Now King Darius put on a great banquet for all his subjects, for his entire household, and for all the nobles of Media and Persia. He also invited all the satraps, commanders, and governors under him throughout the one hundred and twenty seven provinces extending from India to Ethiopia. They ate and drank, and when they were satisfied they returned home. As for King Darius, he returned to his bed chamber and slept, but awoke.
Then the three young men who were attending the king as bodyguards said one to the other, "Let each of us speak one strong saying, and whichever saying of ours seems to be the strongest, King Darius will give him great gifts and a feast in his honor. He will be dressed in purple, drink from gold cups, ad sleep in a gold bed. He will have a chariot with a gold-studded bridle, a turban of fine linen, and a gold necklace around his neck. Because of his wisdom he will sit second to Darius and will be addressed as kinsman of Darius."
So each one then wrote down his saying, sealed it, and placed it under the pillow of King Darius. THey said, "When the king awakens, they will give the writings to him ad the one whose saying the king and the three nobles of Persia may judge the wisest, the victory shall be given to him, as it is written."
The first one wrote, "Wine is the strongest." The second wrote, "The king is the strongest." The third wrote, "Women are the strongest, but above all things the truth conquers."
So when the king was awakened, he took the writings the gave to him, and he read them. Then he sent forth and invited all the nobles of Persia and Media and the Satraps, commanders, governors, and highest officials. e took his place in the seat of judgement, and the writings were read in their presence. He said, "Call the young men, and they will clarify their sayings." so they were summoned and came in. They said to them, "Interpret for us the sayings you wrote."
So the first, who spoke about the strength of wine, began and said thus: "Men, how is wine the strongest? It leads astray the mind of all who drink it. It makes a single mind of both the king and the orphan, of the servant and the freeman, and of the poor man and the rich man. It turns every mind to feasting and gladness, and it does not remember any pain or any debt. Wine makes all hearts rich, does not remember a king or satrap, and makes everyone talk in big money terms. When men drink, they do not remember to act as a friend to friends, and after a short while they draw swords. But when they become sober, they do not remember what they did. O me, is not wine the strongest because it forces us to do such things?" SO he spoke in this way and then became silent.
Then the second, who talked about the strength of the king, began to speak: "O men, has not man prevailed on land and sea, becoming the master of them and everything in them? But the king is strong and rules over these, for he is their master; whatever he commands them they obey. If he commands one to make war on the other, they do it. If he sends them out against enemies, they go and subdue mountains, walls, and towers. They kill and are killed, but the word of the king is not transgressed. If they conquer, they bring everything to the king- whatever they forage or anything else. But those who do not serve as soldiers nor wage war, but cultivate the land, they too bring to the king whatever they sow and harvest. They also compel one another to pay taxes to the king. Although he is only one man, yet if he says to kill, they kill, if he says to spare, they spare. If he says to smite, they smite; if he says to destroy, they destroy; if he says to build, they build; If he says to cut dow, they cut down; If he says to plant, they plant. So all his people and his army listen to him. In addition to these things, he reclines- he eats, he drinks, he rests- while they keep watch around him. Nobody can leave to do his own business, nor they disobey him. O me, in what is the king not strong, since he is so carefully obeyed?" Then he kept silent.