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When much time had been consumed, and great numbers had fallen on both
sides, nor had the Persians lost fewer than their adversaries,
Amasis, the leader of the land-army, perceiving that, although the
Barcaeans would never be conquered by force, they might be overcome by
fraud, contrived as follows One night he dug a wide trench, and laid
light planks of wood across the opening, after which he brought mould
and placed it upon the planks, taking care to make the place level with
the surrounding ground. At dawn of day he summoned the Barcaeans to a
parley: and they gladly hearkening, the terms were at length agreed
upon. Oaths were interchanged upon the ground over the hidden trench,
and the agreement ran thus - "So long as the ground beneath our feet
stands firm, the oath shall abide unchanged; the people of Barca
agree to pay a fair sum to the king, and the Persians promise to cause
no further trouble to the people of Barca." After the oath, the
Barcaeans, relying upon its terms, threw open all their gates, went
out themselves beyond the walls, and allowed as many of the enemy as
chose to enter. Then the Persians broke down their secret bridge,
and rushed at speed into the town - their reason for breaking the
bridge being that so they might observe what they had sworn; for they
had promised the Barcaeans that the oath should continue "so long as
the ground whereon they stood was firm." When, therefore, the
bridge was once broken down, the oath ceased to hold.
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