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CAMBISES. Cambyses, son of Cyrus, was king of Persia and ruled 529-522 B.C. Herodotus says that Cambyses was a madman; his habitual anger was a symptom of his condition (Histories III.1-72). Seneca says that Cambyses furiosus ac feliciter usus habuit, "made successful use of his madness" (Epistle 86.1), and tells the story of how Cambyses slew his counselor's son in a fit of rage, De ira III.14.

Friar John illustrates his sermon of wrath with the story of how angry Cambyses slew his counselor's son, SumT 2043-2078. [Cirus: Senec]

Cambises, a spelling variant, occurs medially, SumT 2043.


Herodotus, Histories, ed. and trans. A.D. Godley, II: 3-7, 41-47; Seneca, Ad Lucillum epistulae morales, ed. and trans. R.M. Gummere, II: 310-311; ibid., Moral Essays, ed. and trans. J.W. Basore, I: 288-293.
From CHAUCER NAME DICTIONARY
Copyright © 1988, 1996 Jacqueline de Weever
Published by Garland Publishing, Inc., New York and London.

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