160 MELPOMENE.

being killed of the Persians as of their adversaries)
Amasis, the leader of the infantry, employed the fol­
lowing stratagem: being convinced that the Barceana
were not to be overcome by any open attacks, he sunk
in the night a large and deep trench : the surface of
this he covered with some slight pieces of wood, then
placing earth over the whole, the ground had uni­
formly the same appearance. At the dawn of the
morning he invited the Barceans to a conference;
they willingly assented, being very desirous to come
to terms. Accordingly they entered into a treaty, of
which these were the conditions: it was to remain
valid as long as the earth upon which the agreement
was made should retain its present appearance. The
Barceans were to pay the Persian monarch a certain
reasonable tribute; and the Persians engaged them­
selves, to undertake nothing in future to the detriment
of the Barceans. 'Relying upon these engagements,
the Barceans, without hesitation, threw open the gates
of their city, going out and in themselves without
fear of consequences, and permitting without restraint
such of the enemy as pleased to come within their
walls. The Persians withdrawing the artificial sup­
port of the earth, where they had sunk a trench, en­
tered the city in crowds ; they imagined by this arti­
fice that they had fulfilled all they had undertaken,
and were brought back to the situation in which they
were mutually before. For in reality, this support
of the earth being taken away, the oath they had
taken became void.

CCII. The Persians seized and surrendered to the
power of Pheretime such of the Barceans as had been
instrumental in the death of her son. These she
crucified on different parts of the walls; she cut off
also the breasts of their wives, and suspended them in
a similar situation. She permitted the Persians to
plunder the rest of the Barceans, except the Battiadee,
and those who were not concerned in the murder.
These she suffered to retain their situations and
property.

CCIII. The rest of the Barceans being reduced to
servitude, the Persians returned home. Arriving at