talents, if he would accomplish for him that for which he was asking;
and when Cleomenes refused, Aristagoras went on increasing the sums of
money offered, until at last he had promised fifty talents, and at
that moment the child cried out: "Father, the stranger will do thee
hurt,[38] if thou do not leave him and go." Cleomenes, then, pleased
by the counsel of the child, departed into another room, and
Aristagoras went away from Sparta altogether, and had no opportunity
of explaining any further about the way up from the sea to the
residence of the king.

52. As regards this road the truth is as follows.--Everywhere there
are royal stages[39] and excellent resting-places, and the whole road
runs through country which is inhabited and safe. Through Lydia and
Phrygia there extend twenty stages, amounting to ninety-four and a
half leagues;[40] and after Phrygia succeeds the river Halys, at which
there is a gate[40a] which one must needs pass through in order to
cross the river, and a strong guard-post is established there. Then
after crossing over into Cappadokia it is twenty-eight stages, being a
hundred and four leagues, by this way to the borders of Kilikia; and
on the borders of the Kilikians you will pass through two several
gates and go by two several guard-posts: then after passing through
these it is three stages, amounting to fifteen and a half leagues, to
journey through Kilikia; and the boundary of Kilikia and Armenia is a
navigable river called Euphrates. In Armenia the number of stages with
resting-places is fifteen, and of leagues fifty-six and a half, and
there is a guard-post on the way: then from Armenia, when one enters
the land of Matiene,[41] there are thirty-four stages, amounting to a
hundred and thirty-seven leagues; and through this land flow four
navigable rivers, which cannot be crossed but by ferries, first the
Tigris, then a second and third called both by the same name,[42]