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The Assyrian, having learned about the fortress and being angry, might prepare to invade my country. "If therefore you let me go, I would try to save the walls, and I have less concern for the other things." Cyrus therefore asked, "If you go, when will you be home?" And he said, "On the third day I will dine in our land." "And I," said Cyrus, "on what day could I arrive there with the army?" And Gadatas answered, "You would not be able, master, to come in less than six or seven days." And Cyrus said, "You, therefore, go as quickly as possible, and I will march as I am able." And so Gadatas departed, and Cyrus told the leaders of the allies that it was necessary to aid Gadatas, who was being warred upon by the 1.239 Assyrian, a man who was a benefactor. And they all agreed. And he said, "Since you also agree, come let us march, taking the most able of the horses and men and provisions for three days, so that we may go lightly equipped." And having thus prepared, they set out on their way in the middle of the night, with Gobryas leading them. And so Cyrus departed in this way; but as Gadatas was departing, one of the powerful men with him plotted against him, and sending to the Assyrian he revealed the force of Gadatas and how he was coming, and he instructed him to set an ambush for him, so that in this way he might capture both Gadatas himself and those with him. And when the Assyrian heard these things, he set an ambush. And as Gadatas came near the ambush and already seemed to be ripe for capture, he rises up from the ambush. And the one plotting against Gadatas at this point strikes him and hits him on the shoulder, but not fatally; and having done this, he immediately withdraws to the Assyrian and pursued with him. Some of Gadatas' men therefore were captured, and others fled, turning their reins; and already they see Cyrus approaching. And when he recognized the situation, he led the army against them. And the enemy, seeing him, turned to flight, and Cyrus ordered to pursue. Therefore both men and chariots were captured, and many were killed, including the man himself who had struck Gadatas; but the others and the Assyrian himself fled to a certain large city of his. And Cyrus, having accomplished these things, withdraws to the country of Gadatas, and he went to visit Gadatas. And Gadatas 1.240 met him with his wound bound up, and he expressed his thanks, saying, "For my part, I am done for, but on your account I have been saved, you who so eagerly came to my aid." But the Cadusians, who had been ordered by Cyrus at that time to form the rearguard, and not having taken part in the pursuit, but wishing to do something brilliant themselves, without communicating anything to Cyrus, they make a raid on Babylonia. And the Assyrian, coming out of the city where he had fled, encounters them; and knowing they were alone, he attacks, and he kills their leader and many others, and