Herodotus' Words: Cambyses' Maddness

The Histories by Herodotus painted the most fascinating, colorful and BS stories considering his work meant to be non-fiction. Herodotus diagnosed Cambyses with madness and in his work Histories, he wrote events which supported his claim.

Cambyses in Vigor Boucquet's
The judgement of Cambyses

1. Slaying his sister-wife due to either a lettuce or a puppy.

During Cambyses’ stay in Egypt, Herodotus began to attribute episodes to the Persian King’s descent into madness, from murdering his brother to the marrying of his sister. Soon, murdering her own sister-wife added to Cambyses’ rap sheet. The Greek historian tells of 2 tales on the ways that Cambyses might have disposed his wife, one involved a puppy, another, a lettuce.

The Greek version that involved a puppy:

There are two tales of her death…The Greeks say that Cambyses had set a puppy to fight a lion’s cub, with this woman too looking on; and the puppy being worsted, another puppy, its brother, broke its leash and came to help…the two dogs together got the better of the cub. Cambyses, they say, was pleased with the sight, but the woman wept as she sat by. Cambyses perceived it and asked why she wept, she said she had wept when she saw the puppy help its brother, for thinking of Smerdis and how there was none to avenge him. For saying this, according to the Greek story, Cambyses put her to death.

Egyptian speculation involving a lettuce: 

But the Egyptian tale is that as the two sat at table the woman took a lettuce and plucked off the leaves, then asked her husband whether he liked the look of it, with or without leaves; “With the leaves,” said he; whereupon she answered: “Yet you have stripped Cyrus’ house as bare as this lettuce.” Angered at this, they say, he leaped upon her, she being great with child; and she miscarried and died of the hurt he gave her.

2. Being called a Mad Drunk

Cambyses asked one of the members of his retinue regarding the perception of the Persians of him. Unfortunately, Perxaspes told him that Cambyses’ love of wine drove him the previously mentioned madness. 

...as they report, to Prexaspes—whom he (Cambyses) held in especial honour,...brought him all his messages, whose son held the very honourable office of Cambyses’ cup-bearer—thus, I say, he spoke to Prexaspes: “What manner of man, Prexaspes, do the Persians think me to be, and how speak they of me?”

“Sire,” said Prexaspes, “for all else they greatly praise you; but they say that you love wine too well.” 

So he reported of the Persians; the king angrily replied: “If the Persians now say that ’tis my fondness for wine that drives me to frenzy and madness, then it would seem that their former saying also was a lie.” For it is said that…certain Persians and Croesus sitting with him, Cambyses asked what manner of man they thought him to be in comparison with Cyrus his father; and they answered, “that Cambyses was the better man; for he had all of Cyrus’ possessions and had won besides Egypt and the sea.” So said the Persians.

Amidst the feeling of betrayal, Croesus calmed Cambyses’ nerves by saying that his father remained better as the current Persian King needed an achiever son.

...but Croesus, who was present, and was ill-satisfied with their judgment, thus spoke to Cambyses: “To my thinking, son of Cyrus, you are not like your father; for you have as yet no son such as he left after him in you.” This pleased Cambyses, and he praised Croesus’ judgment.

3. William Tell Moment

Cambyses bent his frustration at the drunken comments to Prexaspes. Just like William Tell being asked to shoot an arrow to the apple on top of his son, Cambyses dared Prexaspes that if he suffered from drunkenness he would miss the heart of his cupbearer (Perxapes’s son).

The bone chilling episode by Herodotus read:

…he (Cambyses) said to Prexaspes in his anger: “Judge you then if the Persians speak truth, or rather are themselves out of their minds when they speak of me. Yonder stands your son on the porch; now if I shoot and pierce his heart, that will prove the Persians to be wrong; if I miss, then say that they are right and I am out of my senses.

It continued:

So saying, he strung his bow and hit the boy, and bade open the fallen body and examine the wound: and the arrow being found in the heart, Cambyses laughed in great glee and said to the boy’s father: “It is plain, Prexaspes, that I am in my right mind and the Persians mad; now tell me: what man in the world saw you ever that shot so true to the mark?” Prexaspes, it is said, replied (for he saw that Cambyses was mad, and he feared for his own life), “Master, I think that not even the god himself could shoot so true.

Not complete, he had sons of nobles placed on holes in the ground buried neck deep.

