MERGE TO GYRENE. 
563 
of Arcesilaus depended ; and he was afterwards assassinated in the 
market-place at Barca, together with Alazir, the king of the place, 
whose daughter he had taken for his wife. The queen Pheretime 
had established her son’s authority in Cyrene ; but on hearing of his 
death, she fled immediately to Egypt, and persuaded Aryandes, who 
at that time commanded there as viceroy of Darius Hystaspis, to 
march an army against the Barceans. Before proceeding to extre- 
mities, Aryandes despatched a messenger to the people of Barca, 
desiring to be informed, if they really had been guilty of the death 
of Arcesilaus. On their acknowledging the act, he set his army in 
motion, and gave the command of it to Amasis, while a fleet at the 
same time was entrusted to Badres, and both proceeded to take 
vengeance of the assassins. After a long and ineffectual siege, Barca 
was entered by treachery : and Amasis, who had passed Ids word to 
spare the lives of the Barceans, gave them over to the vengeance of 
Pheretime ; by whom all who were concerned in the murder of her 
son were put to death in the most inhuman manner. The city was 
plundered by the Persian army, and the lives and property of those 
persons only were respected, who had been averse to the murder of 
Arcesilaus. 
Their object accomplished, the Persians returned to Egypt *, 
leaving Barca, by desire of Pheretime, in possession of those who had 
* This army is said by Herodotus to have penetrated farther to the westward; and 
the historian believes (what is extremely probable) that the Persians had views on other 
parts of Libya, besides that possessed by tlie people of Barca ; and that the army of 
Amasis was intended to reconnoitre the country, if not to reduce it to subjection. 
4 C 2 
