τὰ ἔθη τὰ Περσικὰ καὶ τούτοις καὶ Μήδοις τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ἄλλοις πλείοσι, περὶ ὧν εἰρήκασι μὲν πλείους, τὰ δὲ καίρια καὶ ἡμῖν λεκτέον. Πέρσαι τοίνυν ἀγάλματα μὲν καὶ βωμοὺς οὐχ ἱδρύονται, θύουσι δʼ ἐν ὑψηλῷ τόπῳ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἡγούμενοι Δία· τιμῶσι δὲ καὶ ἥλιον, ὃν καλοῦσι Μίθρην, καὶ σελήνην καὶ Ἀφροδίτην καὶ πῦρ καὶ γῆν καὶ ἀνέμους καὶ ὕδωρ· θύουσι δʼ ἐν καθαρῷ τόπῳ κατευξάμενοι παραστησάμενοι τὸ ἱερεῖον ἐστεμμένον· μελίσαντος δὲ τοῦ Μάγου τὰ κρέα τοῦ ὑφηγουμένου τὴν ἱερουργίαν ἀπίασι διελόμενοι, τοῖς θεοῖς οὐδὲν ἀπονείμαντες μέρος· τῆς γὰρ ψυχῆς φασι τοῦ ἱερείου δεῖσθαι τὸν θεόν, ἄλλου δὲ οὐδενός· ὅμως δὲ τοῦ ἐπίπλου τι μικρὸν τιθέασιν, ὡς λέγουσί τινες, ἐπὶ τὸ πῦρ.
The manners and customs of the Persians are the same as those of the Susians and the Medes, and many other people; and they have been described by several writers, yet I must mention what is suitable to my purpose.
The Persians do not erect statues nor altars, but, considering the heaven as Jupiter, sacrifice on a high place. They worship the sun also, whom they call Mithras, the moon, Venus, fire, earth, winds, and water. They sacrifice, having offered up prayers, in a place free from impurities, and present the victim crowned.
After the Magus, who directs the sacrifice, has divided the flesh, each goes away with his share, without setting apart any portion to the gods; for the god, they say, requires the soul of the victim, and nothing more. Nevertheless, according to some writers, they lay a small piece of the caul upon the fire.
διαφερόντως δὲ τῷ πυρὶ καὶ τῷ ὕδατι θύουσι, τῷ μὲν πυρί, προστιθέντες ξηρὰ ξύλα τοῦ λέπους χωρὶς πιμελὴν ἐπιτιθέντες ἄνωθεν· εἶθʼ ὑφάπτουσιν ἔλαιον καταχέοντες, οὐ φυσῶντες ἀλλὰ ῥιπίζοντες· τοὺς δὲ φυσήσαντας ἢ νεκρὸν ἐπὶ πῦρ θέντας ἢ βόλβιτον θανατοῦσι· τῷ δʼ ὕδατι, ἐπὶ λίμνην ἢ ποταμὸν ἢ κρήνην ἐλθόντες, βόθρον ὀρύξαντες εἰς τοῦτον σφαγιάζονται, φυλαττόμενοι μή τι τοῦ πλησίον ὕδατος αἱμαχθείη, ὡς μιανοῦντες· εἶτʼ ἐπὶ μυρρίνην ἢ δάφνην διαθέντες τὰ κρέα ῥάβδοις λεπτοῖς * ἐφάπτονται οἱ Μάγοι καὶ ἐπᾴδουσιν, ἀποσπένδοντες ἔλαιον ὁμοῦ γάλακτι καὶ μέλιτι κεκραμένον οὐκ εἰς πῦρ οὐδʼ ὕδωρ, ἀλλʼ εἰς τοὔδαφος· τὰς δʼ ἐπῳδὰς ποιοῦνται πολὺν χρόνον ῥάβδων μυρικίνων λεπτῶν δέσμην κατέχοντες.
But it is to fire and water especially that they offer sacrifice. They throw upon the fire dry wood without the bark, and place fat over it; they then pour oil upon it, and light it below; they do not blow the flame with their breath, but fan it; those who have blown the flame with their breath, or thrown any dead thing or dirt upon the fire, are put to death.
They sacrifice to water by going to a lake, river, or fountain; having dug a pit, they slaughter the victim over it, taking care that none of the pure water near be sprinkled with blood, and thus be polluted. They then lay the flesh in order upon myrtle or laurel branches; the Magi touch it with slender twigs, and make incantations, pouring oil mixed with milk and honey, not into the fire, nor into the water, but upon the earth. They continue their incantations for a long time, holding in the hands a bundle of slender myrtle rods.
