SECTION 3. THE SATRAPS

What, ultimately, was to reduce the Persian Empire to such weakness that
a Western power would be able to strike at its heart with little more
than forty thousand men, was the disease of disloyalty which spread
among the great officers during the first half of the fourth century.
Before Cyrus' expedition we have not heard of either satraps or client
provinces raising the standard of revolt (except in Egypt), since the
Empire had been well established; and if there was evident collusion
with that expedition on the part of provincial officers in Asia Minor
and Syria, the fact has little political significance, seeing that Cyrus
was a scion of the royal House, and the favourite of the Queen-Mother.
But the fourth century is hardly well begun before we find satraps and
princes aiding the king's enemies and fighting for their own hand
against him or a rival officer. Agesilaus was helped in Asia Minor both
by the prince of Paphlagonia and by a Persian noble. Twenty years later
Ariobarzanes of Pontus rises in revolt; and hard on his defection
follows a great rebellion planned by the satraps of Caria, Ionia, Lydia,
Phrygia and Cappadocia--nearly all Asia Minor in fact--in concert with
coastal cities of Syria and Phoenicia. Another ten years pass and new
governors of Mysia and Lydia rise against their king with the help of
the Egyptians and Mausolus, client prince of Halicarnassus. Treachery or
lack of resources and stability brought these rebels one after another
to disaster; but an Empire whose great officers so often dare such
adventures is drawing apace to its catastrophe.

The causes of this growing disaffection among the satraps are not far to
seek. At the close of the last chapter we remarked the deterioration of
the harem-ridden court in the early days of Artaxerxes; and as time