“Let the crown of Cyrus be brought hither!” commanded the King.
A double crown, one part of which was silver and the other of gold, studded with gems, was brought forth. The King gravely rose from his throne and, addressing his son, said:
“You have heard the choice of the nobles of Iran, my beloved son! In the presence of these men, I now renounce in your behalf the supreme rule of the world. Here and now I crown you King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Rule wisely and well. As King of Iran, I acknowledge you supreme Lord and will support your throne forever!”
The Prince, much affected, knelt at his father’s feet and received upon his head the double crown, which the great Cyrus had made as a symbol of his everlasting dominion over the kings of the world. Then he rose and sat down upon the throne, with Athura at his right hand and his father at his left. The great lords of Persia came and did obeisance to him and bent their right knees before him. Thus Darius Hystaspis became the Great King, and proved to be the wisest and greatest of them all. For, to the military ability of the heroic Cyrus, he added the wisdom of a statesman, the greatest of his age; and, in addition, he was a lover of art and science.
On the following day, at noon, in response to the call of public criers, a vast concourse of people gathered in and around the public square or market-place in Hamadan. Soldiers of the Persian army were massed at one side. The nobility, men of note and strangers, were massed on the other. In the midst, the public criers’ tower arose forty feet in air, and from it, the people understood, announcement would be made concerning the accession of Darius Hystaspis to the throne as King of Kings.
The people were restive. A bitter factional feeling had arisen during the reign of the false Bardya. The followers of the Magi, being in favor, had lorded it over the more orthodox Medes and Persians, had even prohibited their worship, and had taken away from their priests the revenues on which they lived. When Gaumata fell and the Persian army entered the capital, the persecuted ones in turn had come forth and assumed a haughty spirit towards the Magians. In all parts of Medea, as well as in the capital city, was the same unrest. Men hated their neighbors on account of religion, the most deadly hatred that men may entertain, and were ready to slay each other. It needed only the excitement of a great gathering to set afire the smoldering embers of hate. The eyes of all turned often to the gruesome spectacle of an earless head on the top of a pole planted near the tower in such position that the populace could see it. A squad of soldiers guarded it from being overthrown by the pressure of the crowd. It was the distorted and blackened face of Gaumata.
At noon there issued from the palace a company consisting of the Great King, his Queen, his father, and the nobles of Iran, and they rode between massed lines of soldiers to a position near the tower. They were received with loud acclaim and clashing of weapons. A trumpet pealed forth from the tower, and a deep silence fell upon the people. Then Prexaspes appeared, accompanied by Gobryas and two armed guards.
Prexaspes was carefully dressed. His hair and whiskers were curled and perfumed. His rich Medean cloak was gracefully parted so as to display to advantage his jeweled vestments. He was at once recognized, and a subdued murmur of wonder passed through the crowd. He raised his hand in graceful gesture, and said in a loud voice:
“Behold me, Prexaspes, most unhappy of men! I am about to die and let my death, suffered righteously, attest the truth of my words!”
He paused a moment, to let his hearers grasp his meaning. Then he told the story of the plots by which the Magi had influenced Cambyses to order the death of Bardya and how he himself had slain the Prince with their aid; how they had then conspired against Cambyses and caused his overthrow and death; how they had set up Gaumata, the earless one, to be King, falsely representing him to be Bardya, and had placed the Magian on the throne of the world; and, finally, how the false King had been overthrown.