The Persian king cut off the noses of an entire nation in Syria. That's why the place is called Rhinocolura — "cut nose." Do you think he was being merciful because he didn't just cut off their heads? No. He was thrilled that he had invented a new kind of punishment. Something similar almost happened to the Ethiopians. They're called the Macrobiotae because they live so long. But they refused to accept slavery with grateful hearts. Instead, they sent ambassadors who spoke independently — what kings call insulting language. This made Cambyses furious. Without any supplies or knowledge of the roads, he marched with his entire army through a barren, trackless desert. On the very first day, they ran out of food. The land gave them nothing — it was empty, uncultivated, and no human foot had ever walked there.
Thus, the king of the Persians cut off the noses of a whole nation in Syria, wherefore the place is called Rhinocolura. Do you think that he was merciful, because he did not cut their heads off altogether? no, he was delighted at having invented a new kind of punishment. Something of the same kind would have befallen the Aethiopians,[7] who on account of their prodigiously long lives are called Macrobiotae; for, because they did not receive slavery with hands uplifted to heaven in thankfulness, and sent an embassy which used independent, or what kings call insulting language, Cambyses became wild with rage, and, without any store of provisions, or any knowledge of the roads, started with all his fighting men through an arid and trackless waste, where during the first day’s march the necessaries of life failed, and the country itself furnished nothing, being barren and uncultivated, and untrodden by the foot of man.