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one on the right, the other on the left, so that fear was present for the whole army of Cyrus; for it was surrounded on all sides by the enemy except from behind. Nevertheless, the men of Cyrus, when he gave the order, all turned to face the enemy. And for a time there was great silence on all sides; but when it seemed to Cyrus to be the right time, he began the paean, and the whole army joined in the sound. And Cyrus stood up and with his horsemen engaged the enemy, and the infantry 1.249 followed him in formation. And Artagerses, the commander of those on the camels, attacked on the left, sending the camels forward, as Cyrus had ordered. But the horses from afar did not accept them, but some fled, some reared up, and others fell upon one another. And the chariots charged at the same time on the right and on the left, and many fleeing these were captured by them. And Abradatas, shouting, "My friends, follow," drove on, sparing his horses not at all; and the other charioteers also charged with him. And Abradatas charged into the phalanx of the Egyptians, and those posted nearest to him charged in with him, but the others swerved aside towards the fleeing chariots. Those with Abradatas, striking some with the rush of their horses, overturned them, and crushed those who fell; and whatever the scythes caught, both arms and bodies were violently cut through. But in this indescribable confusion, with the wheels leaping over the heaps of all sorts, Abradatas was thrown out, and others too of those who had charged in with him. And these indeed were cut to pieces, and the Persians following after killed those of the Egyptians who were in disarray, but those who stood firm advanced against the Persians; there indeed was a terrible battle. But the Egyptians had the advantage both in numbers and in arms. And the Persians could not hold out, but retreated step by step, striking and being struck, until they were under the war-engines. But when they came there, the Egyptians were struck again from the towers. And there was great slaughter of men, and a great clash of arms, and a great shouting. Meanwhile Cyrus, pursuing those opposite him, came up. And seeing the Persians pushed from their position, he was grieved, 1.250 and ordering those with him to follow, he rode around to the rear; and charging in, they killed many. But when the Egyptians perceived this, they turned around. And they fought in confusion, both infantry and cavalry; and someone having fallen under Cyrus's horse and being trampled, strikes his horse in the belly with a dagger, and the horse, convulsing from the wound, throws off Cyrus. And immediately they all shouted and falling upon him, fought. And one of Cyrus's attendants, dismounting, helps him up onto his own horse. And when he was mounted, he saw the Egyptians being struck already from all sides. And as he happened to be riding past the engines, he went up on one of the towers, and saw the plain full of horses, men, chariots, of fugitives, of pursuers, of