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H. Rawlinson compares the devotion to etiquette among the modern Persians, ‘the Frenchmen of the East’; the salute, however, now is never on the lips. The prostration of an inferior is familiar in the East (iii. 86. 2); it was as repulsive to the Greeks as the Chinese ‘kotow’ to Doyle's ‘Private of the Buffs’. Cf. vii. 136. 1, and the refusal of Callisthenes to prostrate himself before Alexander (Arr. Anab. iv. 10. 5 seq.).
ἀρίστους. The Persian Shah, till he was deposed, was called ‘the centre of the Universe’. H., however, makes too systematic the conceit common to all nations, civilized as well as uncivilized. Two points must be distinguished: (1) The Persian system of graduated respect. (2) The Median system of graduated rule, which H. compares to it (§ 3 ad fin. ‘in the same way as the Persian show degrees of honour’). As to (2) H. is again too systematic, but he represents accurately the broad facts of the contrast between Persian and Median rule; under the Medes, the subject kingdoms paid tribute or sent gifts, while they still ruled their own dependents; under Persia, all districts alike were under the satraps, and in direct relation to the great king (iii. 87 seq.).
The sentence is carefully balanced; καὶ τῶν ὁμούρων answers to μάλα (= μαλ᾽ αὖτις, ‘in their turn’) τῶν ἐχομένων. προέβαινε γὰρ κτλ. is variously explained: (1) Rawlinson refers τὸ ἔθνος to the Persians; but this is incorrect in fact and spoils the antithesis. (2) Stein takes it of the Medes; translate ‘The race went forward thus ever from government by themselves (ἄρχον) to government through others’ (ἐπιτροπεῦον); but it is hard to get this sense out of ἐπιτροπεῦον, which = ‘administering’ (iii. 36. 3) or ‘being regent for’ (655); the above sense would require ἐπιτρέπον, i. e. ‘deputing’ (τὴν ἀρχήν), and the ellipse would be harsh. (3) It is simplest therefore to make τὸ ἔθνος distributive, ‘each nation took its place in order as ruler and administrator.’ This sentence then simply repeats generally what H. has already said more definitely above; it may be a gloss, and Krüger brackets it.
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