ἐν δὲ τῇ Καππαδοκίᾳ (πολὺ γὰρ ἐκεῖ τὸ τῶν Μάγων φῦλον, οἳ καὶ πύραιθοι καλοῦνται· πολλὰ δὲ καὶ τῶν Περσικῶν θεῶν ἱερά), οὐδὲ μαχαίρᾳ θύουσιν, ἀλλὰ κορμῷ τινι ὡς ἂν ὑπέρῳ τύπτοντες. ἔστι δὲ καὶ πυραιθεῖα, σηκοί τινες ἀξιόλογοι· ἐν δὲ τούτοις μέσοις βωμός, ἐν ᾧ πολλή τε σποδός, καὶ πῦρ ἄσβεστον φυλάττουσιν οἱ Μάγοι· καὶ καθʼ ἡμέραν δὲ εἰσιόντες, ἐπᾴδουσιν ὥραν σχεδόν τι πρὸ τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν δέσμην τῶν ῥάβδων ἔχοντες, τιάρας περικείμενοι πιλωτὰς καθεικυίας ἑκατέρωθεν μέχρι τοῦ καλύπτειν τὰ χείλη τὰς παραγναθίδας. ταὐτὰ δʼ ἐν τοῖς τῆς Ἀναΐτιδος καὶ τοῦ Ὠμάνου ἱεροῖς νενόμισται· τούτων δὲ καὶ σηκοί εἰσι, καὶ ξόανον τοῦ Ὠμάνου πομπεύει. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμεῖς ἑωράκαμεν, ἐκεῖνα δʼ ἐν ταῖς ἱστορίαις λέγεται καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς.
In Cappadocia (for in this country there is a great body of Magi, called Pyraethi, and there are many temples dedicated to the Persian deities) the sacrifice is not performed with a knife, but the victim is beaten to death with a log of wood, as with a mallet.
The Persians have also certain large shrines, called Pyraetheia. In the middle of these is an altar, on which is a great quantity of ashes, where the Magi maintain an unextinguished fire. They enter daily, and continue their incantation for nearly an hour, holding before the fire a bundle of rods, and wear round their heads high turbans of felt, reaching down on each side so as to cover the lips and the sides of the cheeks. The same customs are observed in the temples of Anaitis and of Omanus. Belonging to these temples are shrines, and a wooden statue of Omanus is carried in procession. These we have seen ourselves. Other usages, and such as follow, are related by historians.
εἰς γὰρ ποταμὸν οὔτʼ οὐροῦσιν οὔτε νίπτονται Πέρσαι, οὐδὲ λούονται, οὐδὲ νεκρὸν ἐμβάλλουσιν οὐδʼ ἄλλα τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι μυσαρῶν· ὅτῳ δʼ ἂν θύσωσι θεῷ, πρώτῳ τῷ πυρὶ εὔχονται.
The Persians never pollute a river with urine, nor wash nor bathe in it; they never throw a dead body, nor anything unclean, into it. To whatever god they intend to sacrifice, they first address a prayer to fire.
βασιλεύονται δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπὸ γένους· ὁ δʼ ἀπειθῶν ἀποτμηθεὶς κεφαλὴν καὶ βραχίονα ῥίπτεται. γαμοῦσι δὲ πολλὰς καὶ ἅμα παλλακὰς τρέφουσι πλείους πολυτεκνίας χάριν. τιθέασι δὲ καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς ἆθλα πολυτεκνίας κατʼ ἔτος· τὰ δὲ τρεφόμενα μέχρι ἐτῶν τεττάρων οὐκ ἄγεται τοῖς γονεῦσιν εἰς ὄψιν. οἱ δὲ γάμοι κατὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς τῆς ἐαρινῆς ἰσημερίας ἐπιτελοῦνται […] παρέρχεται δʼ ἐπὶ τὸν θάλαμον προφαγὼν μῆλον ἢ καμήλου μυελόν, ἄλλο δʼ οὐδὲν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην.
They are governed by hereditary kings. Disobedience is punished by the head and arms being cut off, and the body cast forth. They marry many women, and maintain at the same time a great number of concubines, with a view to a numerous offspring.
The kings propose annual prizes for a numerous family of children. Children are not brought into the presence of their parents until they are four years old.
Marriages are celebrated at the beginning of the vernal equinox. The bridegroom passes into the bride-chamber, having previously eaten some fruit, or camel’s marrow, but nothing else during the day.
