A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

Smith, William

A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. William Smith, LLD, ed. 1890

(Πασίων).

1. A Meegarian, was one of those who were employed by Cyrus the younger in the siege of Miletus, which hsad continued to adhere to Tissaphernes; and, when Cyrus commenced his expedition against his brother, in B. C. 401, Pasion joined him at Sardis with 700 men. At Tarsus a number of his soldiers and of those of Xeni;as, the Arcadian, left their standards for that of Clearchus, on the declaration of the latter, framed to induce the Greeks not to abandon the enterprise, that he would stand by them and share their fortunes in spite of the obligations he was under to Cyrus. The prince afterwards permitted Clearchseb to retain the troops in question, and it was fisoni ofifece at this, as usually supposed, that Pasito and Xenias deserted the army at the Phoenician sea-port of Myriandrus, and sailed away for Greece with the most valuable of theireffects. Cyrus displayed a politic forbearance on the occasion, and excited the Greeks to greater alacrity in his cause, by declining to pursue the fugitives, or to detain their wives and children, vwho were in safe keeping in his garrison at Tralles. (Xen. Anab. 1.1.6, 2.3, 3.7, 4. §§ 7-9.)