1

villages situated on the river Teleboas. Here Tiribazus proposed to them that they should proceed unmolested through his satrapy, taking what supplies they wanted, but without damaging the villages. During the first part of their march Tiribazus kept his word, and the only annoyance they felt was the severity of the weather. It was now the month of December, and Armenia was cold and exposed, being a table-land raised high above the level of the sea. Whilst halting near some well-supplied villages, the Greeks were overtaken by two deep falls of snow, which almost buried them in their open bivouacs. Hence a five days' march brought them to the eastern branch of the Euphrates. Crossing the river, they proceeded on the other side of it over plains covered with deep snow, and in the face of a biting north wind. Here many of the slaves and beasts of burden, and even a few of the soldiers, fell victims to the cold. Some had their feet frost-bitten; some were blinded by the snow; whilst others, exhausted with cold and hunger, sunk down and died. The army next arrived at some singular villages, consisting of dwellings excavated in the earth, and entered by means of a ladder through an opening like a well. As these villages were plentifully stocked with cattle, corn, vegetables, and beer, they here took up their quarters for a week, in order to refresh themselves. On the morning after their arrival, they despatched a detach ment which brought in most of the soldiers left behind during the march On the eighth day they proceeded on their way, ascending the banks of the Phasis, not the celebrated river of that name, but probably the one usually called Araxes.

§ 13. From thence they fought their way through the country of the Taochi and Chalybes, both of them brave and warlike tribes. Then, after crossing the Harpasus (the modern Tchorouk), they reached the country of the Scythini, in whose territory they found abundance in a large and populous city called Gymnias. The chief of this place having engaged to conduct them within sight of the Euxine, they proceeded for five days under his guidance; when, after ascending a mountain, the sea suddenly burst on the view of the vanguard. The men proclaimed their joy by loud shouts of "The sea! the sea!" The rest of the army hurried to the summit, and gave vent to their joy and exultation in tears and mutual embraces. With spontaneous impulse they erected a pile of stones, by way of trophy, to mark the spot; and dismissed their guide with many presents and expressions of the warmest gratitude.

The Greeks now entered the country of the Macrones, with whom they opened negotiations through a peltast conversant with their language, and agreed for an unmolested passage and the purchase of provisions. The Colchians, through whose territory the march next lay, attempted to oppose their progress, but were soon dispersed. The honey of this region produced a singular effect upon the Greeks. It was grateful to the palate, and when eaten in moderation produced a species of intoxication; but

those who partook largely of it were seized with vomiting and diarrhoea, and thrown into a state resembling madness.

Two days' further march at length brought them to the objects for which they had so often pined, and which many at one time had never hoped to see again, — a Grecian city and the sea. By the inhabitants of Trapezus or Trebizond, on the Euxine, where they had now arrived, they were hospitably received, and being cantoned in some Colchian villages near the town, refreshed themselves after the hardships they had undergone by a repose of thirty days. They also seized this opportunity to discharge the vows which they had made for a safe deliverance, after the capture and massacre of their generals by Tissaphernes, by offering up sacrifices to Zeus the Preserver, Hercules the Conductor, and other gods. Solemn games followed and completed these sacred ceremonies.

§ 14. The most difficult part of the return of the Ten Thousand was now accomplished, but much still remained to be done. The sight of the sea awakened in the army a universal desire to prosecute the remainder of their journey on that element. "Comrades," exclaimed a Thurian soldier, "I am weary of packing up, of marching and running, of shouldering arms and falling into line, of standing sentinel and fighting. For my part I should like to get rid of all these labors, and go home by sea the rest of the way, so that I might arrive in Greece outstretched and asleep, like Odysseus of old." The shouts of applause which greeted this address showed that the Thurian had touched the right chord; and when Cheirisophus, one of the principal officers, offered to proceed to Byzantium and endeavor to procure transports for the conveyance of the army, his proposal was joyfully accepted. Meanwhile, the Ten Thousand were employed in marauding expeditions, and in collecting all the vessels possible, in case Cheirisophus should fail in obtaining the requisite supply. That officer delayed to return; provisions grew scarce, and the army found itself compelled to evacuate Trapezus. Vessels enough had been collected to transport the women, the sick, and the baggage to Cerasus, whither the army proceeded by land. Here they remained ten days, during which they were mustered and reviewed; when it was found that the number of hoplites still amounted to eight thousand six hundred, and with peltasts, bowmen, &c., made a total of more than ten thousand men.

