The history of no country is more replete with strange incidents and
tragic events than is the history of Persia, and probably none of those
romantic episodes are more curious than is that of the pseudo Smerdis.
Herodotus is our chief authority for the few circumstances recounted of
this impostor's life and deeds, and those few circumstances, like so
many other wonderful things told of by the "Father of History," must be
taken _cum grano salis_. It is very difficult to distinguish the facts
of so remote a period of the world's history as was the epoch of
Smerdis from the fable, and the safer plan is to accept all such
records, not strongly corroborated by a conformity of contemporary
opinion, as pure fiction, or as merely symbolic. The migrations and
conquests of prehistoric peoples, as displayed by their philological
and ethnological remains, are far more reliable evidence than are
fables of the partial, or purposely misleading so-called "historians"
of antiquity, whose writings generally are little better than
collections of allegorical folk-lore.
The story of the pseudo Smerdis, with these qualifying reservations,
may be narrated thus:--Cyrus, the founder of the Persian empire, left
his extensive possessions to his eldest son, Cambyses. This monarch,
whom it has been sought to identify with the Ahasuerus of Scripture,
commenced his reign with a great display of energy and warlike spirit,
but would appear to have incensed the priesthoods of the different
countries under his sway by manifesting an utter contempt for their
rites, and by deriding their ceremonies.
Urged by an insatiable ambition, he made war upon Egypt, added it to
his already overgrown empire, and then, with his vast hordes of
soldiery, overran the greater portion of North Africa. Not, however,
possessing the ability or means of swaying such extended domains, he
found himself, after his armies had suffered most frightful loss of
life, compelled to retreat from Ethiopia and to return to Egypt.
Arriving in this latter country about the period of the festivals held
in honour of Apis, he is stated to have slain the sacred bull, under
which form the god was symbolically worshipped, and in consequence of
the sacrilegious deed, was punished with insanity. Previous to this
catastrophe, in a fit of jealousy, he had sent his only brother Smerdis
back to Persia; and now his suspicions as to the good faith of his
nearest relative and heir were intensified by a dream he had, in which
he imagined that a courier had arrived from Persia to inform him that
Smerdis had usurped the Persian throne.
Filled with dread, Cambyses sent for Prexaspes, his most faithful
servitor, and persuaded him to undertake the assassination of Smerdis.
During the absence of his envoy, and whilst under the influence of
frightful attacks of mental aberration, he committed the most terrible
cruelties, amongst the crimes enumerated by the historian being the
brutal murder of his sister, whom he had espoused; the slaying of the
son of his favourite, Prexaspes, and the burying alive--head
downwards--of twelve of the principal noblemen of his court.
The assassination of Smerdis, which was undoubtedly carried out,
combined with the mental incapacity of Cambyses, offered a good
opportunity for a bold, energetic man to grasp the reins of power, and,
as is generally the case, the man presented himself. There was a
certain member of the Magi, or priestly caste of Persia, who not only
greatly resembled the murdered prince in feature, but also, more
wonderful to relate, bore the same name of Smerdis. _The ears of this
man had been cut off_ by Cyrus for some crime or offence. He was,
therefore, as may be well imagined, only too ready to seize an
opportunity to avenge himself on his royal master. Aided, if not
instigated, by his elder brother, Patizithes, a man of some influence,
and Governor of the Palace, Smerdis raised the standard of revolt, and,
the death of the real prince not being generally known, speedily
obtained possession of all the royal strongholds. Tutored by his
brother, the pseudo prince usurped the throne, and then, as the
veritable son of Cyrus, sent envoys to all parts, but chiefly to the
chief men and commanders of the army in Egypt, ordering them to
relinquish their allegiance to Cambyses, and to do homage to him,
Smerdis, as King of Persia.
One of the pretender's envoys having arrived at Ecbatana, in Syria,
where the Persian monarch was, proclaimed his mission publicly in the
midst of the army. When Cambyses heard the announcement he fancied
that he had been deceived by Prexaspes, and that he had not executed
his order to kill Smerdis. He angrily accused his too faithful
servitor of having betrayed him, but he not only positively assured him
that he had done the deed, and buried the murdered prince with his own
hands, but also suggested to him that the envoy should be sent after
and interrogated. This reasonable advice being approved of by
Cambyses, the messenger was at once sought for, discovered, brought
before the king, and promised a safe conduct if he confessed the truth.
"Have you seen Prince Smerdis personally?" demanded Prexaspes. "Have
you received your instructions from his own mouth, or from one of his
ministers?"
"Verily," answered the man, "I have not beheld Prince Smerdis since the
Egyptian war; but the Magi, who was made governor of the palace by
Cambyses, gave me my orders, and informed me that Smerdis, the son of
Cyrus, had commanded that the proclamation should be published here."
