Zopyros (elder)

Family: Persian · Role: son of Megabyzos · First appears: Book 3 · §159–160

Life events

• A mule serving Zopyros produced a foal.(Book 3 · §151–158)
  • “Then in the twentieth month there happened to Zopyros the son of that Megabyzos who had been of the seven men who slew the Magian, to this Zopyros, I say, son of Megabyzos there happened a prodigy,—one of the mules which served as bearers of provisions for him produced young:”
• Zopyros mutilated and scourged himself to make his planned desertion convincing.(Book 3 · §151–158)
  • “So, making light esteem of himself, he maltreated his own body in a manner which could not be cured; for he cut off his nose and his ears, and shaved his hair round in an unseemly way, and scourged himself, and so went into the presence of Dareios.”
• Zopyros told Dareios his plan to desert to the Babylonians and arranged a staged attack.(Book 3 · §151–158)
  • With: Dareios
  • “Now therefore, unless something is wanting on thy part, we shall conquer Babylon: for I shall go straightway as a deserter to the wall; and I shall say to them that I suffered this treatment at thy hands:”
• Zopyros entered Babylon as a deserter and persuaded its assembly that he had come to help them.(Book 3 · §151–158 · 📍 Babylon)
  • “And he addressed them and said that he was Zopyros, and that he came as a deserter to them.”
• Zopyros led Babylonian forces out and killed a thousand of Dareios's troops.(Book 3 · §151–158 · 📍 Babylon)
  • With: Dareios
  • “Then when he had obtained this from them, he did that which he had agreed with Dareios that he would do; for he led out on the tenth day the army of the Babylonians, and having surrounded the thousand men whom he had enjoined Dareios first to set there, he slew them.”
• Zopyros led the Babylonians out again and killed two thousand of Dareios's troops.(Book 3 · §151–158 · 📍 Babylon)
  • With: Dareios
  • “and after the lapse of the days which had been agreed upon, he again chose men of the Babylonians and led them out and slew the two thousand men of the troops of Dareios.”
• Zopyros led the Babylonians out again and killed four thousand of Dareios's troops.(Book 3 · §151–158 · 📍 Babylon)
  • With: Dareios
  • “He then again, after the lapse of the days which had been agreed upon, led them out to the place appointed, and surrounded the four thousand and slew them.”
• The Babylonians appointed Zopyros commander of their army and guardian of their walls.(Book 3 · §151–158 · 📍 Babylon)
  • “When this also had been done, Zopyros was everything among the Babylonians, and he was appointed both commander of their army and guardian of their walls.”
• Zopyros opened Babylon's gates and let Dareios's Persians inside the wall.(Book 3 · §151–158 · 📍 Babylon)
  • With: Dareios
  • “Zopyros opened the gates called the gates of Kissia and of Belos, and let in the Persians within the wall.”
• The Babylonians learned that Zopyros had betrayed them.(Book 3 · §151–158 · 📍 Babylon)
  • “until at last they also learnt that they had been betrayed.”
• Dareios granted Zopyros Babylon to rule free from tribute.(Book 3 · §159–160 · 📍 Babylon)
  • With: Dareios
  • “he granted him Babylon to rule free from tribute, so long as he should live”

Book 3 · §151–158

• parent: Megabyzos (The Megabyzos who helped slay the Magian is the father of the younger Zopyros.) “Then in the twentieth month there happened to Zopyros the son of that Megabyzos who had been of the seven men who slew the Magian, to this Zopyros, I say, son of Megabyzos there happened a prodigy”
• with Dareios (They coordinated a plan to capture Babylon.) “for he led out on the tenth day the army of the Babylonians, and having surrounded the thousand men whom he had enjoined Dareios first to set there, he slew them.”

Book 3 · §159–160

• patron: Dareios (Dareios grants Zopyros honours, gifts, and rule of Babylon.) “Moreover he gave him great honours; for not only did he give him every year those things which by the Persians are accounted the most honourable, but also he granted him Babylon to rule free from tribute, so long as he should live; and he added many other gifts.”
• child: Megabyzos (son of Zopyros) (Zopyros is Megabyzos's father.) “The son of this Zopyros was Megabyzos, who was made commander in Egypt against the Athenians and their allies;”

Book 4 · §42–48

• with Sataspes (Sataspes had outraged Zopyros's daughter.) “For this man had outraged a daughter of Zopyros the son of Megabyzos, a virgin;”
• parent: Megabyzos “Zopyros the son of Megabyzos”

Book 7 · §70–85

• child: Megabyzos (son of Zopyros) “Masistes the son of Dareios and Atossa, Gergis the son of Ariazos, and Megabyzos the son of Zopyros.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Histories. Made with Rho MD.