His father's name was Porosehasp, his mother's Dogdo, and his family boasted of royal descent.

The time of his birth is very,--Spiegel says "hopelessly"-- dark.

Anquetil, and many other scholars would place it in the reign of Darius, a view which has been proved to be incorrect by Spiegel, Duncker and v.

Schack in his introduction.] According to this law a whole year must pass before Nitetis could become the wife of a Persian monarch?
but what was the law to Cambyses?
In his eyes the law was embodied in his own person, and in his opinion three months would be amply sufficient to initiate Nitetis in the Magian mysteries, after which process she could become his bride.
To-day his other wives seemed hateful, even loathsome, to him.

From Cambyses' earliest youth his house had been carefully provided with women.