A depiction of the apple-shot scene
in Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia

4. Croesus Counsel

Croesus feared the descent of his old friend’s (Cyrus) son into madness and hope to give advice to Cambyses to mellow down. Herodotus wrote of the conversation:

Croesus the Lydian thought fit to take him to task, and thus addressed him: “Sire, do not ever let youth and passion have their way; put some curb and check on yourself; prudence is a good thing, forethought is wisdom. But what of you? you put to death men of your own country proved guilty of but a petty offence; ay, and you kill boys. If you do so often, look to it lest the Persians revolt from you. As for me, your father Cyrus earnestly bade me counsel you and give you such advice as I think to be good.” Croesus gave him this counsel out of goodwill

Cambyses rebuked Croesus stating how the Lydians made a mistake in his counseling Cyrus against Tomyris before.

Croesus showing his treasures to Solon
by Frans Francken the Younger

Cambyses answered: 

It is very well that you should dare to counsel me too; you, who governed your own country right usefully, and gave fine advice to my father—bidding him, when the Massagetae were willing to cross over into our lands, to pass the Araxes and attack them; thus you wrought your own ruin by misgoverning your country, and Cyrus’s by over-persuading him. Nay, but you shall rue it; long have I waited for an occasion to deal with you.” With that Cambyses took his bow to shoot him dead

Croesus luckily escaped, but Cambyses had him hunted by men who sympathized with the Lydian and hoped to profit. Unfortunately, it did not end well for them. 

Croesus leapt up and ran out; and Cambyses, being unable to shoot him, charged his attendants to take and kill him. They, knowing Cambyses’ mood, hid Croesus; being minded, if Cambyses should repent and seek for Croesus, to reveal him and receive gifts for saving his life; but if he should not repent nor wish Croesus back, then to kill the Lydian. Not long after this Cambyses did wish Croesus back, perceiving which the attendants told him that Croesus was alive still. Cambyses said that he too was glad of it; but that they, who had saved Croesus alive, should not go scot free, but be killed; and this was done.

5. Revolt of the Smerdis Pretender

While Cambyses desecrated mummies and temples in Egypt, 2 magis rose up in revolt back in the Persian homeland. 2 magi with 1 pretending to be the slain Smerdis claimed the throne.

...two Magians, who were brothers, rebelled against him. One of them had been left by Cambyses to be steward of his house…Perceiving that the death of Smerdis was kept secret..most…believing him to be still alive…he had a brother, his partner, …very like in appearance to Cyrus’ son, Smerdis, brother of Cambyses…but he bore the same name also, Smerdis…he brought his brother and set him on the royal throne; which done, he sent heralds to all parts, one of whom was to go to Egypt and proclaim to the army that henceforth they must obey not Cambyses but Smerdis the son of Cyrus.

Cambyses blamed once again the poor Prexaspes upon hearing the news of the rebellion:

When Cambyses heard what the herald said, he supposed that it was truth, and that Prexaspes, when sent to kill Smerdis, had not so done but played Cambyses false; and he said, fixing his eyes on Prexaspes, “Is it thus, Prexaspes, that you did my behest?

“Nay,” said Prexaspes, “this is no truth, sire, that your brother Smerdis has rebelled against you; nor can it be that he will have any quarrel with you, small or great; I myself did your bidding, and mine own hands buried him. If then the dead can rise, you may look to see Astyages the Mede rise up against you; but if nature’s order be not changed, assuredly no harm to you will arise from Smerdis. Now therefore this is my counsel, that we pursue after this herald and examine him, to know from whom he comes with his proclamation that we must obey Smerdis as our king.

Indeed they interrogated the heralds of the news of the rebellion.

... the herald was pursued and brought; and when he came, Prexaspes put this question to him: “Sirrah, you say that your message is from Cyrus’ son Smerdis; tell me this now, and you may go hence unpunished: was it Smerdis who himself appeared to you and gave you this charge, or was it one of his servants?” “Since King Cambyses marched to Egypt,” answered the herald, “I have never myself seen Smerdis the son of Cyrus; the Magian whom Cambyses made overseer of his house gave me the charge, saying that it was the will of Smerdis, son of Cyrus, that I should make it known to you.”

6. Death of Cambyses 

While marching back to crush the Magi revolt, Cambyes had realized the fulfilment of the dream regarding Smerdis.