Ἀπὸ δὲ πέντε ἐτῶν ἕως τετάρτου καὶ εἰκοστοῦ παιδεύονται τοξεύειν καὶ ἀκοντίζειν καὶ ἱππάζεσθαι καὶ ἀληθεύειν, διδασκάλοις τε λόγων τοῖς σωφρονεστάτοις χρῶνται, οἳ καὶ τὸ μυθῶδες πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἀνάγοντες παραπλέκουσι, καὶ μέλους χωρὶς καὶ μετʼ ᾠδῆς ἔργα θεῶν τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἀρίστων ἀναδιδόντες. συνάγουσι δʼ εἰς ἕνα τόπον, ψόφῳ χαλκοῦ πρὸ ὄρθρου διεγείροντες ὡς ἐπὶ ἐξοπλισίαν ἢ θήραν· τάξαντες δʼ ἀνὰ πεντήκοντα ἡγεμόνα τῶν βασιλέως τινὰ παίδων αὐτοῖς ἢ σατράπου τρέχοντι κελεύουσιν ἕπεσθαι, χωρίον ἀφορίσαντες τριάκοντα ἢ τετταράκοντα σταδίων. ἀπαιτοῦσι δὲ καὶ λόγον ἑκάστου μαθήματος, ἅμα καὶ μεγαλοφωνίαν καὶ πνεῦμα καὶ πλευρὰν ἀσκοῦντες, καὶ πρὸς καῦμα δὲ καὶ πρὸς ψῦχος καὶ ὄμβρους καὶ χειμάρρων διαβάσεις ὥστʼ ἄβροχα φυλάττειν καὶ ὅπλα καὶ ἐσθῆτα, καὶ ποιμαίνειν δὲ καὶ ἀγραυλεῖν καὶ καρποῖς ἀγρίοις χρῆσθαι, τερμίνθῳ δρυοβαλάνοις ἀχράδι. ἡ δὲ καθʼ ἡμέραν δίαιτα ἄρτος μετὰ τὸ γυμνάσιον καὶ μᾶζα καὶ κάρδαμον καὶ ἁλῶν χόνδρος καὶ κρέα ὀπτὰ ἢ ἑφθὰ ἐξ ὕδατος, ποτὸν δʼ ὕδωρ. θηρεύουσι δὲ σαύνια ἀφʼ ἵππων βάλλοντες καὶ τοξεύματα καὶ σφενδονῶντες. δείλης δὲ φυτουργεῖν καὶ ῥιζοτομεῖν ἀσκοῦσι καὶ ὁπλοποιεῖν καὶ λίνα καὶ ἄρκυς φιλοτεχνεῖν. οὐχ ἅπτονται δὲ τῶν θηρευμάτων οἱ παῖδες, ἀλλὰ κομίζειν οἴκαδε ἔθος. τίθεται δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἆθλα δρόμου καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς πεντάθλοις. κοσμοῦνται δʼ οἱ παῖδες χρυσῷ, τὸ πυρωπὸν τιθεμένων ἐν τιμῇ· διὸ οὐδὲ νεκρῷ προσφέρουσι καθάπερ οὐδὲ τὸ πῦρ κατὰ τιμήν.
From the age of five to twenty-four years they are taught to use the bow, to throw the javelin, to ride, and to speak the truth. They have the most virtuous preceptors, who interweave useful fables in their discourses, and rehearse, sometimes with sometimes without, music, the actions of the gods and of illustrious men.
The youths are called to rise before day-break, at the sound of brazen instruments, and assemble in one spot, as if for arming themselves or for the chase. They are arranged in companies of fifty, to each of which one of the king’s or a satrap’s son is appointed as leader, who runs, followed at command by the others, an appointed distance of thirty or forty stadia.
They require them to give an account of each lesson, when they practise loud speaking, and exercise the breath and lungs. They are taught to endure heat, cold, and rains; to cross torrents, and keep their armour and clothes dry; to pasture animals, to watch all night in the open air, and to eat wild fruits, as the terminthus, acorns, and wild pears.
[These persons are called Cardaces, who live upon plunder, for carda means a manly and warlike spirit.]
The daily food after the exercise of the gymnasium is bread, a cake, cardamum, a piece of salt, and dressed meat either roasted or boiled, and their drink is water.
Their mode of hunting is by throwing spears from horseback, or with the bow or the sling.
