Page 114 - The Prophet-statesman a Drama of Daniel

CHAPTER XXV

THE RISE OF THE MEDES AND THE PERSIANS

“Have you taken note of the great improvement in the civilization of the Persians
under the administration of their young King, Cyrus, and the rise of their military
might as they have formed an alliance with my people, the Medes?” The question was
addressed to King Nabunaid by his mother-in-law, the Queen-Mother Rhea, as they

sat in the parlor of the palace five years after the former’s accession to the throne.
“I have not given them very serious attention because I have not felt that they
merited it. I have heard something of the young upstart, Cyrus, and that he has
attained a certain degree of popularity among his own people and has somewhat

improved their lot. But their bettered condition will simply mean a proportionate
benefit to our royal treasury, as they are still assessed a tribute to us and have never
refused to pay it,” the king replied languidly. “My present concern is not for them, but
to push our conquests farther to the Orient and to avail ourselves of the fabulous

wealth of the Nabobs of India, and maybe later of the great land of Sinim.” He
continued. “I am now in process of fitting out an expedition to make an invasion of
India.”
“You may regret not paying more heed to this rising Northern Alliance. The

youngest brother of my oldest lady-in-waiting, she who came to attend me when I first
married King Nebuchadnezzar, has been visiting her, and has been telling her startling
things about the grandeur of the city of Achmetha in our native Media, which has
become the treasure-city of the Persian kings and which they call Ecbatana. The civil

administration seems to be in the hands of the brilliant and honorable young ruler,
Cyrus (who is not an ‘upstart’) and the military power is committed to Gobryas, my
own nephew, who is reported to be an able general and military strategist. I can only
say that you would be taking a serious risk to lead the cream of your army so far

afield, to the lands of the Rising Sun, and not take cognizance of this rising power in
the North, so near at hand and such a potential threat,” Queen Rhea continued.
“Your partiality to your native land, my dear Mother-in-law, has tended to give

you an exaggerated opinion of its importance. By comparison with our Chaldean
might, their kingdom is a miniature kingdom and their army one of toy soldiers. When
I embark shortly on my expedition to the lands of the Rising Sun, I shall leave a
skeleton garrison to defend the city; the remnants of our army who will yet be vastly
more than sufficient to cope with the strength of the Medes and Persians. In the last

two years, I have committed the civil administration largely into the able hands of my
son, Belshazzar, who will be regent-king in my absence. He will have excellent and