1While this is going on, Artaxerxes, remembering from how great a war to how small a matter he had sent the foremost of his generals, reproached himself and sent a messenger to the army at Ace, since he thought Datames had not yet set out, to tell him not to leave the army. 1Before this man reached the place for which he had set out, he met on the road those who were leading Aspis. 2Though by this speed Datames had won great goodwill from the king, he incurred no less jealousy from the courtiers, because they saw that he alone was valued more highly than all of them. 2Because of this they all agreed together to destroy him.
3Pandantes, keeper of the royal treasury, a friend of Datames, writes all this out in full and sends it to him, informing him that he would be in great danger if anything went wrong in Egypt under his command. 4For it was the custom of kings to attribute misfortunes to men and successes to their own fortune: so it came about that they were easily driven to the ruin of those under whose leadership failures were reported. 4He would be in all the greater peril because those whom the king obeyed most were his bitterest enemies. 5When he had read this letter, having already come to the army at Ace, since he well knew that it had been written truthfully, he decided to break away from the king.
5Yet he did nothing that was unworthy of his good faith. 6For he put Mandrocles of Magnesia in command of the army; 6he himself departs with his own men into Cappadocia and seizes Paphlagonia, which adjoins it, concealing what his attitude towards the king was. 6Secretly he makes friendship with Ariobarzanes, gathers a force, and hands over fortified cities to his men to guard.