|
Cyrus had captured this Astyages, who was his mother's father, and
kept him prisoner, for a reason which I shall bring forward in another
of my history. This capture formed the ground of quarrel between
Cyrus and Croesus, in consequence of which Croesus sent his servants
to ask the oracle if he should attack the Persians; and when an
evasive answer came, fancying it to be in his favour, carried his arms
into the Persian territory. When he reached the river Halys, he
transported his army across it, as I maintain, by the bridges which
exist there at the present day; but, according to the general belief
of the Greeks, by the aid of Thales the Milesian. The tale is that
Croesus was in doubt how he should get his army across, as the bridges
were not made at that time, and that Thales, who happened to be in
the camp, divided the stream and caused it to flow on both sides of the
army instead of on the left only. This he effected thus: Beginning
some distance above the camp, he dug a deep channel, which he brought
round in a semicircle, so that it might pass to rearward of the camp;
and that thus the river, diverted from its natural course into the new
channel at the point where this left the stream, might flow by the
station of the army, and afterwards fall again into the ancient bed.
In this way the river was split into two streams, which were both
easily fordable. It is said by some that the water was entirely
drained off from the natural bed of the river. But I am of a
different opinion; for I do not see how, in that case, they could
have crossed it on their return.
|
|