A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

On the Road to Susa 155
the king for their yearly tribute.
Next to these Cilicians
are the Armenians, whom thou mayest see here, and these
also have great numbers of sheep and cattle. Next to
the Armenians are the Matienians occupying this country
here; and next to them is the land of Cissia here, in which
land by the banks of the river Choaspes is situated that
city of Susa where the great king has his residence, and
where the money is laid up in treasuries. After ye have
taken this city ye may then with good courage enter into
a contest with Zeus in the matter of wealth. Nay, but
can it be that ye feel yourselves bound to take upon you
the risk of battles against Messenians and Arcadians and
Argives, who are equally matched against you, for the
sake of land which is not much in extent nor very fertile,
and for confines which are but small, though these peoples
have neither gold nor silver at all, for the sake of which
desire incites one to fight, and to die,—can this be, I say,
and will ye choose some other way now, when it is possible
for you easily to have the rule over all Asia? "
Aristagoras
spoke thus, and Cleomenes answered him saying: "Guestfriend
from JNIiletus, I defer my answer to thee till the
day after tomorrow."
Thus far then they advanced at that time; and when
'^°° distant
anundertakthe
appomted day arrived for the answer, and they had ing for the
come to the place agreed upon, Cleomenes asked Arista- ^^ ^°^'
goras how m.any days' journey it was from the sea of the
lonians to the residence of the king. Now Aristagoras,
who in other respects acted cleverly and imposed upon him
well, in this point made a mistake; for whereas he ought
not to have told him the truth, at least if he desired to
bring the Spartans out to Asia, he said in fact that it was a
journey up from the sea of three months; and the other
cutting short the rest of the account which Aristagoras
^°'