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The messengers were too late to save the life of Psammenitus' son,
who had been cut in pieces the first of all; but they took Psammenitus
himself and brought him before the king. Cambyses allowed him to live
with him, and gave him no more harsh treatment; nay, could he have
kept from intermeddling with affairs, he might have recovered Egypt,
and ruled it as governor. For the Persian wont is to treat the sons
of kings with honour, and even to give their fathers' kingdoms to the
children of such as revolt from them. There are many cases from which
one may collect that this is the Persian rule, and especially those of
Pausiris and Thannyras. Thannyras was son of Inarus the Libyan,
and was allowed to succeed his father, as was also Pausiris, son of
Amyrtaeus; yet certainly no two persons ever did the Persians more
damage than Amyrtaeus and Inarus. In this case Psammenitus plotted
evil, and received his reward accordingly. He was discovered to be
stirring up revolt in Egypt, wherefore Cambyses, when his guilt
clearly appeared, compelled him to drink bull's blood, which
presently caused his death. Such was the end of Psammenitus.
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