Anabasis

Xenophon

Xenophon, creator; Xenophon in Seven Volumes Volumes 2-3 Anabasis; Brownson, Carleton L. (Carleton Lewis), b. 1866, translator; Brownson, Carleton L. (Carleton Lewis), b. 1866, editor, translator

[*](The MSS. here prefix the following summary of the preceding narrative.)[The preceding narrative has described all that the Greeks did on their upward march with Cyrus until the time of the battle, all that took place after the death of Cyrus on their journey to the Euxine Sea, and the whole course of their doings while they were travelling on, by land and water, from the Euxine, until they got beyond its mouth, arriving at Chrysopolis, in Asia.]

After this Pharnabazus, in fear that the Greek army might carry on a campaign against his own land, sent to Anaxibius, the admiral, who chanced to be at Byzantium, and asked him to carry the army across[*](The Bosporus. Chrysopolis was directly opposite Byzantium.) out of Asia, promising to do everything for him that might be needful.

Anaxibius accordingly summoned the generals and captains to Byzantium, and gave them promises that if they crossed over, the soldiers would have regular pay.

The rest of the officers replied that they would consider the matter and report back to him, but Xenophon told him that he intended to part company with the army at once, and wanted to sail home. Anaxibius, however, bade him cross over with the others, and leave them only after that. Xenophon said, therefore, that he would do so.

And now Seuthes the Thracian sent Medosades to Xenophon and urged him to help him to bring the army across, adding that if he did render such assistance, he would not be sorry for it.

Xenophon replied: Why, the army is going to cross over; so far as that is concerned, let not Seuthes pay anything either to me or to any one else; but as soon as it has crossed, when I myself am to leave the army, let him deal with those who stay on and are in authority, in any way that may seem to him safe.

After this all the soldiers crossed over to Byzantium. And Anaxibius would not give them pay, but made proclamation that the troops were to take their arms and their baggage and go forth from the city, saying that he was going to send them back home and at the same time to make an enumeration of them. At that the soldiers were angry, for they had no money with which to procure provisions for the journey, and they set about packing up with reluctance.

Xenophon meanwhile, since he had become a friend of Cleander, the governor, called to take leave of him, saying that he was to sail home at once. And Cleander said to him: Do not do so; if you do, said he, you will be blamed, for even now certain people are laying it to your charge that the army is slow about moving away.

Xenophon replied: Why, I am not responsible for that; it is rather that the soldiers lack food supplies and on that account are depressed about their going away.

Nevertheless, said Cleander, I advise you to go forth from the city as though you were planning to make the journey with them, and to leave them only when the army has got outside. Well, then, said Xenophon, we will go to Anaxibius and negotiate about this matter. So they went and put the question before him.

His orders were, that Xenophon was to follow the course proposed and that the troops were to pack up and leave the city with all speed; and he further declared that any one who was not present for the review and the enumeration would have himself to blame for the consequences.

After that the army proceeded to march forth from the city, the generals at the head and then the rest. And now the entire body with the exception of a few men were outside, and Eteonicus[*](A Lacedaemonian officer who figures rather prominently in the story of the Peloponnesian War (Xen. Hell. 1.1.32, Xen. Hell. 1.6.26, etc.); now apparently an aide to Anaxibius.) was standing by the gates ready, as soon as the last man got out, to close the gates and thrust in the crossbar.

Then Anaxibius called together the generals and captains and said: Get your provisions from the Thracian villages; there is an abundance there of barley and wheat and other supplies; when you have got them, proceed to the Chersonese, and there Cyniscus[*](A Lacedaemonian general engaged in war with the Thracians.) will take you into his pay.

And some of the soldiers, overhearing these words, or perhaps one of the captains, proceeded to spread the report of them through the army. Meanwhile the generals were inquiring about Seuthes, whether he was hostile or friendly, and whether they were to march by way of the Sacred Mountain[*](On the northern coast of the Propontis. Their destination was the Gallipoli peninsula, and the alternative routes are a short but difficult one or a long, easy one.) or go round through the middle of Thrace.

While they were talking over these matters, the soldiers caught up their arms and rushed at full speed toward the gates, intending to get back inside the city wall. But when Eteonicus and his men saw the hoplites running towards them, they shut the gates and thrust in the bar.

The soldiers, however, set to hammering at the gates, and said that they were most unjustly treated in being cast out and left at the mercy of the enemy; and they declared that they would break through the gates if the keepers did not open them of their own accord.

Meanwhile others ran down to the shore, made their way along the break-water, and thus scaled the wall and got into the city, while still others, who chanced to be within the walls, seeing what was going on at the gates, cut through the bar with their axes and threw the gates open, whereupon the rest rushed in.

When Xenophon saw what was taking place, being seized with fear lest the army might fall to plundering and irreparable harm might be done to the city, to himself, and to the soldiers, he ran and plunged within the gates along with the rest of the throng.

As for the Byzantines, no sooner did they see the army bursting in by force than they fled from the market-place, some to their boats and others to their homes, while all who chanced to be indoors ran out, and some took to launching the ships-of-war in order to seek safety in them—all alike imagining that they were lost and the city captured.

Eteonicus made his escape to the citadel. Anaxibius ran down to the shore, sailed round in a fishing boat to the citadel, and immediately summoned the garrison from Calchedon; for the force in the citadel did not seem adequate to bring the Greek troops under control.