anabasis-第12章

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pompus〃　may　have　crept　　　　　into　the　text　from　a　marginal　note　of　a　scholiast；　〃Theopompus〃　　　　　（the　historian）　〃gives　the　remark　to　Proxenus。〃

Just　then　Clearchus　returned；　and　wished　to　know　what　answer　they　had　given。　The　words　were　barely　out　of　his　mouth　before　Phalinus　interrupting；　answered：　〃As　for　your　friends　here；　one　says　one　thing　and　one　another；　will　you　please　give　us　your　opinion〃；　and　he　replied：　〃The　sight　of　you；　Phalinus；　caused　me　much　pleasure；　and　not　only　me；　but　all　of　us；　I　feel　sure；　for　you　are　a　Hellene　even　as　we　areevery　one　of　us　whom　you　see　before　you。　In　our　present　plight　we　would　like　to　take　you　into　our　counsel　as　to　what　we　had　better　do　touching　your　proposals。　I　beg　you　then　solemnly；　in　the　sight　of　heavendo　you　tender　us　such　advice　as　you　shall　deem　best　and　worthiest；　and　such　as　shall　bring　you　honour　of　after　time；　when　it　will　be　said　of　you　how　once　on　a　time　Phalinus　was　sent　by　the　great　king　to　bid　certain　Hellenes　yield　up　their　arms；　and　when　they　had　taken　him　into　their　counsel；　he　gave　them　such　and　such　advice。　You　know　that　whatever　advice　you　do　give　us　cannot　fail　to　be　reported　in　Hellas。〃

Clearchus　threw　out　these　leading　remarks　in　hopes　that　this　man；　who　was　the　ambassador　from　the　king；　might　himself　be　led　to　advise　them　not　to　give　up　their　arms；　in　which　case　the　Hellenes　would　be　still　more　sanguine　and　hopeful。　But；　contrary　to　his　expectation；　Phalinus　turned　round　and　said：　〃I　say　that　if　you　have　one　chance；　one　hope　in　ten　thousand　to　wage　a　war　with　the　king　successfully；　do　not　give　up　your　arms。　That　is　my　advice。　If；　however；　you　have　no　chance　of　escape　without　the　king's　consent；　then　I　say　save　yourselves　in　the　only　way　you　can。〃　And　Clearchus　answered：　〃So；　then；　that　is　your　　　　　　20　deliberate　view？　Well；　this　is　our　answer；　take　it　back。　We　conceive　that　in　either　case；　whether　we　are　expected　to　be　friends　with　the　king；　we　shall　be　worth　more　as　friends　if　we　keep　our　arms　than　if　we　yield　them　to　another；　or　whether　we　are　to　go　to　war；　we　shall　fight　better　with　them　than　without。〃　And　Phalinus　said：　〃That　answer　we　will　repeat；　but　the　king　bade　me　tell　you　this　besides；　'Whilst　you　remain　here　there　is　truce；　but　one　step　forward　or　one　step　back；　the　truce　ends；　there　is　war。'　Will　you　then　please　inform　us　as　to　that　point　also？　Are　you　minded　to　stop　and　keep　truce；　or　is　there　to　be　war？　What　answer　shall　I　take　from　you？〃　And　Clearchus　replied：　〃Pray　answer　that　we　hold　precisely　the　same　views　on　this　point　as　the　king。〃〃How　say　you　the　same　views？〃　asked　Phalinus。　Clearchus　made　answer：　〃As　long　as　we　stay　here　there　is　truce；　but　a　step　forward　or　a　step　backward；　the　truce　ends；　there　is　war。〃　The　other　again　asked：　〃Peace　or　war；　what　answer　shall　I　make？〃　Clearchus　returned　answer　once　again　in　the　same　words：　〃Truce　if　we　stop；　but　if　we　move　forwards　or　backwards　war。〃　But　what　he　was　minded　really　to　do；　that　he　refused　to　make　further　manifest。



