“Yes, do so, and give him my shield as a remembrance of his old father.  There is no need to exhort him to virtue.”

“When Psamtik is in our power, shall I tell him what share you had in his overthrow?”

“No; he saw me before he took to flight, and at the unexpected vision his bow fell from his hand.  This was taken by his friends as a signal for flight, and they turned their horses from the battle.”

“The gods ordain, that bad men shall be ruined by their own deeds.  Psamtik lost courage, for he must have believed that the very spirits of the lower world were fighting against him.”

“We mortals gave him quite enough to do.  The Persians fought well.  But the battle would have been lost without the guards and our troops.”

“Without doubt.”

“I thank thee, O Zeus Lacedaemonius.”

“You are praying?”

“I am praising the gods for allowing me to die at ease as to my country.  These heterogeneous masses can never be dangerous to Greece.  Ho, physician, when am I likely to die?”

The Milesian physician, who had accompanied the Greek troops to Egypt, pointed to the arrow-head sticking fast in his breast, and said with a sad smile, “You have only a few hours more to live.  If I were to draw the arrow from your wound, you would die at once.”

The Spartan thanked him, said farewell to Phanes, sent a greeting to Rhodopis, and then, before they could prevent him, drew the arrow from his wound with an unflinching hand.  A few moments later Aristomachus was dead.

The same day a Persian embassy set out for Memphis on board one of the Lesbian vessels.  It was commissioned to demand from Psamtik the surrender of his own person and of the city at discretion.  Cambyses followed, having first sent off a division of his army under Megabyzus to invest Sais.

At Heliopolis he was met by deputations from the Greek inhabitants of Naukratis and the Libyans, praying for peace and his protection, and bringing a golden wreath and other rich presents.  Cambyses received them graciously and assured them of his friendship; but repulsed the messengers from Cyrene and Barka indignantly, and flung, with his own hand, their tribute of five hundred silver mince among his soldiers, disdaining to accept so contemptible an offering.

In Heliopolis he also heard that, at the approach of his embassy, the inhabitants of Memphis had flocked to the shore, bored a hole in the bottom of the ship, torn his messengers in pieces without distinction, as wild beasts would tear raw flesh, and dragged them into the fortress.  On hearing this he cried angrily:  “I swear, by Mithras, that these murdered men shall be paid for; ten lives for one.”

Two days later and Cambyses with his army stood before the gates of Memphis.  The siege was short, as the garrison was far too small for the city, and the citizens were discouraged by the fearful defeat at Pelusium.