To Darius and Parysatis were born two sons, the older Artaxerxes and the younger Cyrus. When Darius fell sick and suspected the end of his life to be near, he wished both sons to be at his side. Now the older happened to be present, but Cyrus he summoned from the province over which he had made him satrap; he had also appointed him general of all the troops that assemble on the plain of Castolus. So Cyrus ascendedc from the coast, taking Tissaphernes as a friend, and he ascended with three hundred Greek hoplites,d with Xenias the Parrhasian as their commander.When Darius had died and Artaxerxes was sett led in the kingship, Tissaphernes slandered Cyrus to his brother, saying that he was plotting against him. And he believed this and had Cyrus seized, so that he might put him to death. Their mother, however, interceded and sent him back again to his province. After he departed, having been in danger and dishonored, Cyrus began planning how he would avoid being subject to his brother ever again but rather, if he were able, would rule as King instead of him. Parysatis, their mother, was on the side of Cyrus, for she loved him more than the ruling King, Artaxerxes. And, as for those who came to him from the King,6 Cyrus would make them all such that they became friends more to himself than to the King, and then he would send them back. Of the barbarianse with him, he took care that they would be capable of making war and would also be well disposed to him. He went about assembling his Greek force as secretly as he could, in order that he might catch the King as unprepared as possible (Source: Anabasis, Book 1).
