620 
HISTORY IN ILLUSTRATION 
many public works, both here and at Susa, employing the captives 
he had brought from Egypt, in the decoration of his two favourite 
cities. The usurper Smerdis, who followed the short reign of 
Cambyses, had hardly time to seat himself on the throne, ere 
he was dispossessed and slain, by the son of Hystaspes, the friend 
and kinsman of Cyrus. Drawing his claim to the sceptre, or 
rather confirming his hold of it, by that affinity ; what is more 
likely than that the avowed restorer of the ancient royal line, 
should thus embellish the native palace of his great predecessor, 
by commemorating on marble the very institutions which he 
had made the principles of his own government. The length 
of his reign allowed him ample time for the prosecution 
of the most elaborate works, and the extent of his resources 
afforded him liberal means of carrying the most magnificent 
plans into execution. From all that is related of him, he 
appears to have united two characters hardly to have been found 
in the breast of one man, in those days of romantic heroism, or 
churlish barbarity,—the hero and the man of business ; and the 
sketch of his government, as given by Herodotus, evinces what 
would be called well-ordered policy, even in our all-accomplished 
times. When Darius Hystaspes assumed the regal seat, in the 
capital of his ancestors, (where his father had resided as governor 
during the reign of Cyrus, and probably of his son,) he came 
into possession, not merely of all the countries which Cyrus had 
conquered, but of those also which the younger Cambyses had 
added to the empire. Xenophon tells us, that Cyrus divided 
his dominions into one hundred and twenty provinces, placing a 
governor over each ; and we find from Daniel, (chap. vi. 2.) that 
over these, three leading counsellors were placed, of which he 
was one. But all this was disturbed by the tempestuous reigns 
