Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/248

 130 HiSTORi' OK GREECE. Darius, not thinking it prudent to attack him by open force, pro- posed to the chief Persians at Susa, the dangerous problem o; destroying him by stratagem. Thirty among them volunteered to undertake it, and Bagaeus, son of Artontes, to whom on drawing lots the task devolved, accomplished it by a manoeuvre which might serve as a lesson to the Ottoman government, in its em- barrassments with contumacious Pashas. Having proceeded to Sardis, furnished with many different royal ordinances, formally 3et forth and bearing the seal of Darius, he was presented to Uroetes in audience, with the public secretary of the satrapy close at hand, and the Persian guards standing around. He presented his ordinances to be read aloud by the secretary, choosing first those which related to matters of no great importance; but when he saw that the guards listened with profound reverence, and that the king's name and seal imposed upon them irresistibly, he ventured upon the real purport of his perilous mission. An or- dinance was handed to the secretary, and read by him aloud, as follows : " Persians, king Darius forbids you to serve any longer as guards to Oroetes." The obedient guards at once deliv- ered up their spears, when Bagaeus caused the final warrant to be read to them : " King Darius commands the Persians in Sar- dis to kill Oroetes." The guards drew their swords and killed him on the spot: his large treasure was conveyed to Susa: Darius became undisputed master, and probably Bagaeus satrap. 1 Another devoted adherent, and another yet more memorable piece of cunning, laid prostrate before Darius the mighty walls and gates of the revolted Babylon. The inhabitants of that city had employed themselves assiduously, both during the lax provincial superintendence of the false Smerdis, and during the period of confusion and conflict which elapsed before Darius became firmly established and obeyed, in making every prep- aration both for declaring and sustaining their independence. Having accumulated a large store of provisions and other requis- ites for a long siege, without previous detection, they at length proclaimed their independence openly. And such was the inten- sity of their resolution to maintain it, that they had recourse to a proceeding, which, if correctly reported by Herodotus, forms 1 TTerodot. iii, 127, 128.