having pursued for some distance, he turned back. Those of the Cadusians who were saved came to the camp around evening. And Cyrus handed over the wounded to those who would care for them, and to the others he himself offered encouragement in a speech, and advised them to choose a leader for themselves from among themselves. And they chose one. And Gadatas came bringing to Cyrus all sorts of and many gifts and very many horses. And Cyrus said that he accepted the horses, so that he might bring the Persian cavalry up to full strength and his horsemen might number ten thousand, but he ordered him to take away the money and keep it until he should find that he himself was able to give gifts in return. And he advised him to place his city under a secure guard, and to campaign with him himself. And Gadatas was pleased with the advice, and having made his preparations, he followed Cyrus. And when, marching in this way, he arrived at the borders of the Syrians and Medes, there being three Syrian fortresses there, he himself took one by attacking and storming it, and the other two Cyrus by intimidation and Gadatas by persuasion prepared the guards to surrender. 1.241 Then he sends to Cyaxares asking him to come to the camp, so that they might deliberate about whatever they needed. And so the messenger departed; and Cyrus ordered the tent which the Medes had chosen for Cyaxares to be furnished as well as possible

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̓Ασσύριος περὶ τοῦ φρουρίου πυθόμενος καὶ χαλεπήνας συσκευάζοιτο εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἐμβαλεῖν χώραν. "ἐὰν ουν ἀφῇς με, τὰ τείχη αν πειραθείην διασῶσαι, τῶν δ' αλλων μείων μοι λόγος." ηρετο ουν ὁ Κῦρος "ἐὰν ιῃς, πότε εσῃ οικοι;" ὁ δέ "εἰς τρίτην" εφη "δειπνήσω ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ." "ἐγὼ δέ" εφη ὁ Κῦρος "ποσταῖος αν ἐκεῖσε ἀφικοίμην σὺν τῷ στρατεύματι;" καὶ ὁ Γαδάτας "οὐκ αν δύναιο" ἀπεκρίνατο "δέσποτα, εἰ μὴ ἐν εξ η ἑπτὰ ἡμέραις ἐλθεῖν." καὶ ὁ Κῦρος "σὺ τοίνυν" εφη "απιθι τάχιστα, ἐγὼ δ' ὡς αν δυναίμην πορεύσομαι." καὶ ὁ μὲν Γαδάτας ἀπῄει, ὁ δὲ Κῦρος τοῖς αρχουσι τῶν συμμάχων ειπε δεῖν τῷ Γαδάτᾳ ἐπαμῦναι παρὰ τοῦ 1.239 ̓Ασσυρίου πολεμουμένῳ, ἀνδρὶ εὐεργέτῃ. καὶ πάντες συνέφασαν. ὁ δέ "ἐπεὶ καὶ ὑμῖν συνδοκεῖ" εφη, "αγετε πορευσώμεθα, ιππων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν τοὺς δυνατωτάτους λαβόντες καὶ τριῶν ἡμερῶν τὰ ἐπιτήδεια, ιν' ευζωνοι ιωμεν." ουτω δὲ συσκευασάμενοι μέσων νυκτῶν τῆς ὁδοῦ ειχοντο, τοῦ Γωβρύου σφῶν ἡγουμένου. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Κῦρος ουτως ἀπῄει· ἀπιόντι δὲ τῷ Γαδάτᾳ τῶν τις παρ' αὐτῷ δυνατῶν ἐπεβούλευσεν ἐκείνῳ, καὶ πέμψας πρὸς τὸν ̓Ασσύριον ἐδήλου τὴν τοῦ Γαδάτου δύναμιν καὶ ὡς ηκει, καὶ ἐνεδρεῦσαι αὐτῷ ἐνετέλλετο, ιν' ουτως αὐτόν τε συλλάβοι τὸν Γαδάταν καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ. ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα ηκουσεν ὁ ̓Ασσύριος, ἐνήδρευσεν. ὡς δ' ἐγγὺς ὁ Γαδάτας τῆς ἐνέδρας ἐγένετο καὶ ηδη ἐδόκει ειναι ἁλώσιμος, ἀνίσταται ἐκ τῆς ἐνέδρας. ὁ δὲ τῷ Γαδάτᾳ ἐπιβουλεύων ἐν τούτῳ παίει αὐτὸν καὶ πλήττει κατὰ τὸν ωμον, οὐ μέντοι καιρίως· ποιήσας δὲ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν ̓Ασσύριον παραχρῆμα ἀποχωρεῖ καὶ ἐδίωκε σὺν αὐτῷ. οἱ μὲν ουν τοῦ Γαδάτου ἡλίσκοντο, οἱ δ' εφευγον τοὺς χαλινοὺς τρέψαντες· καὶ ηδη προσιόντα καθορῶσι τὸν Κῦρον. ὁ δὲ ὡς εγνω τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἐναντίος αὐτοῖς ηγε τὴν στρατιάν. καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι τοῦτον ἰδόντες ἐτράπησαν εἰς φυγήν, καὶ ὁ Κῦρος διώκειν ἐκέλευσεν. ἡλίσκοντο τοίνυν καὶ ανδρες καὶ αρματα, καὶ πολλοὶ δὲ ἐκτείνοντο, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τὸν Γαδάταν πλήξας· οἱ δ' αλλοι καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ̓Ασσύριος εἰς πόλιν αὐτοῦ τινα μεγάλην κατέφυγον. καὶ ὁ Κῦρος ταῦτα διαπραξάμενος εἰς τὴν Γαδάτου χώραν ἀναχωρεῖ, καὶ ῃει τὸν Γαδάταν ἐπισκεψόμενος. καί οἱ ὁ Γαδάτας 1.240 ἀπήντησεν ἐπιδεδεμένος τὸ τραῦμα, καὶ χάριτας ὡμολόγει λέγων ὡς "εγωγε τὸ μὲν ἐπ' ἐμοὶ οιχομαι, τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ σοὶ σέσωσμαι, προθύμως ουτω μοι βοηθήσαντι." Οἱ δέ γε Καδούσιοι ὀπισθοφυλακεῖν τεταγμένοι τότε παρὰ τοῦ Κύρου, καὶ μὴ μετασχόντες τῆς διώξεως, βουλόμενοι δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ λαμπρόν τι ποιῆσαι, οὐδὲν τῷ Κύρῳ κοινωσάμενοι καταθέουσι τὴν Βαβυλωνίαν. ἀπιὼν δὲ ὁ ̓Ασσύριος ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ου κατέφυγε, συντυγχάνει αὐτοῖς· καὶ γνοὺς μόνους οντας ἐπιτίθεται, καὶ τόν τε αρχοντα σφῶν ἀποκτείνει καὶ αλλους πολλούς, καὶ διώξας μέχρι τινὸς ἀπετράπετο. οι δὲ τῶν Καδουσίων ἐσώζοντο, περὶ δείλην ηλθον εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον. ὁ δὲ Κῦρος τοὺς μὲν τετρωμένους τοῖς θεραπεύσουσι παρεδίδου, τοῖς δ' αλλοις αὐτὸς προσῆγεν ἐν λόγοις παράκλησιν, καὶ αρχοντα ἑαυτοῖς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν παρῄνει αἱρήσεσθαι. καὶ οἱ μὲν ειλοντο. ὁ δὲ Γαδάτας ηκε κομίζων τῷ Κύρῳ δῶρα παντοῖά τε καὶ πολλὰ καὶ πλείστους ιππους. ὁ δὲ Κῦρος τοὺς μὲν ιππους εφη δέχεσθαι, ιν' ἐκπληρώσῃ τὸ Περσικὸν ἱππικὸν καὶ εἰς μυρίους περισταῖεν αὐτῷ οἱ ἱππεῖς, τὰ δὲ χρήματα ἀπαγαγεῖν αὐτῷ ἐνετέλλετο καὶ φυλάττειν εστ' αν καὶ αὐτὸν ἀντιδωρεῖσθαι γνοίη δυνάμενον. καὶ παρῄνει τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ φυλακὴν ποιήσασθαι ἀσφαλῆ, αὐτὸν δὲ αὐτῷ συστρατεύσασθαι. καὶ ὁ Γαδάτας ησθη τῇ συμβουλῇ, συσκευασάμενός τε τῷ Κύρῳ συνείπετο. ἐπεὶ δὲ πορευόμενος ουτως εἰς τὰ μεθόρια τῶν Σύρων καὶ Μήδων ἀφίκετο, ἐνταῦθα τρία οντα τῶν Σύρων φρούρια τὸ μὲν εν αὐτὸς προσβαλὼν καὶ βιασάμενος ελαβε, τὰ δὲ δύο φοβῶν μὲν ὁ Κῦρος, πείθων δὲ ὁ Γαδάτας παρεσκεύασαν παραδοῦναι τοὺς φυλάσσοντας. 1.241 Ειτα πέμπει πρὸς Κυαξάρην ἀξιῶν ηκειν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον, οπως περὶ ων αν δέοιντο βουλεύσαιντο. καὶ ὁ μὲν αγγελος ῳχετο· ὁ δὲ Κῦρος ἐκέλευσε τὴν σκηνὴν ην οἱ Μῆδοι τῷ Κυαξάρῃ ἐξεῖλον κατασκευάσαι ὡς βέλτιστα