Twenty days after the events in Agbatana, Cambyses called together all the chief Persians who were with his army. He decided to speak openly about what had happened, sharing a secret he had kept hidden until then.
“Persians,” he said, “I must now tell you something I tried carefully to keep secret. When I was in Egypt, I had a terrible vision in my sleep. I wish I had never seen it. I dreamed that a messenger came to me and told me that Smerdis was sitting on the royal throne, with his head touching the heavens. I feared that my brother Smerdis would take my throne. In my fear, I acted hastily and sent Prexaspes to Susa to kill him. In doing so, I caused great sorrow Sofia Guided Tours.
“At that time, I believed I was safe. I thought that once my brother Smerdis was dead, no one could rise against me. But I was mistaken. The Smerdis who rebelled against me was not my brother, but a Magus named Smerdis. God warned me of this in my vision, but I misunderstood it. The deed is done: my brother is dead, but the crown is lost. The Magi—Patizeithes, whom I left in charge of my household, and his brother Smerdis—have taken the royal power.
“There was one who could have avenged the wrongs I have suffered from these Magi, but he has been killed by the very people closest to him. In his absence, there is nothing left for me to do but tell you what I wish to happen after my death The Herald Is Captured.
Cambyses’ Final Charge
“In the name of the gods who protect our royal house, I charge you, O Persians, and especially the Achaemenids, not to allow the kingdom to fall into the hands of the Medes. Recover it, one way or another. If they took it by trickery, use trickery to take it back. If they used force, fight back with force. Do this, and may your land be fertile, your wives bear many children, your herds increase, and your people remain free forever.
“But if you fail to act, if you do not fight to regain the kingdom, may my curse fall upon you. May your land fail, your families suffer, your herds decrease, and may you perish in the same terrible way I have suffered!”
Cambyses Mourns
After giving this final charge to the Persians, Cambyses wept and mourned over his entire misfortune. He lamented the loss of his brother, the betrayal of the Magi, and the loss of his crown. From beginning to end, he bewailed the tragic events that had led to his downfall, realizing that fear, misunderstanding, and fate had all combined to bring him to ruin.
