|
Such was the mode in which Astyages punished Harpagus: afterwards,
proceeding to consider what he should do with Cyrus, his grandchild,
he sent for the Magi, who formerly interpreted his dream in the way
which alarmed him so much, and asked them how they had expounded it.
They answered, without varying from what they had said before, that
"the boy must needs be a king if he grew up, and did not die too
soon." Then Astyages addressed them thus: "The boy has escaped,
and lives; he has been brought up in the country, and the lads of the
village where he lives have made him their king. All that kings
commonly do he has done. He has had his guards, and his doorkeepers,
and his messengers, and all the other usual officers. Tell me,
then, to what, think you, does all this tend?" The Magi
answered, "If the boy survives, and has ruled as a king without any
craft or contrivance, in that case we bid thee cheer up, and feel no
more alarm on his account. He will not reign a second time. For we
have found even oracles sometimes fulfilled in an unimportant way; and
dreams, still oftener, have wondrously mean accomplishments." "It
is what I myself most incline to think," Astyages rejoined; "the
boy having been already king, the dream is out, and I have nothing
more to fear from him. Nevertheless, take good heed and counsel me
the best you can for the safety of my house and your own interests."
"Truly," said the Magi in reply, "it very much concerns our
interests that thy kingdom be firmly established; for if it went to
this boy it would pass into foreign hands, since he is a Persian: and
then we Medes should lose our freedom, and be quite despised by the
Persians, as being foreigners. But so long as thou, our
fellow-countryman, art on the throne, all manner of honours are
ours, and we are even not without some share in the government. Much
reason therefore have we to forecast well for thee and for thy
sovereignty. If then we saw any cause for present fear, be sure we
would not keep it back from thee. But truly we are persuaded that the
dream has had its accomplishment in this harmless way; and so our own
fears being at rest, we recommend thee to banish thine. As for the
boy, our advice is that thou send him away to Persia, to his father
and mother."
|
|