Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/68

 48 HISTORY OF GEEECE. enough not yet to rush forward as if the victory was already gained, 1 but remained unmoved, with his regiment of six hundred horse around him, watching the movements of Artaxerxes. Aa soon as he saw the latter wheeling round his right division to get upon the rear of the Cyreians, he hastened to check this move ment by an impetuous charge upon the centre, where Artaxerxes was in person, surrounded by the body-guard of six thousand norse, under Artagerses. So vigorous was the attack of Cyrus, that with his six hundred horse, he broke and dispersed this body- guard, killing Artagerses with his own hand. His own six hun- dred horse rushed forward in pursuit of the fugitives, leaving Cyrus himself nearly alone, with only the select few, called his " Table- Companions," around him. It was under these circumstances that he first saw his brother Artaxerxes, whose person had been ex- posed to view by the flight of the body-guards. The sight filled him with such a paroxysm of rage and jealous ambition, 2 that he lost all thought of safety or prudence, cried out, " I see the man," and rushed forward with his mere handful of companions to attack Artaxerxes, in spite of the numerous host behind him. Cyrus made directly at his brother, darting his javelin with so true an aim as to strike him in the breast, and wound him through the cuirass ; though the wound (afterwards cured by the Greek surgeon Ktesias) could not have been very severe, since Artaxerxes did not quit the field, but, on the contrary, engaged in personal com- bat, he and those around him, against this handful of assailants. So unequal a combat did not last long. Cyrus, being severely wounded under the eye by the javelin of a Karian soldier, was cast from his horse and slain. The small number of faithful com- 1 Xen. Anab. i, 8, 21. Kvpof <5e, opuv Toitf "EA/l^vaf viKtivrac rb /ca$' avrovf nal fiiiJK (Lsvot; KCU TrpoaKvvovfievof r)8r] aif /?aat/let)f vird TUV atifi avrov, &J] dt&Ketvi etc. The last words are remarkable, as indicating that no other stimulus ex- cept that of ambitious rivalry and fraternal antipathy, had force enough to overthrow the self-command of Cyrus. Pelopidas, when he saw Alexander the despot of Pherae in the opposite army; which led to the same fatal consequences (Plutarch, Pelopidas, c. 32; Cornel. Nepos, Pelop. c. 5). See also the reflections of Xenophon ov the conduct of Teleutas before Olynthus. Hellenic, v. 3, 7.
 * Compare the account of the transport of rage which seized the Theban