death, which I should prefer to our own,--indeed to life itself. Ah,
boys, there was a time when things went better than they do now."

"Tell us something about those times."

"And tell us why you never married. It won't matter to you in the next
world, if we do let out your secret."

"There's no secret; any of your own fathers could tell you what you want
to hear from me. Listen then. When I was young, I used to amuse myself
with women, but I laughed at the idea of love. It occurred, however,
that Panthea, the most beautiful of all women, fell into our hands, and
Cyrus gave her into my charge, because I had always boasted that my heart
was invulnerable. I saw her everyday, and learnt, my friends, that love
is stronger than a man's will. However, she refused all my offers,
induced Cyrus to remove me from my office near her, and to accept her
husband Abradatas as an ally. When her handsome husband went out to the
war, this high-minded, faithful woman decked him out with all her own
jewels and told him that the noble conduct of Cyrus, in treating her like
a sister, when she was his captive, could only be repaid by the most
devoted friendship and heroic courage. Abradatas agreed with her, fought
for Cyrus like a lion, and fell. Panthea killed herself by his dead
body. Her servants, on hearing of this, put an end to their own lives
too at the grave of this best of mistresses. Cyrus shed tears over this
noble pair, and had a stone set up to their memory, which you can see
near Sardis. On it are the simple words: 'To Panthea, Abradatas, and the
most faithful of servants.' You see, children, the man who had loved
such a woman could never care for another."

The young men listened in silence, and remained some time after Araspes