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Updated: June 26, 2025
Among other presents Zopyrus received a gold hand-mill weighing six talents, the most honorable and distinguished gift a Persian monarch could bestow upon a subject. Few rulers possessed so many self-sacrificing friends as Darius, because few understood so well how to be grateful.
Croesus' words had caused Sappho a little anxiety at first; but this vanished on hearing her husband speak so confidently, and by the time Zopyrus had finished his wreath and placed it on Rhodopis' head, all her fears were forgotten. Gyges had prepared his for the young mother.
Sappho told me of one, I think her name was Penelope, who waited twenty years faithfully and lovingly for her husband, though every one believed he was dead, and she had fifty lovers a day at her house." "My wives would not wait so long for me," said Zopyrus laughing. "To tell the truth, I don't think I should be sorry to find an empty house, if I came back after twenty years.
"Will any one dare to give evidence in favor of such an outrageous criminal?" asked Cambyses, springing up and stamping his foot. "We will," "I," "we," shouted Araspes, Darius, Gyges and Zopyrus with one voice. "Traitors, knaves!" cried the king. But as he caught sight of Croesus' warning eye fixed upon him, he lowered his voice, and said: "What have you to bring forward in favor of this fellow?
If they answer no, it is a sign that they do not love us, and whoever does not love us, must be our enemy." "That won't do," cried Zopyrus. "We must have war at any price." "I vote for Croesus," said Gobryas. "And I too," said the noble Artabazus. "We are for Hystaspes," shouted the warrior Araspes, the old Intaphernes, and some more of Cyrus's old companions-in-arms.
Why, he seems to fancy he is King of Lydia!" "Do you dislike the satrap?" said Zopyrus. "Well, I think I do," was the answer. "I always take an aversion or a fancy to people at first sight, and very seldom find reason to change my mind afterwards. I disliked Oroetes before I heard him speak a word, and I remember having the same feeling towards Psamtik, though Amasis took my fancy."
I shall then secure the rope-ladder to the cord, Zopyrus will draw the whole affair up again, and hang it on an iron nail, which, by the bye, I must not forget to send up with the ladder, for who knows whether he may have such a thing in his cell.
A courtier once showed the king a pomegranate, and asked him of what one gift of fortune he would like so many repetitions, as there were seeds in that fruit. The following story will prove that Zopyrus, on his part, well understood how to return his royal friend's kindness. After the death of Cambyses, Babylon revolted from the Persian empire.
Croesus was followed by Prexaspes, the king's Ambassador, Zopyrus, the son of Megabyzus, a Persian noble, the friend of Bartja and Darius; and, lastly, by his own son, the slender, pale Gyges, who after having become dumb in his fourth year through the fearful anguish he had suffered on his father's account at the taking of Sardis, had now recovered the power of speech.
Darius raised his goblet and looked down into the wine. "The boy is in love, as sure as my name is Araspes!" exclaimed the elder man. "What a set of foolish fellows you are," broke in Zopyrus at this exclamation.
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