10.14.1
Cambyses note was by nature half-mad and his powers of reasoning perverted, and the greatness of his kingdom rendered him much the more cruel and arrogant.
10.14.2Cambyses the Persian, after he had taken Memphis and Pelusium, note since he could not bear his good fortune as men should, dug up the tomb of Amasis, the former king of Egypt. And finding his mummified corpse in the coffin, he outraged the body of the dead man, and after showing every despite to the senseless corpse, he finally ordered it to be burned. For since it was not the practice of the natives to consign the bodies of their dead to fire, he supposed that in this fashion also he would be giving offence to him who had been long dead.
10.14.3When Cambyses was on the point of setting out upon his campaign against Ethiopia, he dispatched a part of his army against the inhabitants of Ammonium, note giving orders to its commanders to plunder and burn the oracle and to make slaves of all who dwelt near the shrine.Const. Exc. 2 (1), pp. 224-225.
ch. 15
10.15.1
After Cambyses, the king of the Persians, had made himself lord of all Egypt, the Libyans and Cyrenaeans, who had been allies of the Egyptians, sent presents to him and declared their willingness to obey his every command.Const. Exc. 1, p. 397.
ch. 16
10.16.1
Polycrates the tyrant of the Samians, note used to dispatch triremes to the most suitable places and plunder all who were on the seas, and he would return the booty which he had taken only to those who were allies of his. note And to those of his companions who criticized this practice he used to say that all his friends would feel more grateful to him by getting back what they had lost than by having lost nothing in the first place.
10.16.2Unjust deeds, as a general thing, carry in their train a retribution which exacts appropriate punishments of the wrongdoers. note
10.16.3Every act of kindness, since attended by no regret, bears goodly fruit in the praise of those who benefit therefrom; for even if not all the recipients repay the kindness, at least some one of them, it sometimes happens, makes payment on behalf of all.Const. Exc. 4, p. 296.
10.16.4
Certain Lydians, who were fleeing from the domineering rule of the satrap Oroetes, took ship to Samos, bringing with them many possessions, and became suppliants of Polycrates. And at first he received them kindly, but after a little time he put them all to the sword and confiscated their possessions.
ch. 17
10.17.1Thettalus, note the son of Peisistratus, was wise enough to renounce the tyranny, and since he strove after equality, he enjoyed great favour among the citizens of Athens; but the other sons, Hipparchus and Hippias, note being violent and harsh men, maintained a tyranny over the city. They committed many other acts of lawlessness against the Athenians, and Hipparchus, becoming enamoured of a youth note of extraordinary beauty, because of that got into a dangerous situation. . . . note
10.17.2Now the attack upon the tyrants and the earnest desire to achieve the freedom of the fatherland were shared in by all the men mentioned above; but the unyielding steadfastness of soul amid the tortures and the stout courage to endure cruel pains were shown by Aristogeiton alone, who, in the most fearful moments, maintained two supreme virtues, fidelity to his friends and vengeance on his enemies.Const. Exc. 2 (1), p. 225.
10.17.3
Aristogeiton made it clear to all men that nobility of soul is able to prevail over the greatest agonies of the body.
ch. 18
10.18.1When Zeno the philosopher note was suffering the agonies of the torture because of the conspiracy he had entered into against the tyrant Nearchus and was being asked by Nearchus who his fellow conspirators were, he replied, "Would that I were as much the master of my body as I am of my tongue!"Const. Exc. 4, pp. 296-297.
