"Well," said Prexaspes, "and what followed?" The proud island-prince sent him at once. He cured me, as you see, and left us a few days ago loaded with presents."
"Well," interrupted Zopyrus, "I can quite understand, that Polykrates likes to keep his physician near him. I assure you, Darius, it would not be easy to find his equal. He's as handsome as Minutscher, as clever as Piran Wisa, as strong as Rustem, and as benevolent and helpful as the god Soma. I wish you could have seen how well he threw those round metal plates he calls discs. I am no weakling, but when we wrestled he soon threw me. And then he could tell such famous stories—stories that made a man's heart dance within him."
[This very Oroetes afterwards succeeded in enticing Polykrates to
Sardis and there crucified him. Herod. III. 120-125. Valerius
Maximus VI. 9. 5.]
"We know just such a fellow too," said Darius, smiling at his friend's enthusiasm. "That Athenian Phanes, who came to prove our innocence."
"The physician Democedes is from Crotona, a place which must be somewhere very near the setting sun."
"But is inhabited by Greeks, like Athens." added Oroetes. "Ah, my young friends, you must beware of those fellows; they're as cunning, deceitful, and selfish, as they are strong, clever, and handsome."
"Democedes is generous and sincere," cried Zopyrus.
"And Croesus himself thinks Phanes not only an able, but a virtuous man," added Darius.
"Sappho too has always, and only spoken well of the Athenian," said Bartja, in confirmation of Darius's remark. "But don't let us talk any more about these Greeks," he went on. "They give Oroetes so much trouble by their refractory and stubborn conduct, that he is not very fond of them."
"The gods know that," sighed the satrap. "It's more difficult to keep one
Greek town in order, than all the countries between the Euphrates and the
Tigris."