ANCIENT PERSIANS. 
93 
with the vices of the vanquished. Indeed, so long as nearly three 
centuries after the first Cyrus, we find from Xenophon, in his 
account of the expedition of the second Cyrus, where he de¬ 
scribes the fatiguing marches by which that prince led his army 
of mingled Greeks, Persians, and barbarians, into Babylonia ; 
that once, where the road was narrow, and so deep that the 
carriages could not be dragged along without the greatest dif¬ 
ficulty, Cyrus stopped in the midst of his most distinguished 
officers, and ordered the leaders of the waggons to take some of 
the barbarians belonging to the army, and apply them to the 
carriages to help them through. But observing that they went 
sullenly, and slowly to the work, he affected to look contemp¬ 
tuously on their want of energy; and with an air of perfect cer¬ 
tainty of being obeyed, he briskly commanded the noble Persians 
who were around him, to displace those idle fellows, and assist 
the carriages in getting through the clay. In a moment the 
whole circle were dismounted, and throwing off their purple 
robes which encumbered the free action required, ran, as if it 
had been for a prize, down a very steep hill, amongst the mud 
and clay. They were all clad in costly vests, and embroidered 
drawers ; some even with chains about their necks, and bracelets 
on their arms ; and leaping into the dirt without any regard to 
these ornaments, they lifted up the carriages, and dragged them 
with rapidity to the feet of Cyrus. The barbarians were ashamed, 
and the Greeks lost in admiration. 
This part of modern Irak Ajem, which, in former times, was a 
division of Media, occupies the midland and elevated tract com¬ 
monly known under the name of A1 Jebal; but the whole of 
the Median country, in the earliest ages, comprised a very wide 
extent. All writers on the subject agree in its having been one 
