Cyropaedia

On the morrow Cyrus took with him Tigranes,[*](Preparations for the conquest of Chaldaea) the best of the Median horsemen, and as many of his own friends as he thought proper, and rode around to inspect the country with a view to finding a place in which to build a fort. And when he had come to a certain eminence he asked Tigranes which were the mountains from which the Chaldaeans were accustomed to descend to make forays into the country. And Tigranes pointed them out. And again he asked: And are these mountains now unoccupied? No, by Zeus, said he; but they always have scouts up there who signal to the rest whatever they see. Then said he, what do they do, when they receive the signals? They run out to the heights to help, said he, each as best he can.

Such was the account to which Cyrus listened; and as he looked he observed that a large portion of the Armenians’ country was deserted and uncultivated as a result of the war. And then they went back to camp and after they had dined they went to rest.

On the following day Tigranes presented himself with his baggage all ready for the start; and under his command were assembled about four thousand horsemen and about ten thousand bowmen and as many peltasts besides. While they had been coming together, Cyrus had been sacrificing; and when his sacrifice gave favourable omens, he called a meeting of the officers of the Persians and of the Medes;