Chapter 3 (2/2)
“Olivos, You have to be able to defeat the Persian king toreat idea! Matonis, you really are smart once in a while”
“daain!”
While several people were talking and laughing, a hoarse voice came from the innerer only got defeated! He was killed!”
Tissaphernes arrived at the tent of the Persian king, and Massabadi, the eunuch, was already waiting at the door: “The king is waiting for you, quickly go in!”
When Tissaphernes gave his sword to the royal guard next to hi trusted the most, was somewhat melancholy and couldn’t help but think about: ‘Is his majesty hurt badly?’
The tent was filled with the rich aroma of frankincense3 and with a mixed scent of a few herbs
Artaxerxes lay on his side on the couch, dressed in a gorgeous scarlet gown and his bare chest rapped in a white cloth, with a faint blood seeping outA beautifulhis shoulders and next stood the physician, Ctesias4
When he saw Tissaphernes co in, Ctesias immediately withdrew
Artaxerxes asked him to wait outside his tent so that he could be sue in his condition
Tissaphernes watched as the greek physician withdraw fro his head, then said: “Your highness, please punishthe battle!”
Artaxerxes did not speak and Tissaphernes began to feel a little uneasy, and he knelttime till he heard Artaxerxes speak: “You were defeated, TissaphernesBut at least you dared to fightI heard that you led your cavalry around the Greek’s Hoplite and attacked their rear, only to be defeated by their Peltast5 and alhnessYou know everything!” Tissaphernes sighed in relief
“You’re ht! Get up!” Artaxerxes was somewhat dissatisfied with the perfor yesterday, he then increase his voice: “I’m not as lucky as you areCyrus’s spear struck h and allowed me to have the opportunity to strike hiot hit by a spear frouard Mithridates6? Tissaphernes was surprised, but he did not show itInstead, he spoke with adhness, everyone used to say that Cyrus was braveYesterday on the battlefield, ere about to suffer defeat, your Majesty, at great risk that a king should not take, bravely stepped forward and personally killed Cyrus the rebel! And hness, you deserve to be the king of kings! You were born brave!”
Masabadi and Ctesias also immediately expressed their ad
Artaxerxes looked flushed and said with resentment: “Cyrus has always been victorious since childhoodAs a brother, I have always let him beLast time he tried to assassinate ave hiarded by him as weak and deceptive and dared to start a rebellion!! For the sake of the empire’s stability, even if he is ’s benevolence is well known to all the euilty of seducing outsiders and invaded the ereat enthusiashed a few ti: “My Satrap, you have exposed Cyrus’ conspiracy to overnance of Asia Minor has always been excellent! When this rebellion is over, I will reward you well!”
“Your Majesty, as the satrap of Asia Minor, this is my duty!” Tissaphernes solemnly said
Tissaphernes showed a coe earthen pot was placed on the wooden table in front of his left hand: “This is Cyrus’ head and hands that was cut off by Masabadi, take it to the Greek camp and let them surrender immediately!!”
Note: There were two parties that have left a record of the Battle of Cunaxa, one is Xenophon and the other is the Persian Physician Ctesias, and his record was quoted by Plutarch during the Roraphy of Artaxerxes》, in which the Greek’s Hoplite defeated the Persian’s right wing a lot harder than what Xenophon had writtenI chose Xenophon’s account in the novel, although his description is exaggerated, it can explain soe performance of the Persians after the war
1Charon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead
2Lethe was one of the five rivers of the underworld of Hades
3Frankincense is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from Boswellia trees
4Ctesias was a Greek physician and historian
5Peltast was a type of light infantry, originating in Thrace and Paeonia, who often served as skirmishers in hellenic and hellenistic ar persian soldier who accidentaly killed Cyrus the Younger and he later got executed for kill stealing