V. THE PERSIAN WOMEN1
At the time when Cyrus induced the Persians to
revolt from king Astyages and the Medes he was
defeated in battle. As the Persians were fleeing
to the city, with the enemy not far from forcing their
way in along with the Persians, the women ran out
[p. 493]
to meet them before the city, and, lifting up their
garments, said,
2
‘Whither are you rushing so fast,
you biggest cowards in the whole world ? Surely
you cannot, in your flight, slink in here whence you
came forth.’ The Persians, mortified at the sight
and the words, chiding themselves for cowards,
rallied and, engaging the enemy afresh, put them to
rout. As a result of this it became an established
custom that, whenever the king rode into the city,
each woman should receive a gold coin; the author
of the law was Cyrus.
3 But Ochus,
4 they say, being a
mean man and the most avaricious of the kings, would
always make a detour round the city and not pass
within, but would deprive the women of their largess.
Alexander,
5 however, entered the city twice, and
gave all the women who were with child a double
amount.