Anabasis

When he thought the time had come to begin his upward[*](See Introd. p. vii, note 1.) march, the pretext he offered was that he wished to drive the Pisidians out of his land entirely, and it was avowedly against them that he set about collecting both his barbarian and his Greek troops. At that time he also sent word to Clearchus to come to him with the entire army which he had, and to Aristippus to effect a reconciliation with his adversaries at home and send him the army which he had; and he sent word to Xenias the Arcadian, who commanded for him the mercenary force in the cities,[*](See Xen. Anab. 1.1.6.) to come with his troops, leaving behind only so many as were necessary to garrison the citadels.

He likewise summoned the troops which were besieging Miletus, and urged the Milesian exiles to take the field with him, promising them that, if he should successfully accomplish the object for which he was taking the field, he would not stop until he had restored them to their homes. And they gladly obeyed—for they trusted him—and presented themselves, under arms, at Sardis.

Xenias, then, arrived at Sardis with the troops from the cities, who were hoplites to the number of four thousand; Proxenus was there with hoplites to the number of fifteen hundred, and five hundred light-armed troops; Sophaenetus the Stymphalian with a thousand hoplites; Socrates the Achaean with about five hundred hoplites; and Pasion the Megarian arrived with three hundred hoplites and three hundred peltasts.[*](Peltasts differed from ordinary light-armed troops (cp. γυμνῆτας above) only in the fact that they carried a small, light shield, the πέλπη—whence their name.) The last-named, and Socrates also, belonged to the force that had been engaged in besieging Miletus. All these came to Cyrus at Sardis.

Meanwhile Tissaphernes had taken note of these proceedings and come to the conclusion that Cyrus’ preparations were too extensive to be against the Pisidians; he accordingly made his way to the King as quickly as he could, with about five hundred horsemen.

And when the King heard from Tissaphernes about Cyrus’ array, he set about making counter-preparations.Cyrus was now setting forth from Sardis with the troops I have mentioned; and he marched through Lydia three stages,[*](σταθμός = lit. a stopping-place, hence a day’s journey.) a distance of twenty-two parasangs,[*](A Persian measure of distance, equivalent to 30 Greek stadia, or about 3.3 English miles.) to the Maeander river. The width of this river was two plethra,[*](The plethrum = about 97 English feet.) and there was a bridge over it made of seven boats.

After crossing the Maeander he marched through Phrygia one stage, a distance of eight parasangs, to Colossae, an inhabited[*](Many of the cities of Asia were then, as now, deserted.) city, prosperous and large. There he remained seven days; and Menon[*](Who had been sent by Aristippus (see 1 above).) the Thessalian arrived, with a thousand hoplites and five hundred peltasts, consisting of Dolopians, Aenianians, and Olynthians.

Thence he marched three stages, twenty parasangs, to Celaenae, an inhabited city of Phrygia, large and prosperous. There Cyrus had a palace and a large park full of wild animals, which he used to hunt on horseback whenever he wished to give himself and his horses exercise. Through the middle of this park flows the Maeander river; its sources are beneath the palace, and it flows through the city of Celaenae also.

There is likewise a palace of the Great King[*](A title often given by the Greeks to the king of Persia.) in Celaenae, strongly fortified and situated at the foot of the Acropolis over the sources of the Marsyas river; the Marsyas also flows through the city, and empties into the Maeander, and its width is twenty-five feet. It was here, according to the story, that Apollo flayed Marsyas,[*](Marsyas, a Phrygian satyr, was so proud of his skill with the flute that he presumed to challenge Apollo, god of music and master of the lyre. The myth appears to be a record of the supersession of the flute by the lyre in Greek favour.) after having defeated him in a contest of musical skill; he hung up his skin in the cave from which the sources issue, and it is for this reason that the river is called Marsyas.

It was here also, report has it, that Xerxes, when he was on his retreat from Greece after losing the famous battle,[*](viz. of Salamis, in 480 B.C.) built the palace just mentioned and likewise the citadel of Celaenae. Here Cyrus remained thirty days; and Clearchus, the Lacedaemonian exile, arrived, with a thousand hoplites, eight hundred Thracian peltasts, and two hundred Cretan bowmen. At the same time came also Sosis the Syracusan with three hundred hoplites and Agias the Arcadian with a thousand hoplites. And here Cyrus held a review and made an enumeration of the Greeks in the park, and they amounted all told to eleven thousand hoplites and about two thousand peltasts.[*](Here used in the general sense, i.e. to include all kinds of light-armed troops; cp. note on 3 above. Xenophon here uses round numbers. The exact totals, according to the figures previously given, are 10,600 hoplites and 2,300 light-armed troops.)

Thence he marched two stages, ten parasangs, to Peltae, an inhabited city. There he remained three days, during which time Xenias the Arcadian celebrated the Lycaean[*](In honour of Lycaean Zeus, i.e. Zeus of Mt. Lycaeus, in Arcadia.) festival with sacrifice and held games; the prizes were golden strigils, and Cyrus himself was one of those who watched the games. Thence he marched two stages, twelve parasangs, to the inhabited city of Ceramon-agora,[*](Or Tilemarket.) the last Phrygian city as one goes toward Mysia.

Thence he marched three stages, thirty parasangs, to Caystru-pedion,[*](Or Ca sterfield.) an inhabited city. There he remained five days. At this time he was owing the soldiers more than three months’ pay, and they went again and again to his headquarters and demanded what was due them. He all the while expressed hopes, and was manifestly troubled; for it was not Cyrus’ way to withhold payment when he had money.