To this must be added that the entire nobility of the realm, the satraps or governors of the provinces, and the chief priests from every town were also assembled at Babylon to celebrate the king’s birthday.

[The king’s birthday was the principal feast among the Persians, and called “the perfect feast.”  Herod.  I. 133.  Birthdays were held in much honor by the ancients, and more especially those of their kings.  Both the great bilingual Egyptian tablets, which we possess (the Rosetta stone, line 10 of hieroglyphic text; Gr. text, line 46. and the edict of Canopus ed.  Lepsius, hieroglyphic text 1. 3.  Gr. text 1. 5.) mention the celebration of the birthday of one of the Ptolemies; and even of Rameses ii., so early as the 14th century B. C. we read:  “There was joy in heaven on his birthday.”]

The entire body of officials and deputies streamed from the provinces up to the royal city, bringing presents to their ruler and good wishes; they came also to take part in the great sacrifices at which horses, stags, bulls and asses were slaughtered in thousands as offerings to the gods.

At this festival all the Persians received gifts, every man was allowed to ask a petition of the king, which seldom remained unfulfilled, and in every city the people were feasted at the royal expense.  Cambyses had commanded that his marriage with Nitetis should be celebrated eight days after the birthday, and all the magnates of the realms should be invited to the ceremony.

The streets of Babylon swarmed with strangers, the colossal palaces on both shores of the Euphrates were overfilled, and all the houses stood adorned in festal brightness.

The zeal thus displayed by his people, this vast throng of human beings, —­representing and bringing around him, as it were, his entire kingdom, contributed not a little to raise the king’s spirits.

His pride was gratified; and the only longing left in his heart had been stilled by Nitetis’ love.  For the first time in his life he believed himself completely happy, and bestowed his gifts, not only from a sense of his duty as king of Persia, but because the act of giving was in itself a pleasure.

Megabyzus could not extol the deeds of Bartja and his friends too highly.  Cambyses embraced the young warriors, gave them horses and gold chains, called them “brothers” and reminded Bartja, that he had promised to grant him a petition if he returned victorious.

At this Bartja cast down his eyes, not knowing at first in what form to begin his request, and the king answered laughing:  “Look, my friends; our young hero is blushing like a girl!  It seems I shall have to grant something important; so he had better wait until my birthday, and then, at supper, when the wine has given him courage, he shall whisper in my ear what he is now afraid to utter.  Ask much, Bartja, I am happy myself, and wish all my friends to be happy too.”  Bartja only smiled in answer and went to his mother; for he had not yet opened his heart to her on the matter which lay so near it.