Anabasis | Page 7

They found that the city had been
deserted by its inhabitants, who had betaken themselves, with
Syennesis, to a strong place on the hills. All had gone, except the
tavern-keepers. The sea-board inhabitants of Soli and Issi also
remained. Now Epyaxa, Syennesis's queen, had reached Tarsus five
days in advance of Cyrus. During their passage over the mountains into
the plain, two companies of Menon's army were lost. Some said they
had been cut down by the Cilicians, while engaged on some pillaging
affair; another account was that they had been left behind, and being
unable to overtake the main body, or discover the route, had gone
astray and perished. However it was, they numbered one hundred
hoplites; and when the rest arrived, being in a fury at the destruction of
their fellow soldiers, they vented their spleen by pillaging the city of
Tarsus and the palace to boot. Now when Cyrus had marched into the
city, he sent for Syennesis to come to him; but 26 the latter replied that

he had never yet put himself into the hands of any one who was his
superior, nor was he willing to accede to the proposal of Cyrus now;
until, in the end, his wife persuaded him, and he accepted pledges of
good faith. After this they met, and Syennesis gave Cyrus large sums in
aid of his army; while Cyrus presented him with the customary royal
gifts--to wit, a horse with a gold bit, a necklace of gold, a gold bracelet,
and a gold scimitar, a Persian dress, and lastly, the exemption of his
territory from further pillage, with the privilege of taking back the
slaves that had been seized, wherever they might chance to come upon
them.

III
At Tarsus Cyrus and his army halted for twenty days; the soldiers 1
refusing to advance further, since the suspicion ripened in their minds,
that the expedition was in reality directed against the king; and as they
insisted, they had not engaged their services for that object. Clearchus
set the example of trying to force his men to continue their march; but
he had no sooner started at the head of his troops than they began to
pelt him and his baggage train, and Clearchus had a narrow escape of
being stoned to death there and then. Later on, when he perceived that
force was useless, he summoned an assembly of his own men; and for a
long while he stood and wept, while the men gazed in silent
astonishment. At last he spoke as follows: "Fellow soldiers, do not
marvel that I am sorely distressed on account of the present troubles.
Cyrus has been no ordinary friend to me. When I was in banishment he
honoured me in various ways, and made me also a present of ten
thousand darics. These I accepted, but not to lay them up for myself for
private use; not to squander them in pleasure, but to expend them on
yourselves. And, first of all, I went to war with the Thracians, and with
you to aid, I wreaked vengeance on them in behalf of Hellas; driving
them out of the Chersonese, when they wanted to deprive its Hellenic
inhabitants of their lands. But as soon as Cyrus summoned me, I took
you with me and set out, so that, if my benefactor had any need of me, I
might requite him for the good treatment I myself had received at his
hands. . . . But since you are not minded to continue the march with me,

one of two things is left to 5 me to do; either I must renounce you for
the sake of my friendship with Cyrus, or I must go with you at the cost
of deceiving him. Whether I am about to do right or not, I cannot say,
but I choose yourselves; and, whatever betide, I mean to share your fate.
Never shall it be said of me by any one that, having led Greek troops
against the barbarians[1], I betrayed the Hellenes, and chose the
friendship of the barbarian. No! since you do not choose to obey and
follow me, I will follow after you. Whatever betide, I will share your
fate. I look upon you as my country, my friends, my allies; with you I
think I shall be honoured, wherever I be; without you I do not see how I
can help a friend or hurt a foe. My decision is taken. Wherever you go,
I go also."
[1] Lit. "into the country of the barbarian."
Such were his words. But the soldiers, not only his own, but the rest
also, when they heard what he said, and how he had scouted the idea of
going up to the great king's palace[2], expressed their