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does he appear in a more agreeable light when we view him acknowledging as his benefactor a man who had when young presented him with a suit of clothes which pleased Darius at the time very much. This is an evidence to me that he was not as proud and arrogant as he might be, "In the beginning of the fifth year of the reign of Darius, Babylon revolted and could not be reduced till after a siege of twenty months". The Bablonians occupied four years in preparing for this war but Darius with the whole force of the Persian Empire succeeded in destroying the city which had been unclear in a terrible manner even though the Babylonians used every means to preserve it in their power adopting such outrageous resolutions as the following, that of destroying all such persons as were not servicable even their wives and children by strangulation. The bablonians strengthd so much their forces in this manner that they regarded them as impregnable and for a time they did seem to render the unclear efforts of the Persian fruitless but fortune favored them after the lapse of eighteen months. Zophyrus, a devoted friend of the kings feeling a strong desire that Darius should succeed in the enterprise in which he had been obliged to engage, caused his own ears and nose to be taken off and himself to be covered with many wounds then presented himself to the king stating his intention of going in this conclusion to the enemy and representing there that he had been thus injured by the king for daring to advise him to give up fighting against a people as well armed as they had had proof that the bablonians were. He went and as he anticipated was placed commander over many troops finally he was intrusted with guarding the gates of the city which he allowed Darius to enter without any resistance. As a reward, Zophyrus was given the whole revenue of this great city but nothing could restore him to his former beauty nothing fully compensated him for his daring deed. Darius caused the walls of the city to be taken down and pardoned all the inhabitants save 3,000 of the principal actors in the revolt. After Darius' capture of Babylon he commenced war with the Scythians, a nation