Amestris was deeply vexed about [the death of] her son, Achaemenides, because she had not had vengeance on Inarus and the Greeks [who had killed him]. She asked for this from the King but he did not grant it. Then she asked for it from Megabyzus, who sent her away. Then, because she kept on bothering her son about it, she got her way. After five years she was given Inarus and the Greeks by the King. And she impaled him on three stakes; and she beheaded as many Greeks as she was able to get hold of - fifty in all. . . . Artarius sent a messenger to Megabyzus and advised him to make a treaty with the King. Megabyzus made it clear that he wanted to make a treaty too but did not want to go to the King - rather he would only do it on condition that he could stay in his own land. The King was told this and both the Paphlagonian eunuch, Artoxares, and Amestris, too, advised him to make a peace treaty quickly. And so Artarius himself was sent, as were Amytis, Megabyzus’ wife, Artoxares. . . and Petesas, the father of Urisis and Spitamas. They made full assurances to Megabyzus with numerous speeches and oaths, but nevertheless had great difficulty persuading him to come to the King. When Megabyzus did return, the King finally sent him news that he was forgiven for the wrongs he had done. . . . The King went out hunting and was attacked by a lion. Megabyzus struck the beast with a javelin as it was flying through the air and killed it. And Artaxerxes was annoyed because Megabyzus had struck it before he could hit it himself. And he ordered that Megabyzus should be beheaded. His life was spared because of the entreaties of Amestris, Amytis and others, but he was forced to emigrate to a city by the Red Sea called Cyrta. The eunuch Artoxares was also banished to Armenia because he had often spoken to the King on Megabyzus’ behalf.
Megabyzus spent five years in exile, then ran away disguised as a [leper]. . . . So he ran away and went home to Amytis and was barely recognized. And the King was reconciled with him thanks to Amestris and Amytis and made him a messmate [homotrapezus], as he had been before.
World History