Cambyses, on hearing this, exonerated his confidant from the charge of
having disobeyed his orders, but could not comprehend the meaning of
the conspiracy against his authority. Prexaspes, however, who was well
acquainted with the Magi brothers, began to see through the mystery,
and said:
"This affair is brought about by the Magi, who are always conspiring
against you. Patizithes, whom you left in Persia to take charge of
your affairs and his brother Smerdis, are the authors of this
undertaking."
Cambyses, on hearing the name of Smerdis pronounced, called to mind his
dream, and perceiving the inutility of his fratricidal crime, began to
bewail his brother's death. Determined to set forth at once to expose
and punish the pretender, he hastily mounted his horse, and in so doing
the scabbard becoming detached from the sword, the naked weapon
penetrated his right thigh, exactly in the same way as he had mortally
wounded the sacred bull of Apis!
Finding himself severely wounded, the king demanded the name of the
place, and being informed that it was Ecbatana, at once concluded that
his end was near at hand, an oracle having formerly foretold that he
would die at Ecbatana. He had hitherto believed that the prophecy
meant the town of that name in Media, but now saw that it meant
Ecbatana in Syria.
After lingering in a serious state for some days, he summoned the chief
Persian nobles who were with him, and said: "I must confess to you
what, above all things, I would have kept concealed. When in Egypt I
had a dream which made me fear that my brother Smerdis would despoil me
of the empire; I therefore had him executed. But his death has but
hastened the loss of my sovereignty, for it was the Magi Smerdis of
whom God spoke to me in a dream, and who has now taken up arms against
me. Do not imagine that it is Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, still living;
but, believe me, the kingdom has been usurped by the Magi, one of whom
I left in Persia to manage my household affairs, and the other is his
brother named Smerdis." He then conjured them to take vengeance upon
the pretenders, and with some shrewd injunctions, took leave of them.
After this interview his wound rapidly became mortal, and he died after
a reign of little more than seven years.
Upon the decease of Cambyses, no one cared to dispute possession of the
Persian throne with the pseudo Smerdis, who was, indeed, generally
believed to be the prince whose name he had assumed, most people
deeming the dying words of the late monarch to have been prompted by a
desire for vengeance upon his brother for seeking the Persian
sovereignty during his life. As for Prexaspes, for obvious reasons he
refrained from proclaiming his share in the death of a son of Cyrus.
For seven months the pretender ruled this mighty empire, and with such
beneficence and justice that for long after his death he was deeply
regretted by all the peoples of Asia, with the exception of the warlike
Persians, whom he offended by exempting all his subjects from military
service for three years, and from all kinds of tribute. In the eighth
month of his reign his imposture was thus singularly discovered.
Otanes, a Persian nobleman of the highest rank and wealth, had long
suspected the deceit, and by means of his daughter Phaedyma was enabled
to detect it. She had been wife to the late king, and after the death
of Cambyses was retained in the impostor's harem. Otanes knew that the
Magian Smerdis, whom he guessed the impersonator of the dead prince to
be, had had his ears cut off. He therefore commanded his daughter to
try and discover, during his slumbers, whether the present wearer of
the crown had lost his or not. The girl consented, and, despite all
the pretender's care to conceal his deficiency, in the course of a few
days was enabled to inform her father that this Smerdis _had not any
ears_. This intelligence was sufficient for Otanes, who summoned six
of the leading Persian nobles, and informed them of his discovery.
Whilst they were debating amongst themselves how to take vengeance upon
the Magians, another unlooked-for event hastened the pretender's
detection.
Feeling insecure, the party of the pseudo Smerdis summoned to them
Prexaspes, the only man who could prove the death of the murdered
prince, and by means of heavy bribes sought to win him to their party.
Knowing his influence amongst the people, and his knowledge of the
private affairs of the late king, they desired him to acknowledge the
present occupant of the throne as the veritable son and heir of Cyrus.
He appeared to consent. The Persians were required to assemble, and
Prexaspes, addressing them from the summit of an adjacent tower,
frustrated all the Magi's plans by confessing himself to the multitude
as the assassin of the real Smerdis, the son of Cyrus the King. As
soon as he had completed the story of the murder, he implored them to
oust the Magians from power, and then precipitating himself from the
tower, was killed on the spot.
In the meanwhile the seven Persian noblemen were not idle. Having
arranged their plans, they penetrated into the palace, slew the
body-guards, and, despite their courageous resistance, put the
pretender and his brother to death. Thus, after a most prosperous
reign of eight months, perished the pseudo Smerdis. His death was
followed by a general attack upon the Magi, or so-called "wise men;"
and a very large number of them were ruthlessly slaughtered. The fact
of their being Medes rendered them hateful to the Persians, and caused
the latter to be only too glad of an excuse for their extermination.