THALIA. 37

and expressed their grief aloud. After a very short
interval, the bone became infected, the whole of the
thigh mortified, and death ensued. Thus died Cam-
byses, son of Cyrus, after a reign of seven years and
five months, leaving no offspring, male or female.
The Persians who were present could not be persuaded
that the magi had assumed the supreme authority, but
rather believed that what Cambyses had asserted con­
cerning the death of Smerdis, was prompted by his
hatred of that prince, and his wish to excite the gen­
eral animosity of the Persians against him. They
were, therefore, generally satisfied that it was really
Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, who had assumed the sov­
ereignty. To which they were the more inclined, be­
cause Prexaspes afterwards positively denied that he
had put Smerdis to death. When Cambyses was dead,
he could not safely have confessed that he had killed
the son of Cyrus.

LXVII. After the death of Cambyses, the magus,
by the favour of his name, pretending to be Smerdis,
the son of Cyrus, reigned in security during the seven
months, which completed the eighth year of the reign
of Cambyses. In this period he distinguished the
various dependants on his power by his great munifi­
cence, so that after his death he was seriously regret­
ted by all the inhabitants of Asia, except the Persians.
He commenced his reign by publishing every where
an edict which exempted his subjects, for the space of
three years, both from tribute and military service.

LXVIII. In the eighth month he was detected in
the following manner: Otanes, son of Pharnaspes,
was of the first rank of the Persians, both with regard
to birth and affluence. This nobleman was the first
who suspected that this was not Smerdis, the son of
Cyrus; and was induced to suppose who he really
was, from his never quitting the citadel, and from his
not inviting any of the nobles to his presence. Sus­
picious of the imposture, he took these measures: He
had a daughter named Phaedyma, who had been mar­
ried to Cambyses, and whom, with the other wives of
the late king, the usurper had taken to himself. Ota­
nes sent a message to her, to know whether she co-

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