By Water & Blood

Chapter 24: Arbaces and Belesys

^[6] When the year's time of their service in the king's army⁠^[53] had passed and, another force having arrived to replace them, the relieved men had been dismissed as usual to their homes, thereupon Arbaces persuaded the Medes to attack the Assyrian kingdom and the Persians to join in the conspiracy, on the condition of receiving their freedom.⁠^[54] Belesys too in similar fashion both persuaded the Babylonians to strike for their freedom, and sending an embassy to Arabia, won over the commander of the people of that country, a friend of his who exchanged hospitality with him, to join in the attack. ^[7] And after a year's time all these leaders gathered a multitude of soldiers and came with all their forces to Ninus, ostensibly bringing up replacements, as was the custom, but in fact with the intention of destroying the empire of the Assyrians. ^[8] Now when these four nations had gathered into one place the whole number of them amounted to four hundred thousand p433 men, and when they had assembled into one camp they took counsel together concerning the best plan to pursue.