he undertook a policy of this sort: he made one board of eight probouloi, and from the rest he enrolled a council of 9 men. [SEEK IN THE ON POLITICS.] 25. That Myron, the king of the Sicyonians, descending from Orthagoras in lineage, was intemperate in other things and especially concerning women; whom he shamed by violating not only secretly, but also openly; and at last he also committed adultery with the wife of his brother Isodemus. He, having perceived this, at first kept quiet, but when his other brother arrived from Libya, he told him in distress. He himself, as they say, was simple in character and guileless, but Cleisthenes was deceitful. And once, when he asked what he should do, he himself said that he would not have endured suffering such things for even a single day, but would have punished the perpetrator with his own hand. He said these things and incited Isodemus against Myron, plotting against the tyranny, so that with one dead, the other would no longer be able to sacrifice to the gods because of his brother's blood. Which he made clear. For when Isodemus killed Myron, who had been tyrant for 7 years, having found him with his wife, and told Cleisthenes with a great groan, that man said he was grieved for both, for the one who had died, because he suffered these things at his brother's hand, and for the other, in turn, because having killed his brother he would no longer be able to sacrifice to the gods, but that another must do this. And he, so that he would not be cast out from his rule because of this, persuaded that he spoke the truth, after a year 23 had passed chose him as a partner. And he, by this artifice, accomplished his goal through the other's simplicity, and both ruled Sicyon. However, the people paid much more attention to Cleisthenes, as he was formidable and energetic, and the friends of the other went over to this one. And at last he also deprived Isodemus of his rule by contriving something like this. There was a certain Chaeredemus, a man of the citizens, a friend of Isodemus. This man, seeing that Cleisthenes was more effective, approaching him, began to discuss friendship. When he had promised many things, Cleisthenes ordered him, as a pledge of what he said, to go and advise Isodemus to go into exile for a year on account of the murder, which it was the custom to do, so that it would be permitted for him, once purified, to perform sacrifices and sacred rites, and for his children to rule; but if not, being guilty, he would with difficulty remain in the tyranny, and with difficulty would leave it to his descendants. Chaeredemus accepted these instructions, and advised Isodemus to depart for a year. And he, being a guileless man, was persuaded that he spoke with goodwill. He withdrew to Corinth, having handed over the tyranny to Cleisthenes. But he, as soon as Isodemus had left, slandered him as plotting against him with the Cypselids, so that he alone might rule. And for this reason, having armed an army, he barred him from returning, and he himself was tyrant, being the most violent and most cruel