned but forty-five days; and was declared king in his stead.

Ant. J.C. 424.

Cres. c. xlvii-li. Diod. 1. xii. p. 115.

He was scarce on the throne, but he put to death Bagorazus, the most faithful of all his father's eunuchs. It was he who had been appointed to superintend the interment of Artaxerxes, and of the queen, Xerxes's mother, who died the same day with her royal consort. After having deposited the two bodies in the mausoleum, where the kings of Persia were interred, he found, at his return, Sogdianus on the throne, who did not receive him favourably, upon account of some difference with him in the life-time of his father. But the new king did not stop here: Not long after he took an opportunity to quarrel with him, on some trifling circumstance, relating to the obsequies of his father, and caused him to be stoned.

By these two murders, that of his brother Xerxes and of Bagorazus, he became the horror of the army and nobility, so that he did not think himself safe on a throne, to which he had forced his way by such horrid murders. He suspected that his brothers harboured the like design; and Ochus, to whom his father had left the government of Hyrcania, was the chief object of his suspicion. Accordingly he sent for him, with the intention of getting him mur. dered as soon as he arrived. However Ochus, who saw through his design, delayed coming upon various pretences; which he continued till he advanced at the head of a strong army, which he openly declared he would employ, to revenge the death of his brother Xerxes. This declaration brought over to him a great number of the nobility, and several governors of the provinces, they being justly dissatisfied at Sogdianus's cruelty and ill-conduct. They put the tiara on Ochus's head, and proclaimed him king. Sogdianus, seeing himself abandoned in this manner, was as mean and cowardly in the slight defence he made to maintain his crown, as he had before been unjust and barbarous in usurping it. Contrary to the advice of his best friends, and the wisest persons who still adhered to him, he concluded a treaty with

Sogdia

nus.

nus.

Sogdia his brother, who getting him into his hands, caused him to be thrown into ashes, where he died a cruel death. This was a kind of punishment peculiar to the Persians, and exercised only on great criminals. One of the largest towers was filled to a certain height with ashes. The criminal then was thrown headlong from the top of the tower into them; after which, the ashes were by a wheel turned perpetually round him, till he was suffocated. Thus this wicked prince lost his life and empire, which he enjoyed six months and fifteen days.

Darius

A. M.

Ochus, by the death of Sogdianus, now saw himNothus. self possessed of the empire. As soon as he was well settled in it, he changed his name from Ochus to that of Darius. To distinguish him, historians add Ant. J. C. the epithet N, signifying bastard. He reigned 423. nineteen years.

3581.

Arsites, seeing in what manner Sogdianus had supplanted Xerxes, and had himself been dethroned by Ochus, meditated to serve the latter in the same manner. Though he was his brother by the father's as well as the mother's side, he openly revolted against him, and was assisted in it by Artyphius, son of Megabyzus. Ochus, whom hereafter we shall always call Darius, sent Artasyras, one of his generals, against Artyphius; and himself, at the head of another army, marched against Arsites. Artyphius, with the Grecian troops in his pay, defeated twice the general sent against him. But engaging a third time, the Greeks were corrupted, and he himself was beat, and forced to surrender, upon his being flattered with hopes that a pardon would be granted him. The king would have had him put to death, but was diverted from that resolution by queen Parysatis, Darius's sister and queen. She also was the daughter of Artaxerxes, but not by the same mother as Darius: She was an intriguing, artful woman, and

b Val. Max. 1. ix. c. 2. 2 Maccab. c. xiii.

the king her husband was governed by her on most Darius occasions. The counsel she now gave was perfidious Nothus. to the last degree. She advised him to exercise his clemency towards Artyphius, and show him kind usage, in order that his brother might hope, when he heard of his treating a rebellious servant with so much generosity, that he himself should meet, at least, with as mild treatment, and thereby be prompted to lay down his arms. She added, that when once he should have seized that prince, he might dispose of him and Artyphius as he pleased. Darius followed her counsel, which proved successful. Arsites being informed of the gentle usage which Artyphius met with, concluded that, as he was the king's brother, he should consequently meet with still more indulgent treatment; and with this hope he concluded a treaty, and surrendered himself. Darius was very much inclined to save his life: But Parysatis, by inculcating to him, that he ought to punish this rebel to secure himself, at last prevailed with him to put his brother to death, and accordingly he was suffocated in ashes with Artyphius. However, Darius had a violent struggle with himself, before he could give orders for this sacrifice; having a very tender affection for his brother. He afterwards put some other persons to death, which executions did not procure him the tranquillity he had expected from them; for his reign was afterwards disturbed with such violent commotions, that he enjoyed but ttle repose.

One of the most dangerous commotions was oc- A. M. casioned by the rebellion of Pisuthnes, who, being 3590. governor of Lydia, wanted to throw off his allegiance Ant. J.C. to the Persian empire, and make himself king in his 414. province. What flattered him with the hopes of succeeding in this attempt, was his having raised a considerable body of Grecian troops, under the command of Lycon the Athenian. Darius sent Tis

c Ctes. c. li.

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