Cyrus Played King in Boyhood

Sham S.Misri

Cyrus the Great was brought up by a herdsman in a hut. Cyrus’s mother was a king’s daughter. The name of the king was Astyages. He had seen a dream. The dreams were interpreted that his daughter’s son would revolt against the king and bring doom to his kingdom. The king thus created circumstances that his daughter’s son when born be killed. This was to be done secretly without the knowledge of his daughter. The situation however takes a turn and Cyrus falls in the hands of a herdsman. The herdsman thus brought up the child called Cyrus in his hut.

Cyrus was fond of sports and plays from his early boyhood. He would take the lead of his playmates in their sports, and made them submit to his decisions. One day the son of an officer of King’s court came from the city, to join these village boys in their sports. They were playing king. In the drama Cyrus was chosen as the king. During the progress of the play, a quarrel arose between Cyrus and the officers’ son. The officer’s son would not obey, and Cyrus beat him. The officer’s son goes home and complained to his father. The father protested against such dishonor offered to his son by a peasant boy. The officer approached the king, and demanded that the little boy be punished.

The officer took his son with him along with proofs of the violence against the herdsman's son, who had been alleged guilty, by showing the bruises that had been produced by the blows.

"Is this the treatment that my boy is to receive from the son of one of your slaves?" he asked, angrily, of the king.

The king thought that the officer had just cause to complain. The officers’ son and Cyrus advanced into the presence of the king. The king was much struck, with Cyrus’s appearance. He, however, sternly laid to his charge the accusation which the officer had brought against him. Pointing to officer’s son, all bruised and swollen, he asked, "Is that the way that you, a mere herdsman's boy, dare to treat the son of one of my officers’ and nobles?"

The little prince looked up into his strict judge's face with a fearless expression. "My lord," said he, "what I have done I am able to justify. I did punish this boy, and I had a right to do so. I was king, and he was my subject, and he would not obey me. If you think that for this I deserve punishment myself, here I am; I am ready to suffer it."

Then the king told the officer and his son that they might retire. The king then took the herdsman aside, and asked him, whose boy that was, and where he had obtained him.

The herdsman was terrified. He replied, however, that the boy was his own son, and that his mother was living at home, in the hut where they all resided. The king got suspicious; and did not believe what he said. He was sure that there was some mystery to the origin of the boy, which the herdsman was deliberately withholding. The king ordered his guards to take herdsman into custody. The terrified herdsman then said that he would explain all, and he related honestly the whole story.

The king greatly rejoiced to find that the child was alive. On one hand king was puzzled to know that his own man had failed of obeying his command to destroy his daughter’s son, while on the other hand he was happy that his grandchild was alive.

When the king came to know the circumstances of his grandchild having been exchanged for the dead child of Herdsman’s wife he was happy. The Herdsman’s wife whose name was Spaco had brought up the kings grandson in the herdsman's hut. The king then knew the manner in which the infant had been preserved, and was still alive. He greatly rejoiced at this discovery.

 "After he was dead, as I supposed," Said the king, "I bitterly repented of having given orders to destroy him. I could not bear my daughter's grief, which she constantly uttered against me. But the child is alive, and all is well; and I am going to give a grand entertainment as a festival of rejoicing on the occasion."

The king then requested herdsman to send his son, who was about thirteen years of age, to the palace. The herdsman then called his son, directed him to prepare himself to go to the king and live there. This child was Cyrus the Great.