of those before him, and sending aid to many, so that he might have allies. And having held power for 31 years, he died. 26. That in Asia, when the king of the Medes died, his son Astyages succeeded to the rule, who, after Arbaces, is said to have been the noblest. While this man was king the great change occurred, by which the rule passed from the Medes to the Persians, for the following reason. There was a law among the Medes, that whoever, being poor, for the sake of sustenance approached a wealthy man, giving himself so that he might be fed and clothed, was to be considered equal to a slave of that man; but if the one who took him did not provide these things, it was permitted for him to depart to another. So a certain youth, named Cyrus, a Mardian by race, approaches a royal 24 servant, who was in charge of those who cleaned the palace. Cyrus was the son of Atradates, who practiced banditry because of poverty; and his wife, Argoste by name, Cyrus's mother, lived by herding goats. So Cyrus gives himself to the man to be fed, and he cleaned the palace, and was diligent. So the overseer gives him a better garment, and from the outside cleaners brought him in to the inside cleaners in the king's presence, and recommends him to their overseer. But this man was harsh and often flogged Cyrus; and so he goes over to the lamp-carrier; and that man liked him, and brings him near the king, so that he might be among those who carry lamps for him. And being well-regarded in these duties also, he went over to Artembares, who of the wine-pourers

ἐστρατεύσατο πολιτείαν τοιάνδε· μίαν μὲν ὀκτάδα προβούλων ἐποίησεν, ἐκ δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν βουλὴν κατέλεξεν ἀνδρῶν θʹ. [ΖΗΤΕΙ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΠΕΡΙ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΩΝ.] 25. Ὅτι Μύρων ὁ Σικυωνίων βασιλεύς, ἀπὸ Ὀρθαγόρου κατάγων τὸ γένος, ἦν περί τε τὰ ἄλλα καὶ περὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἀκόλαστος· ἃς οὐ λάθρα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ φανερῶς βιασάμενος ᾔσχυνεν· τελευτῶν δὲ καὶ τὴν Ἰσοδήμου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ γυναῖκα ἐμοίχευσεν. ὁ δὲ ᾐσθημένος πρότερον μὲν ἡσύχαζεν, ἐλθόντι δὲ ἐκ Λιβύης τῷ ἑτέρῳ ἀδελφῷ ἔφρασεν ἀδημονῶν. ἦν δ', ὥς φασιν, αὐτὸς μὲν ἁπλοῦς τὸ ἦθος καὶ ἄκακος, ὁ δὲ Κλεισθένης δόλιος. καί ποτε πυνθανομένου τί χρὴ ποιεῖν, αὐτὸς μὲν εἶπεν οὐδ' ἂν μίαν ἡμέραν ἀνασχέσθαι τοιαῦτα παθών, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτοχειρίας ἂν τὸν δράσαντα τιμωρήσασθαι. ἔλεγε δὲ ταῦτα καὶ παρώξυνε τὸν Ἰσόδημον ἐπὶ τὸν Μύρωνα ἐπιβουλεύων τῇ τυραννίδι, τοῦ μὲν ἀποθανόντος, τοῦ δὲ θύειν τοῖς θεοῖς οὐκ ἂν ἔτι δυναμένου διὰ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ. ὅπερ ἐδήλωσεν. ὡς γὰρ ὁ Ἰσόδημος ἔκτεινε τὸν Μύρωνα ζʹ ἔτη τυραννεύσαντα εὑρὼν ἐπὶ τῇ γυναικί, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Κλεισθένη ἔφρασε μέγα στενάξας, ἐκεῖνος συνάχθεσθαι ἀμφοτέροις ἔφη, τῷ μὲν ἀποθανόντι, ὅτι ὑπὸ τἀδελφοῦ πάθοι ταῦτα, ἐκείνῳ δ' αὖ, ὅτι τὸν ἀδελφὸν κτείνας οὐκ ἂν ἔτι δύναιτο τοῖς θεοῖς