In the evening they are employed in planting trees, cutting roots, fabricating armour, and making lines and nets. The youth do not eat the game, but carry it home. The king gives rewards for running, and to the victors in the other contests of the pentathla (or five games). The youths are adorned with gold, esteeming it for its fiery appearance. They do not ornament the dead with gold, nor apply fire to them, on account of its being an object of veneration.
στρατεύονται δὲ καὶ ἄρχουσιν ἀπὸ εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν ἕως πεντήκοντα πεζοί τε καὶ ἱππεῖς· ἀγορᾶς δὲ οὐχ ἅπτονται· οὔτε γὰρ πωλοῦσιν οὔτʼ ὠνοῦνται. ὁπλίζονται δὲ γέρρῳ ῥομβοειδεῖ, παρὰ δὲ τὰς φαρέτρας σαγάρεις ἔχουσι καὶ κοπίδας, περὶ δὲ τῇ κεφαλῇ πίλημα πυργωτόν, θώραξ δʼ ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς φολιδωτός. ἐσθὴς δὲ τοῖς ἡγεμόσι μὲν ἀναξυρὶς τριπλῆ, χιτὼν δὲ χειριδωτὸς διπλοῦς ἕως γόνατος, ὁ ὑπενδύτης μὲν λευκός, ἄνθινος δʼ ὁ ἐπάνω· ἱμάτιον δὲ θέρους μὲν πορφυροῦν ἢ ἰάνθινον, χειμῶνος δʼ ἄνθινον, τιᾶραι παραπλήσιαι ταῖς τῶν Μάγων, ὑπόδημα κοῖλον διπλοῦν, τοῖς δὲ πολλοῖς χιτὼν ἕως μεσοκνημίου διπλοῦς, ῥάκος δὲ σινδόνιόν τι περὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ· ἔχει δʼ ἕκαστος τόξον καὶ σφενδόνην. δειπνοῦσι πολυτελῶς Πέρσαι τιθέντες καὶ ὁλομελῆ καὶ πολλὰ καὶ ποικίλα· κόσμος τε λαμπρὸς στρωμνῆς ἐκπωμάτων τε τῶν ἄλλων ὥστε χρυσῷ καὶ ἀργύρῳ καταλάμπεσθαι.
They serve as soldiers in subordinate stations, and in those of command from twenty to fifty years of age, both on foot and on horseback. They do not concern themselves with the public markets, for they neither buy nor sell. They are armed with a romb-shaped shield. Besides quivers, they have battle-axes and short swords. On their heads they wear a cap rising like a tower. The breastplate is composed of scales of iron.
The dress of the chiefs consists of triple drawers, a double tunic with sleeves reaching to the knees; the under garment is white, the upper of a variegated colour. The cloak for summer is of a purple or violet colour, but for winter of a variegated colour. The turbans are similar to those of the Magi; and a deep double shoe. The generality of people wear a double tunic reaching to the half of the leg. A piece of fine linen is wrapped round the head. Each person has a bow and a sling.
The entertainments of the Persians are expensive. They set upon their table entire animals in great number, and of various kinds. Their couches, drinking-cups, and other articles are so brilliantly ornamented that they gleam with gold and silver.
Ἐν οἴνῳ τὰ μέγιστα βουλεύονται, καὶ βεβαιότερα τῶν ἐν νήψει τίθενται. τῶν κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς συναντώντων τοὺς μὲν γνωρίμους καὶ ἰσοτίμους φιλοῦσι προσιόντες, τοῖς δὲ ταπεινοτέροις παραβάλλουσι τὴν γνάθον καὶ δέχονται ταύτῃ τὸ φίλημα· οἱ δʼ ἔτι ταπεινότεροι προσκυνοῦσι μόνον. θάπτουσι δὲ κηρῷ περιπλάσαντες τὰ σώματα, τοὺς δὲ Μάγους οὐ θάπτουσιν, ἀλλʼ οἰωνοβρώτους ἐῶσι· τούτοις δὲ καὶ μητράσι συνέρχεσθαι πάτριον νενόμισται. τοιαῦτα μὲν τὰ ἔθη.
Their consultations on the most important affairs are carried on while they are drinking, and they consider the resolutions made at that time more to be depended upon than those made when sober.
On meeting persons of their acquaintance, and of equal rank with themselves, on the road, they approach and kiss them, but to persons of an inferior station they offer the cheek, and in that manner receive the kiss. But to persons of still lower condition they only bend the body.
Their mode of burial is to smear the bodies over with wax, and then to inter them. The Magi are not buried, but the birds are allowed to devour them. These persons, according to the usage of the country, espouse even their mothers.
