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The Gaming Table by Andrew Steinmetz

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GAMBLING AMONG THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS, PERSIANS, AND GREEKS

CHAPTER III. page 2

`There only remained for the final execution of Queen Parysatis's
projects, and fully to satiate her vengeance, the punishment of
the king's slave Mesabetes, who by his master's order had cut off
the head and hand of the young Cyrus, who was beloved by
Parysatis (their common mother) above Artaxerses, his elder
brother and the reigning monarch. But as there was nothing to
take hold of in his conduct, the queen laid this snare for him.
She was a woman of good address, had abundance of wit, and
_EXCELLED AT PLAYING A CERTAIN GAME WITH DICE_. She had
been apparently reconciled to the king after the death of Cyrus,
and was present at all his parties of pleasure and gambling. One
day, seeing the king totally unemployed, she proposed playing
with him for a thousand _darics_ (about L500), to which he
readily consented. She suffered him to win, and paid down the
money. But, affecting regret and vexation, she pressed him to
begin again, and to play with her--_FOR A SLAVE_. The king, who
suspected nothing, complied, and the stipulation was that the
winner was to choose the slave.

`The queen was now all attention to the game, and made use of her
utmost skill and address, which as easily procured her victory,
as her studied neglect before had caused her defeat. She won--
and chose Mesabetes--the slayer of her son--who, being delivered
into her hands, was put to the most cruel tortures and to death
by her command.

`When the king would have interfered, she only replied with a
smile of contempt--"Surely you must be a great loser, to be so
much out of temper for giving up a decrepit old slave, when I,
who lost a thousand good _darics_, and paid them down on the
spot, do not say a word, and am satisfied." '

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