Anabasis | Page 9

some place out
of which we should find it impossible to escape. I should much prefer,
if I am to return home against the will of Cyrus at all, to give him the
slip, and so begone: which indeed is impossible. But these schemes are
simply nonsensical. My proposal is that a deputation of fit persons,
with Clearchus, should go to Cyrus: let them go to Cyrus and ask him:
what use he proposes to make of us? and if the business is at all similar
to that on which he once before employed a body of foreigners--let us
by all means follow: let us show that we are the equals of those who
accompanied him on his much up formerly. But if the design should
turn out to be of larger import than the former one--involving more toil
and more danger--we should ask him, either to give us good reasons for
following his lead, or else consent to send us away into a friendly
country. In this way, whether we follow him, we shall do so as friends,
and with heart and soul, or whether we go back, we shall do so in
security. The answer to this shall be reported to us here, and when we
have heard it, we will advise as to our best course."
This resolution was carried, and they chose and sent a deputation with
Clearchus, who put to Cyrus the questions which had been agreed upon
by the army. Cyrus replied as follows: That he had received news that
Abrocomas, an enemy of his, was posted on the Euphrates, twelve
stages 20 off; his object was to march against this aforesaid Abrocomas:
and if he were still there, he wished to inflict punishment on him, "or if
he be fled" (so the reply concluded), "we will there deliberate on the
best course." The deputation received the answer and reported it to the
soldiers. The suspicion that he was leading them against the king was
not dispelled; but it seemed best to follow him. They only demanded an
increase of pay, and Cyrus promised to give them half as much again as

they had hitherto received--that is to say, a daric and a half a month to
each man, instead of a daric. Was he really leading them to attack the
king? Not even at this moment was any one apprised of the fact, at any
rate in any open and public manner.

IV
From this point he marched two stages--ten parasangs--to the river 1
Psarus, which is two hundred feet broad, and from the Psarus he
marched a single stage--five parasangs--to Issi, the last city in Cilicia. It
lies on the seaboard--a prosperous, large and flourishing town. Here
they halted three days, and here Cyrus was joined by his fleet. There
were thirty-five ships from Peloponnesus, with the Lacedaemonian
admiral Pythagoras on board. These had been piloted from Ephesus by
Tamos the Egyptian, who himself had another fleet of twenty-five ships
belonging to Cyrus. These had formed Tamos's blockading squadron at
Miletus, when that city sided with Tissaphernes; he had also used them
in other military services rendered to Cyrus in his operations against
that satrap. There was a third officer on board the fleet, the
Lacedaemonian Cheirisophus, who had been sent for by Cyrus, and had
brought with him seven hundred hoplites, over whom he was to act as
general in the service of Cyrus. The fleet lay at anchor opposite Cyrus's
tent. Here too another reinforcement presented itself. This was a body
of four hundred hoplites, Hellenic mercenaries in the service of
Abrocomas, who 3 deserted him for Cyrus, and joined in the campaign
against the king.
From Issi, he marched a single stage--five parasangs--to the gates of
Cilicia and Syria. This was a double fortress: the inner and nearer one,
which protects Cilicia, was held by Syennesis and a garrison of
Cilicians; the outer and further one, protecting Syria, was reported to be
garrisoned by a body of the king's troops. Through the gap between the
two fortresses flows a river named the Carsus, which is a hundred feet
broad, and the whole space between was scarcely more than six
hundred yards. To force a passage here would be impossible, so narrow
was the pass itself, with the fortification walls stretching down to the

sea, and precipitous rocks above; while both fortresses were furnished
with gates. It was the existence of this pass which had induced Cyrus to
send for the fleet, so as to enable him to lead a body of hoplites inside
and outside the gates; and so to force a passage through the enemy, if
he were guarding the Syrian gate, as he fully expected to find
Abrocomas doing with a large army. This, however, Abrocomas had
not