Such are the customs of the Persians.
ἔστι δʼ ἴσως καὶ ταῦτα τῶν ἐθίμων, ἅ φησι Πολύκλειτος. ἐν γὰρ Σούσοις ἑκάστῳ τῶν βασιλέων ἐπὶ τῆς ἄκρας ἰδίᾳ πεποιῆσθαι οἴκησιν καὶ θησαυροὺς καὶ παραθέσεις ὧν ἐπράττοντο φόρων, ὑπομνήματα τῆς οἰκονομίας· πράττεσθαι δʼ ἐκ μὲν τῆς παραλίας ἀργύριον, ἐκ δὲ τῆς μεσογαίας ἃ φέρει ἑκάστη χώρα, ὥστε καὶ χρώματα καὶ φάρμακα καὶ τρίχα ἐρέαν ἤ τι τοιοῦθʼ ἕτερον καὶ θρέμματα ὁμοίως. τὸν δὲ διατάξαντα τοὺς φόρους Δαρεῖον εἶναι. τὸν δὲ πλεῖστον χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον ἐν κατασκευαῖς εἶναι, νομίσματι δὲ οὐ πολλῷ· πρός τε τὰς δωρεὰς ἐκεῖνα κεχαρισμένα νομίζειν μᾶλλον καὶ πρὸς κειμηλίων ἀπόθεσιν· τὸ δὲ νόμισμα τὸ πρὸς τὰς χρείας ἀρκοῦν ἱκανὸν εἶναι, κόπτειν δὲ πάλιν τὸ τοῖς ἀναλώμασι σύμμετρον.
The following, mentioned by Polycletus, are perhaps customary practices:
At Susa each king builds in the citadel, as memorials of the administration of his government, a dwelling for himself, treasure-houses, and magazines for tribute collected (in kind).
From the sea-coast they obtain silver, from the interior the produce of each province, as dyes, drugs, hair, wool, or anything else of this sort, and cattle. The apportionment of the tribute was settled by Darius [Longimanus, who was a very handsome person with the exception of the length of his arms, which reached to his knees]. The greater part both of gold and silver is wrought up, and there is not much in coined money. The former they consider as best adapted for presents, and for depositing in store-houses. So much coined money as suffices for their wants they think enough; but, on the other hand, money is coined in proportion to what is required for expenditure.
τὰ μὲν οὖν ἔθη σωφρονικὰ τὰ πλείω, διὰ δὲ τὸν πλοῦτον εἰς τρυφὴν ἐξέπεσον οἱ βασιλεῖς, ὥστε πυρὸν μὲν ἐξ Ἄσσου τῆς Αἰολίδος μετῄεσαν, οἶνον δʼ ἐκ Συρίας τὸν Χαλυβώνιον, ὕδωρ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Εὐλαίου πάντων ἐλαφρότατον ὥστʼ ἐν Ἀττικῇ κοτύλῃ δραχμῇ ἀφολκότερον εἶναι.
Their habits are in general temperate. But their kings, from the great wealth which they possessed, degenerated into a luxurious way of life. They sent for wheat from Assos in Aeolia, for Chalybonian wine from Syria, and water from the Eulaeus, which is the lightest of all, for an Attic cotylus measure of it weighs less by a drachm (than the same quantity of any other water).
συνέβη δὲ τοῖς Πέρσαις ἐνδοξοτάτοις γενέσθαι τῶν βαρβάρων παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ὅτι τῶν μὲν ἄλλων οὐδένες τῶν τῆς Ἀσίας ἀρξάντων Ἑλλήνων ἦρξαν, οὐδʼ ᾔδεισαν οὔτʼ ἐκεῖνοι τούτους οὔθʼ οἱ Ἕλληνες τοὺς βαρβάρους ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ μικρὸν μόνον ἐκ τῆς πόρρωθεν ἀκοῆς. Ὅμηρος γοῦν οὔτε τὴν τῶν Σύρων οὔτε τὴν τῶν Μήδων ἀρχὴν οἶδεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν Θήβας Αἰγυπτίας ὀνομάζων καὶ τὸν ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸν ἐν Φοινίκῃ πλοῦτον, τὸν ἐν Βαβυλῶνι καὶ Νίνῳ καὶ Ἐκβατάνοις παρεσιώπησε. πρῶτοι δὲ Πέρσαι Ἑλλήνων ἐπῆρξαν, Λυδοὶ δὲ ἐπῆρξαν μέν, ἀλλʼ οὔτε τῆς Ἀσίας ὅλης ἀλλὰ μέρους τινὸς μικροῦ τοῦ ἐντὸς Ἅλυος μόνον, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐπʼ ὀλίγον χρόνον τὸν κατὰ Κροῖσον καὶ Ἀλυάττην. κρατηθέντες δʼ ὑπὸ Περσῶν, εἰ καί τι τῆς δόξης ἦν αὐτοῖς, ἀφῃρέθησαν τοῦθʼ ὑπʼ ἐκείνων. Πέρσαι δʼ ἀφʼ οὗ κατέλυσαν τὰ Μήδων εὐθὺς καὶ Λυδῶν ἐκράτησαν καὶ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν Ἕλληνας ὑπηκόους ἔσχον· ὕστερον δὲ καὶ διέβησαν εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα, καὶ ἡττηθέντες πολλοῖς καὶ * πολλάκις ἀγῶσιν ὅμως διετέλεσαν τὴν Ἀσίαν μέχρι τῶν ἐπὶ θαλάττῃ τόπων κατέχοντες ἕως ὑπὸ Μακεδόνων κατεπολεμήθησαν.
