[6] At every sacrifice and festival he instituted games and contests in all martial exercises, and lavished prizes on the victors, till the whole army was filled with enthusiasm and confidence.

[7] By this time Cyrus had almost everything in readiness for the campaign, except the battering-machines.

The Persian cavalry was made up to its full number of ten thousand men, and the scythed chariots were complete, a hundred of his own, and a hundred that Abradatas of Susa had provided.
[8] Beside these there were a hundred of the old Median chariots which Cyrus had persuaded Cyaxares to remodel on his own type, giving up the Trojan and Lydian style.

The camels were ready also, each animal carrying a couple of mounted archers.
The bulk of the great army felt almost as though they had already conquered, and the enemy's power was held of no account.
[9] While matters were thus, the Indians whom Cyrus had sent out returned with their report.

Croesus had been chosen leader and general-in-chief; a resolution had been passed, calling on all the allied kings to bring up their entire forces, raise enormous sums for the war, and spend them in hiring mercenaries where they could and making presents where they must.