Xenophon's Cyrus the Great by Larry Hedrick

Author:Larry Hedrick
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780312355319
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Script Stratagems that Bring Success

“If things go according to plan,” said Gobryas, anticipating me, “the commander will admit Mandarus and all his men. He might even beg the eunuch to stay there until you withdraw.”

“So then,” I summarized, “Mandarus will capture the place from within and turn it over to us. In war a man can sometimes do his friends a world of good by pretending to be their enemy.”

“I think that will happen as you wish,” said Gobryas.

“Then be off at once,” I said with excitement, “and teach Mandarus his part. When you’ve arranged these affairs, come back to me.”

Presently Gobryas brought back word that the eunuch was prepared to put our plan into action, so I proceeded to make my feigned attack on the following day. The four Persian officers who were “captured” by Mandarus when I “retreated” were actually men whom I had instructed to surrender and play along with the game.

Once Mandarus had interrogated the four in the presence of witnesses, he got his force together and set out in the night to warn the outpost that I was coming. They galloped as hard as possible for several days before arriving on the marches of Assyria.

Trusted and welcomed as a deliverer, Mandarus was embraced by the commander of the outpost, but as soon as I appeared with my army outside, the eunuch seized the place, aided by the men he’d brought with him. This deception had the great advantage of saving lives on both sides, and it hastened matters wonderfully when time was—as time so often is—of the essence.

When our victory was secure, Mandarus came out to meet me at the gates of the outpost, bowing down according to the custom of his land. As I drew him back up to his feet, he said, “Your Highness, may joy be yours!”

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