Selecta capita ex scriptoribus Graecis in usum classis quintae Carolinae

9.

Command then, he said, grandfather, for Sacas to give the cup to me, so that I also, having poured wine for you well, may win you over, if I can. And he ordered him to give it. Having taken it, Cyrus rinsed the cup just as he saw Sacas do; then, holding his face seriously and elegantly, he brought it forward and gave the cup to his grandfather, so that he provided much laughter for his mother and Astyages. And Cyrus himself, having laughed out loud, leapt up to his grandfather, and kissing him, said: Sacas, you are ruined; I will throw you out of your honor. For I will pour wine more beautifully than you, he said, and I will not drink the wine myself. (For the kings' cupbearers, when they hand over the cup, drawing from it with a ladle, and pouring it into their left hand, they swallow it, so that, if they were pouring drugs, it would not be profitable for them.)

10.

From this, Astyages, mocking him, said: And why, Cyrus, while imitating Sacas in other things, did you not sip the wine? Because, by Zeus, he said, I was afraid that drugs might be mixed in the bowl. For indeed, when you were entertaining your friends at your birthday, I clearly noticed him pouring drugs for you. And how, he said, child, did you figure this out? Because, by Zeus, he said, I saw you both in your minds and in your bodies stumbling. For first, what you do not allow us, the boys, to do, you yourselves were doing. For you all were shouting at the same time, but you were learning nothing from one another. And you were singing quite ridiculously. And not listening to the one singing, you were swearing that he was singing excellently. And each of you, saying your own strength, when you got up to dance, not to mention dancing in rhythm, you could not even stand straight. And you had forgotten entirely, you, that you were king, and the others, that you were in command. For then I learned for the first time that this was that "equality of speech" isegoria equal right to speak which you were then doing; for you were never silent.