From Cerasus they pursued their journey to Cotyora, through the territories of the Mosynæci and Chalybes. They were obliged to fight their way through the former of these people, capturing and plundering the wooden towers in which they dwelt, and from which they derived their name. At Cotyora they waited in vain for Cheirisophus and the transports. Many difficulties still stood in the way of their return. The inhabitants of Sinopé represented to them that a march through Paphlagonia was impracticable, and the means of a passage by sea were not at hand. After remaining forty-five days at Cotyora, a sufficient number of

vessels was collected to convey the army to Sinopé. A passage of twenty-four hours brought them to that town, where they were hospitably received and lodged in the neighboring sea-port of Armené. Here they were joined by Cheirisophus who, however, brought with him only a single trireme. From Sinopé the army proceeded to Heraclea, and from thence to Calpé, where Cheirisophus died. From Calpé they marched across Bithynia to Chrysopolis, a town immediately opposite to Byzan tium, where they spent a week in realizing the booty which they had brought with them.

§ 15. The satrap Pharnabazus was desirous that the Greeks should evacuate Asia Minor; and, at his instance, Anaxibius, the Lacedæmonian admiral on the station, induced them to cross over by promising to provide them with pay when they should have reached the other side. But instead of fulfilling his agreement, Anaxibius ordered them, after their arrival at Byzantium, to proceed to the Thracian Chersonese, where the Lacedæmonian harmost, Syniscus, would find them pay; and during this long march of one hundred and fifty miles they were directed to support themselves by plundering the Thracian villages. Preparatory to the march they were ordered to muster outside the walls of Byzantium. But the Greeks, irritated by the deception which had been practised on them, and which, through want of caution on the part of Anaxibius, became known to them before they had all quitted the town, prevented the gates from being closed, and rushed in infuriated masses back into the city, uttering loud threats, and bent on plunder and havoc. The lives and property of the citizens were at their mercy; for at the first alarm Anaxibius had retired with his troops into the citadel, whilst the affrighted inhabitants were either barricading their houses, or flying to the ships for refuge. In this conjuncture Xenophon felt that the destruction of a city like Byzantium would draw down upon the army the vengeance not merely of the Lacedæmonians, but of all Greece. With great presence of mind, and under color of aiding their designs, he caused the soldiers to form in an open square called the Thracion, and by a well-timed speech diverted them from their designs.

Shortly afterwards, the army entered into the service of Seuthes, a Thracian prince, who was anxious to recover his sovereignty over three revolted tribes. But after they had accomplished this object, Seuthes neglected to provide the pay which he had stipulated, or to fulfil the magnificent promises which he had made to Xenophon personally, of giving him his daughter in marriage, and putting him in possession of the town of Bisanthé.

The army, now reduced to six thousand, was thus again thrown into difficulties, when it entered on the last phase of its checkered career by engaging to serve the Lacedæmonians in a war which they had just declared against the satraps Tissaphernes and Pharnabazus. Xenophon

accordingly conducted his comrades to Pergamus in Mysia, where a considerable booty fell into their hands by the capture of a castle not far from that place. Xenophon was allowed to select the choicest lots from the booty thus acquired, as a tribute of gratitude and admiration for the services which he had rendered.

Shortly after this adventure, in the spring of B. c. 399, Thimbron, the Lacedæmonian commander, arrived at Pergamus, and the remainder of the Ten Thousand Greeks became incorporated with his army. Xenophon now returned to Athens, where he must have arrived shortly after the execution of his master Socrates. Disgusted probably by that event, he rejoined his old comrades in Asia, and subsequently returned to Greece along with Agesilaus, as we have already related.*

* See p. 386.

I

Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, in the Street of Tripods at Athens.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SPARTAN EMPIRE TO THE BATTLE

OF CNIDOS.

§ 1. Invasion and Reduction of Elis by King Agis. § 2. Ambitious Projects of Lysander. § 3. He procures the Throne for Agesilaus. § 4. Character of Agesilaus. § 5. Nature of the Spartan Empire. § 6. Affairs of Asia Minor. § 7. Agesilaus proceeds thither. § 8. Mortifies Lysander. 9. Campaigns of Agesilaus against Tissaphernes and Pharnabazus. § 10. Execution of Tissaphernes. § 11. Proceedings of Conon. Rhodes revolts from Sparta. 12. Agesilaus ravages the Satrapy of Pharnabazus. Interview between them. 13. Recall of Agesilaus. § 14. Battle of Cnidos.

§ 1. RESUMING the thread of the narrative, we shall now briefly trace the history of the Spartan supremacy, which resulted from the battle of Ægospotami, and the consequent capture of Athens, related in the preceding book. This supremacy lasted altogether thirty-four years, from the victory of Egospotami in B. c. 405 to the defeat of Leuctra in B. c. 371.