After Prexaspes spoke and Cambyses approved his words, the king immediately ordered the herald to be captured. The man was brought back before Cambyses so that the truth of his message could be discovered. Prexaspes then questioned him directly:
“Tell us the truth,” he said. “Did Smerdis, son of Cyrus, give you these orders himself, or did you receive them from one of his officers?”
The herald answered honestly, “I have not seen Smerdis, son of Cyrus, since Cambyses led the Persians into Egypt. The man who gave me the orders was the Magus whom Cambyses left in charge of the household. He said that Smerdis sent me, but that was not true The Death of Cambyses.”
In this way, the herald spoke only the strict truth, revealing that the messages and proclamations had come from the Magi, not the real Smerdis.
Prexaspes Reveals the Plot
Cambyses praised Prexaspes for his loyalty. “You are free of all blame,” he said. “You did exactly what I commanded. But now tell me, who among the Persians has taken Smerdis’ name and revolted against me?”
Prexaspes explained, “My liege, I think I understand the whole plot. The revolt is led by the two Magi: Patizeithes, the one left in charge of your household, and his brother, who is also named Smerdis.”
When Cambyses heard this, he realized the truth immediately. He remembered a dream he had once, in which Smerdis was sitting on the royal throne, his head touching the heavens. Now he understood that the dream had predicted this very event. Cambyses also realized the terrible mistake he had made in killing his own brother Smerdis. He wept and lamented the loss Sofia Sightseeing.
Cambyses Is Wounded
Angry and frustrated by the revolt, Cambyses mounted his horse to march swiftly to Susa and confront the Magi. But as he leaped onto his steed, a button on his sword-sheath fell off. The exposed point of the sword pierced his thigh, wounding him in the same spot where he had once wounded the Egyptian god Apis.
Believing he had received a mortal wound, Cambyses asked the name of the place where he had been injured. He was told, “Agbatana.” Previously, an oracle at Buto had predicted that he would die at Agbatana. Cambyses had thought this referred to the Median Agbatana, where his treasures were, and imagined he would die peacefully in old age. But the oracle had meant Agbatana in Syria.
Cambyses Understands His Fate
Upon hearing the true location, Cambyses was shocked. The combination of the Magi’s revolt and his sudden wound brought him to a full understanding of the oracle. At last, he realized that his death was near and that fate had finally caught up with him. He said, “Here then Cambyses, son of Cyrus, is doomed to die.”
This moment shows both the cunning of the Magi and the tragic consequences of Cambyses’ actions, as well as the strange fulfillment of ancient prophecies that he had once misunderstood.
