Anabasis

After this the Greeks and Ariaeus, encamped close by one another, waited for Tissaphernes more than twenty days. During this time Ariaeus’ brothers and other relatives came to him and certain Persians came to his followers, and they kept encouraging them and bringing pledges to some of them from the King that the King would bear them no ill-will because of their campaign with Cyrus against him or because of anything else in the past.

While these things were going on, it was evident that Ariaeus and his followers paid less regard to the Greeks; this, accordingly, was another reason why the greater part of the Greeks were not pleased with them, and they would go to Clearchus and the other generals and say:

Why are we lingering? Do we not understand that the King would like above everything else to destroy us, in order that the rest of the Greeks also may be afraid to march against the Great King? For the moment he is scheming to keep us here because his army is scattered, but when he has collected his forces again, there is no question but that he will attack us.

Or perhaps he is digging a trench or building a wall somewhere to cut us off and make our road impassable. For never, if he can help it, will he choose to let us go back to Greece and report that we, few as we are, were victorious over the King at his very gates, and then laughed in his face and came home again.

To those who talked in this way Clearchus replied: I too have in mind all these things; but I reflect that if we go away now, it will seem that we are going away with hostile intent and are acting in violation of the truce. And then, in the first place, no one will provide us a market or a place from which we can get provisions; secondly, we shall have no one to guide us; again, the moment we take this course Ariaeus will instantly desert us; consequently we shall have not a friend left, for even those who were friends before will be our enemies.

Then remember the rivers—there may be others, for aught I know, that we must cross, but we know about the Euphrates at any rate, that it cannot possibly be crossed in the face of an enemy. Furthermore, in case fighting becomes necessary, we have no cavalry to help us, whereas the enemy’s cavalry are exceedingly numerous and exceedingly efficient; hence if we are victorious, whom could we kill[*](Hoplites, because of their heavy equipment, were ineffective in a pursuit, especially when an enemy fled, as in the battle of I. viii., long before they were within striking distance. Horsemen, of course, were at their best in following up a routed enemy.)? And if we are defeated, not one of us can be saved.

For my part, therefore, I cannot see why the King, who has so many advantages on his side, should need, in case he is really eager to destroy us, to make oath and give pledge and forswear himself by the gods and make his good faith unfaithful in the eyes of Greeks and barbarians. Such arguments Clearchus would present in abundance.

Meanwhile Tissaphernes returned with his own forces as if intending to go back home, and likewise Orontas[*](Satrap of Armenia) with his forces; the latter was also taking home the King’s daughter as his wife.

Then they finally began the march, Tissaphernes taking the lead and providing a market; and Ariaeus with Cyrus’ barbarian army kept with Tissaphernes and Orontas on the march and encamped with them.