Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/242

 224 HISTORY OF GREECE. spirators, how Darius became king, from the circumstance of hit horse being the first to neigh among those of the conspirators at a given spot, by the stratagem of the groom CEbares, how Otanes, standing aside beforehand from this lottery for the throne, re- served for himself -%s well as for his descendants perfect freedom and exemption from the rule of the future king, whichsoever might draw the prize, all these incidents may be found re- counted by Herodotus with his usual vivacity, but with no small addition of Hellenic ideas as well as of dramatic ornament. It was thus that the upright tiara, the privileged head-dress of the Persian kings, 1 passed away from the lineage of Cyrus, yet without departing from the great phratry of the Achrcmenida?, to which Darius and his father Hystaspes, as well as Cyrus, be- longed. That important fact is unquestionable, and probably the acts ascribed to the seven conspirators are in the main true, apart from their discussions and intentions. But on this as well as on other occasions, we must guard ourselves against an illusion which the historical manner of Herodotus is apt to create. He pre- sents to us with so much descriptive force the personal narra- tive, individual action and speech, with all its' accompanying hopes, fears, doubts, and passions, that our attention is dis- tracted from the political bearing of what is going on ; which we are compelled often to gather up from hints in the speeches of performers, or from consequences afterwards indirectly noticed. When we put together all the incidental notices which he lets drop, it will be found that the change of sceptre from Smerdis to Darius was a far larger political event than his direct narrative would seem to announce. Smerdis represents preponderance to the Medes over the Persians, and comparative degradation to the latter ; who, by the installation of Darius, are again placed in the ascendent. The Medes and the Magians are in this case identical ; for the Magians, though indispensable in the capacity of priests to the Persians, were essentially one of the seven Median Compare Aristophan. Aves, 487, with the Scholia, and Herodot. ^ ii, 61 ; A man. iv 6. 29. The cap of the Persians generally was loo.'e, low, cling- ing about the head in folds ; that of the king was high and ei ect above th head. See the notes of Wesseling and Schweighaiiscr, upon irl7.oi ii-^a-fie; in Herodot. /. c.