beauty.  Sisters also were they of the same race; but the one dwelt in the land of the Greeks, and the other in the land of Asia.  Between these two there arose a strife; and my son took and soothed them, and would have yoked them to his chariot.  Then she that wore the Persian garb was quiet and obedient to the bit; but the other fought against him, and tare with her hands the trappings of the chariot, and brake the yoke in the midst, so that my son fell upon the ground; and when he was fallen, lo! his father Darius stood over him, pitying him.  This was my dream; and when I had risen and washed my hands in the running stream, I went to the altar, that I might offer incense to the Gods that avert evil from men; and there I saw an eagle fleeing to the altar of Phoebus, and a kite pursued after him, and flew upon him, and tare his head with his claws; nor did the eagle aught but yield himself up to his adversary.  Now these are fearful things for me to see and also for you to hear.  But remember that if my son shall prosper, all men will do him honour; and if he shall fail, yet shall he give account to no man, but be still ruler of this land.”

To this the chief of the old men made answer, “O lady, we would counsel thee first to ask the Gods that they turn away all evils, and bring to pass all that is good; and next to make offerings to Earth and to the dead, and specially to thy husband King Darius, whom thou sawest in visions of the night, that he may send blessings from below to thy son, and turn away all trouble into darkness and nothingness.”

“This will I do,” said the Queen, “so soon as I shall have gone back to the palace.  But first I would hear certain things of you.  Tell me, my friends, in what land is this Athens of which they speak?”

“It is far to the west,” the old men made reply, “towards the setting of the sun.”

“And why did my son seek to subdue this city?”

“Because he knew that if he prevailed against it all Greece should be subject unto him.”

“Hath it, then, so many men that draw the sword?”

“Such an army it hath as hath wrought great damage to the Medes.”

“And hath it aught else, as wealth sufficient?”

“There is a spring of silver, a treasure hid in their earth.”

“Do the men make war with bows?”

[Illustration:  ATOSSA’S dream.]

“Not so; they have spears for close fighting and shields.”

“And who is master of their army?”

“They are not slaves or subjects to any man.”

“How, then, can they abide the onset of the Persians?”

“Nay, but so well they abide it that they slew a great army of King Darius.”

“What thou sayest is ill to hear for the mothers of them that are gone.”

And when the Queen had thus spoken, the counsellors espied a man of Persia running to them with all speed, and knew that he bare tidings from the hosts, whether good or evil.  And when the man was come, he cried out, “O land of Persia, abode of proud wealth, how are thy riches destroyed, and the flower of thy strength perished!  ’Tis an ill task to bring such tidings, yet I am constrained to tell all our trouble.  O men of Persia, the whole army of our land hath perished.”