θύειν, ἀλλὰ δεῖν ἕτερον τοῦτο ποιεῖν. ὁ δ' ἵνα μὴ τῆς ἀρχῆς διὰ τοῦτ' ἐκπέσοι, πεισθεὶς ἀληθῆ λέγειν αὐτόν, ἐνιαυτὸν 23 διαλιπὼν προσείλετο κοινωνόν. καὶ ὁ μὲν τοῦθ' ὅπερ ἐτέχναζεν κατειργάσατο διὰ τὴν εὐήθειαν ἐκείνου, καὶ ἀμφότεροι Σικυῶνος ἦρχον. πολὺ μέντοι μᾶλλον Κλεισθένει προσεῖχον οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἅτε φοβερῷ ὄντι καὶ δραστηρίῳ, καὶ οἱ ἐκείνου φίλοι τούτῳ προσεχώρουν. τελευτῶν δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τὸν Ἰσόδημον ἀπεστέρησεν τοιόνδε τι τεχνάσας. ἦν τις Χαιρέδημος, ἀνὴρ τῶν ἀστῶν Ἰσοδήμου φίλος. οὗτος ὁρῶν τὸν Κλεισθένη ἐργασιμώτερον, προσιὼν περὶ φιλίας διελέγετο. πολλὰ δὲ ὑπισχνουμένου, Κλεισθένης ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν εἰς πίστιν ὧν φησι παρελθόντα Ἰσοδήμῳ παραινεῖν ἀπενιαυτίσαι διὰ τὸν φόνον, ὅπερ ἔθος ἦν ποιεῖν, ὡς καὶ θύειν αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ ἐξέσται κεκαθαρμένῳ καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου παισὶν ἄρχειν· εἰ δὲ μή, ἔνοχον ὄντα χαλεπῶς μὲν αὐτὸν ἐμμενεῖν τῇ τυραννίδι, χαλεπῶς δὲ ἐγγόνοις λείψειν. ταῦτα λέγοντα ὁ Χαιρέδημος ἐδέξατο, καὶ τῷ Ἰσοδήμῳ συνεβούλευε μεταστῆναι ἐπ' ἐνιαυτόν. ὁ δὲ οἷα ἀνὴρ ἄκακος πεισθεὶς ἐπ' εὐνοίᾳ λέγειν αὐτόν. ἀπεχώρησεν εἰς Κόρινθον, παραδοὺς Κλεισθένει τὴν τυραννίδα. ὁ δὲ παραχρῆμα ἐξελθόντος διέβαλλεν ὡς μετὰ τῶν Κυψελιδῶν οἱ ἐπιβουλεύοντα, ὅπως ἂν μόνος ἄρχοι. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο στρατὸν ὁπλίσας ἐξεῖργε κατιόντα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐτυράννει βιαιότατος ὢν τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὠμότατος, καὶ βοηθείας πολλοῖς ἐκπέμπων, ὡς ἂν ἔχοι συμμάχους. κατασχὼν δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἓν καὶ λʹ ἔτη ἐτελεύτησεν. 26. Ὅτι ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ τελευτήσαντος τοῦ Μήδων βασιλέως ἐκδέχεται τὴν ἀρχὴν Ἀστυάγης ὁ παῖς, ὅντινα μετὰ Ἀρβάκην λόγος ἔχει γενναιότατον γεγονέναι. ἐπὶ τούτου βασιλεύοντος ἡ μεγάλη γίνεται μεταβολή, καθ' ἣν εἰς Πέρσας ἐκ Μήδων περιῆλθεν ἡ ἀρχή, δι' αἰτίαν τοιάνδε. νόμος ἐγένετο ἐν Μήδοις, ὅστις πένης τροφῆς ἕνεκα προσίῃ ἀνδρὶ εὐπόρῳ ἑαυτὸν διδοὺς ὅπως τρέφοιτό τε καὶ ἀμπέχοιτο, ἴσα καὶ δοῦλον νομίζεσθαι ἐκείνου· ἢν δὲ μὴ παρέχῃ ταῦτα ὁ λαβών, ἐξεῖναι παρ' ἄλλον ἀποχωρεῖν. προσέρχεται δή τις μειρακίσκος, ὄνομα Κῦρος, Μάρδος γένος, θεράποντι 24 βασιλείῳ, ὃς ἦν ἐπὶ τοῖς καλλύνουσι τὰ βασίλεια. ἦν δὲ ὁ Κῦρος τοῦ Ἀτραδάτου παῖς, ὅστις ἐλῄστευεν ὑπὸ πενίας· ἡ δὲ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, Ἀργόστη ὄνομα, ἡ Κύρου μήτηρ, αἰπολοῦσα ἔζη. ἐκδίδωσιν οὖν αὑτὸν ὁ Κῦρος ἐπὶ τῷ τρέφεσθαι τῷ ἀνδρί, καὶ ἐκάλλυνε τὰ βασίλεια, καὶ ἦν ἐπιμελητής. βελτίω οὖν αὐτῷ στολὴν ὁ ἐπιστάτης δίδωσι, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔξω εἰσήγαγεν εἰς τοὺς ἔσω καλλύνοντας παρὰ βασιλεῖ, καὶ τῷ τούτων ἐπιστάτῃ συνίστησι. χαλεπὸς δ' ἦν οὗτος καὶ ἐμαστίγου πολλάκις Κῦρον· καὶ ὃς ἀφίσταται παρὰ τὸν λυχνοφόρον· κἀκεῖνος αὐτὸν ἠγάπα, καὶ προσάγεται πλησίον βασιλέως, ἵν' ἐν τοῖς λυχνοφοροῦσιν αὐτῷ εἴη. εὐδοκιμῶν δὲ καὶ ἐν τούτοις μετῆλθε παρὰ Ἀρτεμβάρην, ὅστις τῶν οἰνοχόων