At the name of Smerdis, Cambyses was smitten to the heart by the truth of the word and the fulfilment of his dream; for he had dreamt that a message had come to him that Smerdis had sat on the royal throne with his head reaching to heaven; and perceiving that he had killed his brother to no purpose, he wept bitterly for Smerdis. Having wept his fill, in great grief for all his mishap, he leapt upon his horse, with intent to march forthwith to Susa against the Magian.

Unfortunately, Cambyses met with an accident while riding and then it came to his mind about the prophecy of his passing.

As he mounted, the cap slipped off the scabbard of his sword, and the naked blade struck his thigh, wounding him in the same part where he himself had once smitten the Egyptian god Apis; and believing the blow to be mortal, Cambyses asked what was the name of the town where he was. They told him it was Agbatana. Now a prophecy had ere this come to him from Buto, that he would end his life at Agbatana; Cambyses supposed this to signify that he would die in old age at the Median Agbatana, his capital city; but as the event proved, the oracle prophesied his death at Agbatana of Syria. So when he now enquired and learnt the name of the town, the shock of his wound, and of the misfortune that came to him from the Magian, brought him to his senses; he understood the prophecy and said: “Here Cambyses son of Cyrus is doomed to die.

A medieval rendition of Smerdis

8. Confessing his Crime of Assassination of Smerdis

Cambyses lived for about 20 days, after which he issued a proclamation telling his order for the elimination of Smerdis. Herodotus wrote:

Persians!...I declare to you a matter which I kept most strictly concealed. When I was in Egypt, I saw in my sleep a vision …a messenger came from home to tell me that Smerdis had sat on the royal throne, his head reaching to heaven. Then I feared that my brother would take away from me my sovereignty, and I acted with more haste than wisdom; for (as I now see) no human power can turn fate aside; fool that I was! I sent Prexaspes to Susa to slay Smerdis. When that great wrong was done I lived without fear, for never did I think that when Smerdis was taken out of my way another man might rise against me. So did I wholly mistake what was to be; I have slain my brother when there was no need, and lost my kingship none the less; for the rebel foretold by heaven in the vision was Smerdis the Magian. Now I have done the deed, and I would have you believe that Smerdis Cyrus’ son no longer lives; you see the Magians masters of my royal estate, even him that I left steward of my house, and his brother Smerdis.

After the confession, he called for arms against the rebel Magians.

So then, he that especially should have avenged the dishonour done me by the Magians lies foully slain by his nearest kinsman; and he being no longer in life, necessity constrains me, in his default, to charge you, men of Persia, with the last desire of my life. In the name of the gods of my royal house I charge all of you, but chiefly those Achaemenids that are here, not to suffer the sovereignty to fall again into Median hands; if they have won it by trickery, trick them of it again; if they have wrested it away by force, then do you by force and strength of hand recover it. And if you so do, may your land bring forth her fruits, and your women and your flocks and herds be blessed with offspring; but if you win not back the kingdom nor essay so to do, then I pray that all may go contrariwise for you, yea, that every Persian may meet an end such as mine.

Cambyses sudden epiphany saddened his courtiers. Unfortunately, his wound continued to fester and he succumbed. His reign ended after 7 years on the throne leaving no heirs. His passing followed an interregnum that ended with the rise of Darius the Great.

Bonus: Cambyses' Judgement

Cambyses II appointing Otanes as judge in place
of his flayed father Sisamnes by Peter Paul Rubens

During the telling of Darius' reign, a part tells the background of Otannes, whose father, a corrupt judge named Sisamnes suffered a gruesome fate handed by Cambyses. 

Otanes’ father Sisamnes had been one of the royal judges; Cambyses had cut his throat and flayed off all his skin because he had been bribed to give an unjust judgment; and he had then cut leather strips of the skin which had been torn away and covered therewith the seat whereon Sisamnes had sat to give judgment; which having done, Cambyses appointed the son of this slain and flayed Sisamnes to be judge in his place, admonishing him to remember what was the judgment-seat whereon he sat. 

The episode became a famous subject of numerous artworks including the artist Peter Paul Rubens.

Bibliography:

Herodotus, trans. by A.D. Godley. "Herodotus The Persian Wars (Godley )/Book III." Wikisource. Accessed on November 9, 2024. URL: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Herodotus_The_Persian_Wars_(Godley)/Book_III