conquerors, of the conquered, but nowhere could he see anything still standing firm except for that of the Egyptians. And these, having been surrounded on all sides, sat down under their shields, doing nothing further, but suffering many and terrible things. And Cyrus, admiring them and pitying that they, being brave men, were perishing, allowed no one to fight them any longer, and he sent a herald to them asking whether they wished all to perish or to be saved. And they said, "By doing what honorable thing might we be saved?" And Cyrus said, "If you would hand over your arms to us, who have chosen to save you, when it was possible to destroy you." And hearing these things, the Egyptians gave and received pledges. Having accomplished these things, Cyrus, it being now dark, led his army away and made camp. And those with Cyrus, after dining, went to sleep, but Croesus immediately fled to Sardis with his army, and the other tribes withdrew in the night wherever they could. 1.251 At dawn Cyrus also led his army to Sardis, and having come to the city he set up his engines and prepared ladders. And on the following night he sent up both Chaldaeans and Persians at what seemed to be the steepest parts of the Sardian fortress. And a Persian man led the way for them, a slave of one of the men in

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μὲν κατὰ τὸ δεξιόν, ἡ δὲ κατὰ τὸ εὐώνυμον, ωστε φόβον παρεῖναι πάσῃ τῇ Κύρου στρατιᾷ· πάντοθεν γὰρ περιείχετο ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων πλὴν ἐξόπισθεν. ομως δὲ καὶ οἱ τοῦ Κύρου, ἐπεὶ παρήγγειλε, πάντες ἐστράφησαν ἀντιπρόσωποι τοῖς πολεμίοις. καὶ ην μὲν πολλὴ τέως πανταχόθεν σιγή· ἡνίκα δὲ εδοξε τῷ Κύρῳ καιρὸς ειναι, ἐξῆρχε παιᾶνα, συνεπήχησε δὲ πᾶς ὁ στρατός. καὶ ἐξανίσταται ὁ Κῦρος καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἱππέων τοῖς ἐναντίοις συνεμίγνυεν, οἱ δὲ πεζοὶ 1.249 αὐτῷ συντεταγμένοι ἐφείποντο. καὶ ̓Αρταγέρσης δὲ ὁ τῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς καμήλοις αρχων ἐπιτίθεται κατὰ τὰ εὐώνυμα, προεὶς τὰς καμήλους, ὡς Κῦρος ἐκέλευσεν. οἱ δ' ιπποι πόρρωθεν αὐτὰς οὐκ ἐδέχοντο, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν εφευγον, οἱ δὲ ἐξήλλοντο, οἱ δ' ἀλλήλοις ἐνέπιπτον. καὶ τὰ αρματα δὲ κατὰ τὸ δεξιὸν καὶ τὸ εὐώνυμον αμα ἐνέβαλλε, καὶ πολλοὶ ταῦτα φεύγοντες ἡλίσκοντο ὑπ' αὐτῶν. καὶ ̓Αβραδάτας βοήσας "ανδρες φίλοι, επεσθε" ἐνίει οὐδὲν τῶν ιππων φειδόμενος· συνεξώρμησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ αλλοι ἁρματηλάται. καὶ ὁ μὲν ̓Αβραδάτας εἰς τὴν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων φάλαγγα ἐμβάλλει, συνεισέβαλον δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ οἱ ἐγγύτατα τεταγμένοι, οἱ δ' αλλοι ἐξέκλιναν κατὰ τὰ φεύγοντα αρματα. οἱ δὲ ἀμφὶ ̓Αβραδάτην τοὺς μὲν τῇ ῥύμῃ τῶν ιππων παίοντες ἀνέτρεπον, τοὺς δὲ πίπτοντας κατηλόων· οσων δὲ τὰ δρέπανα ἐπελάβοντο, πάντα βίᾳ διεκόπτετο καὶ οπλα καὶ σώματα. ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀδιηγήτῳ τούτῳ ταράχῳ ὑπὸ τῶν παντοδαπῶν σωρευμάτων ἐξαλλομένων τῶν τροχῶν ἐκπίπτει ὁ ̓Αβραδάτας, καὶ αλλοι δὲ τῶν συνεισβαλόντων. καὶ ουτοι μὲν κατεκόπησαν, οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι συνεπισπόμενοι τοὺς μὲν τεταραγμένους τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐφόνευον, οἱ δὲ συνεστηκότες ἐναντίον τοῖς Πέρσαις ἐχώρουν· ενθα δὴ δεινὴ μάχη ην. ἐπλεονέκτουν δὲ οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ πλήθει καὶ τοῖς οπλοις. οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι οὐκ ἠδύναντο ἀντέχειν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πόδα ἀνεχάζοντο παίοντες καὶ παιόμενοι, εως ὑπὸ ταῖς μηχαναῖς ἐγένοντο. ἐπεὶ δ' ἐνταῦθα ηλθον, ἐπαίοντο αυθις οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἐκ τῶν πύργων. ην δὲ πολὺς μὲν ἀνδρῶν φόνος, πολὺς δὲ κτύπος οπλων, πολλὴ δὲ βοή. ἐν δὲ τούτῳ Κῦρος διώκων τοὺς κατ' αὐτὸν παραγίνεται. καὶ ἰδὼν τοὺς Πέρσας ἐκ τῆς χώρας ἐωσμένους, ηλγησε, 1.250 καὶ παραγγείλας τοῖς μετ' αὐτοῦ επεσθαι, παρήλαυνεν εἰς τὸ οπισθεν· καὶ εἰσπεσόντες πολλοὺς κατέκαινον. ὡς δ' ῃσθοντο οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, ἐστρέφοντο. καὶ φύρδην ἐμάχοντο καὶ πεζοὶ καὶ ἱππεῖς· πεπτωκὼς δέ τις ὑπὸ τῷ Κύρου ιππῳ καὶ πατούμενος παίει μαχαίρᾳ κατὰ τὴν γαστέρα τὸν ιππον αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ ιππος ἐκ τῆς πληγῆς σφαδάζων ἀποσείεται τὸν Κῦρον. καὶ εὐθὺς ἀνεβόησάν τε απαντες καὶ προσπεσόντες ἐμάχοντο. καί τις τῶν τοῦ Κύρου ὑπηρετῶν καταπηδήσας ἀναβάλλει αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ιππον. ὡς δ' ἀνέβη, κατεῖδε πάντοθεν ηδη παιομένους τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους. ὡς δ' ἐγένετο παρελαύνων παρὰ τὰς μηχανάς, ἐπί τινα τῶν πύργων ἀνέβη, καὶ κατεῖδε μεστὸν τὸ πεδίον ιππων, ἀνθρώπων, ἁρμάτων, φευγόντων, διωκόντων, κρατούντων, κρατουμένων, μένον δὲ οὐδαμοῦ οὐδὲν ετι ἰδεῖν ἠδύνατο πλὴν τὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων. ουτοι δὲ πάντοθεν κυκλωθέντες ὑπὸ ταῖς ἀσπίσιν ἐκάθηντο, ποιοῦντες μὲν οὐδὲν ετι, πάσχοντες δὲ πολλὰ καὶ δεινά. ἀγασθεὶς δὲ ὁ Κῦρος αὐτοὺς καὶ οἰκτείρων οτι ανδρες ἀγαθοὶ οντες ἀπώλλυντο, μάχεσθαι οὐδένα ετι εια αὐτοῖς, διακηρυκεύεται δὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐρωτῶν πότερον βούλονται ἀπολέσθαι πάντες η σωθῆναι. οἱ δέ "ο,τι καλὸν αν ποιοῦντες σωθείημεν;" εφασαν. καὶ ὁ Κῦρος "εἰ τὰ οπλα ἡμῖν παραδοίητε, τοῖς αἱρουμένοις ὑμᾶς σῶσαι, ἐξὸν ἀπολέσαι." ἀκούσαντες δὲ ταῦτα οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι εδοσαν πίστεις καὶ ελαβεν. Ταῦτα διαπραξάμενος ὁ Κῦρος ηδη σκοταῖος ἀναγαγὼν ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο. καὶ οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Κῦρον δειπνήσαντες ἐκοιμήθησαν, Κροῖσος μέντοι εὐθὺς ἐπὶ Σάρδεις σὺν τῷ στρατεύματι εφευγε, τὰ δ' αλλα φῦλα ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ οπῃ ἠδύναντο ἀπεχώρουν. 1.251 εωθεν δὲ ἐπὶ Σάρδεις καὶ ὁ Κῦρος ηγε, καὶ πρὸς τῇ πόλει γενόμενος τάς τε μηχανὰς ἀνίστη καὶ ἡτοίμαζε κλίμακας. τῆς δ' ἐπιούσης νυκτὸς ἀναβιβάζει Χαλδαίους τε καὶ Πέρσας κατὰ τὰ ἀποτομώτατα δοκοῦντα ειναι τοῦ Σαρδιανῶν ἐρύματος. ἡγήσατο δὲ τῆς ὁδοῦ τούτοις Πέρσης ἀνήρ, δοῦλος τῶν ἐν