Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/461

 ARTAXERXES. 453 the king's guards, and after slaying many, while they were laying hold on him, at length being struck through with a dart at a distance, fell. As for Darius, who was brought to trial with his children, the king appointed the royal judges to sit over him, and because he was not him- self present, but accused Darius by proxy, he commanded his scribes to write down the opinion of every one of the judges, and show it to him. And after they had given their sentences, all as one man, and condemned Dariua to death, the officers seized on him and hurried him to a chamber not far off. To which place the executioner, when summoned, came with a razor in his hand, with which men of his employment cut off the heads of offend- ers. But when he saw that Darius was the person thus to be punished, he was appalled and started back, ofler- ing to go out, as one that had neither power nor courage enough to behead a king; yet at the threats and com- mands of the judges, who stood at the prison door, he returned, and grasping the hair of his head and bringing his face to the ground with one hand, he cut through his neck with the razor he had in the other. Some affirm that sentence was passed in the presence of Artaxerxes ; that Darius, after he had been convicted by clear ei- dence, falling prostrate before him, did humbly beg his pardon ; that instead of giving it, he, rising up in rage and drawing his scymetar, smote him till he had killed him ; that then, going forth into the court, he wor- shipped the sun, and said, " Depart in peace, ye Persians, and declare to your fellow-subjects how the mighty Oromasdes hath dealt out vengeance to the contrivers of unjust and unlawful things." Such, then, was the issue of this conspiracy. And now Ochus was high in his hopes, being confident in the influence of Atossa; but yet was afraid of Ariaspes, the only male surviving, besides himself, of the legitimate off-