Of the barbarians the Persians were the best known to the Greeks, for none of the other barbarians who governed Asia governed Greece. The barbarians were not acquainted with the Greeks, and the Greeks were but slightly acquainted, and by distant report only, with the barbarians. As an instance, Homer was not acquainted with the empire of the Syrians nor of the Medes, for otherwise as he mentions the wealth of Egyptian Thebes and of Phoenicia, he would not have passed over in silence the wealth of Babylon, of Ninus, and of Ecbatana.
The Persians were the first people that brought Greeks under their dominion; the Lydians (before them) did the same, they were not however masters of the whole, but of a small portion only of Asia, that within the river Halys; their empire lasted for a short time, during the reigns of Croesus and Alyattes; and they were deprived of what little glory they had acquired, when conquered by the Persians.
The Persians, (on the contrary, increased in power and,)as soon as they had destroyed the Median empire, subdued the Lydians and brought the Greeks of Asia under their dominion. At a later period they even passed over into Greece and were worsted in many great battles, but still they continued to keep possession of Asia, as far as the places on the sea-coast, until they were completely subdued by the Macedonians.
̔ο μὲν οὖν εἰς τὴν ἡγεμονίαν καταστήσας αὐτοὺς Κῦρος ἦν· διαδεξάμενος δὲ τοῦτον Καμβύσης υἱὸς ὑπὸ τῶν Μάγων κατελύθη· τούτους δʼ ἀνελόντες οἱ ἑπτὰ Πέρσαι Δαρείῳ τῷ Ὑστάσπεω παρέδοσαν τὴν ἀρχήν· εἶθʼ οἱ ἀπὸ τούτου διαδεχόμενοι κατέληξαν εἰς Ἄρσην, ὃν ἀποκτείνας Βαγῶος ὁ εὐνοῦχος κατέστησε Δαρεῖον οὐκ ὄντα τοῦ γένους τῶν βασιλέων. τοῦτον δὲ καταλύσας Ἀλέξανδρος αὐτὸς ἦρξε * δέκα ἢ ἕνδεκα ἔτη· εἶτʼ εἰς πλείους τοὺς διαδεξαμένους καὶ τοὺς ἐπιγόνους τούτων μερισθεῖσα ἡ ἡγεμονία τῆς Ἀσίας διελύθη· συνέμεινε δʼ ὅσον πεντήκοντα ἐπὶ τοῖς διακοσίοις ἔτη. νῦν δʼ ἤδη καθʼ αὑτοὺς συνεστῶτες οἱ Πέρσαι βασιλέας ἔχουσιν ὑπηκόους ἑτέροις βασιλεῦσι, πρότερον μὲν Μακεδόσι νῦν δὲ Παρθυαίοις.
The founder of their empire was Cyrus. He was succeeded by his son Cambyses, who was put to death by the Magi. The seven Persians who killed the Magi delivered the kingdom into the hands of Darius, the son of Hystaspes. The succession terminated with Arses, whom Bagous the eunuch having killed set up Darius, who was not of the royal family. Alexander overthrew Darius, and reigned himself twelve years. The empire of Asia was partitioned out among his successors, and transmitted to their descendants, but was dissolved after it had lasted about two hundred and fifty years.
At present the Persians are a separate people, governed by kings, who are subject to other kings; to the kings of Macedon in former times, but now to those of Parthia.
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