II

Phalinus　and　those　that　were　with　him　turned　and　went。　But　the　　　　　　　　　　1　messengers　from　Ariaeus；　Procles　and　Cheirisophus　came　back。　As　to　Menon；　he　stayed　behind　with　Ariaeus；　They　brought　back　this　answer　from　Ariaeus：　〃'There　are　many　Persians；'　he　says；　'better　than　himself　who　will　not　suffer　him　to　sit　upon　the　king's　throne；　but　if　you　are　minded　to　go　back　with　him；　you　must　join　him　this　very　night；　otherwise　he　will　set　off　himself　to…morrow　on　the　homeward　route。'〃　And　Clearchus　said：　〃It　had　best　stand　thus　between　us　then。　If　we　come；　well　and　good；　be　it　as　you　propose；　but　if　we　do　not　come；　do　whatsoever　you　think　most　conducive　to　your　interests。〃　And　so　he　kept　these　also　in　the　dark　as　to　his　real　intention。

After　this；　when　the　sun　was　already　sinking；　he　summoned　the　generals　and　officers；　and　made　the　following　statement：　〃Sirs；　I　sacrificed　and　found　the　victims　unfavourable　to　an　advance　against　the　king。　After　all；　it　is　not　so　surprising　perhaps；　for；　as　I　now　learn；　between　us　and　the　king　flows　the　river　Tigris；　navigable　for　big　　　　　　　3　vessels；　and　we　could　not　possibly　cross　it　without　boats；　and　boats　we　have　none。　On　the　other　hand；　to　stop　here　is　out　of　the　question；　for　there　is　no　possibility　of　getting　provisions。　However；　the　victims　were　quite　agreeable　to　us　joining　the　friends　of　Cyrus。　This　is　what　we　must　do　then。　Let　each　go　away　and　sup　on　whatever　he　has。　At　the　first　sound　of　the　bugle　to　turn　in；　get　kit　and　baggage　together；　at　the　second　signal；　place　them　on　the　baggage　animals；　and　at　the　third；　fall　in　and　follow　the　lead；　with　the　baggage　animals　on　the　inside　protected　by　the　river；　and　the　troops　outside。〃　After　hearing　the　orders；　the　generals　and　officers　retired；　and　did　as　they　were　bid；　and　for　the　future　Clearchus　led；　and　the　rest　followed　in　obedience　to　his　orders；　not　that　they　had　expressly　chosen　him；　but　they　saw　that　he　alone　had　the　sense　and　wisdom　requisite　in　a　general；　while　the　rest　were　inexperienced＇1＇。

＇1＇　The　MSS。　add　the　words；　〃The　total　distance　of　the　route；　taking　　　　　Ephesus　in　Ionia　as　the　starting　point　up　to　the　field　of　battle；　　　　　consisted　of　93　stages；　535　parasangs；　or　16；050　furlongs；　from　　　　　the　battle…field　to　Babylon　（reckoned　a　three　days'　journey）　would　　　　　have　been　another　360　stades；〃　which　may　well　be　an　editor's　or　　　　　commentator's　marginal　note。

Here；　under　cover　of　the　darkness　which　descended；　the　Thracian　Miltocythes；　with　forty　horsemen　and　three　hundred　Thracian　infantry；　deserted　to　the　king；　but　the　rest　of　the　troopsClearchus　leading　and　the　rest　following　in　accordance　with　the　orders　promulgatedtook　their　departure；　and　about　midnight　reached　their　first　stage；　having　come　up　with　Ariaeus　and　his　army。　They　grounded　arms　just　as　they　stood　in　rank；　and　the　generals　and　officers　of　the　Hellenes　met　in　the　tent　of　Ariaeus。　There　they　exchanged　oathsthe　Hellenes　on　the　one　side　and　Ariaeus　with　his　principal　officers　on　the　othernot　to　betray　one　another；　but　to　be　true　to　each　other　as　allies。　The　Asiatics　further　solemnly　pledged　themselves　by　oath　to　lead　the　way　without　treachery。　The　oaths　were　ratified　by　the　sacrifice　of　a　bull；　a　wolf＇2＇；　a　boar；　and　a　ram　over　a　shield。　The　Hellenes　dipped　a　sword；　the　barbarians　a　lance；　into　the　blood　of　the　victims。

＇2＇　It　is　a　question　whether　the　words　〃a　wolf〃　ought　not　to　be　　　　　omitted。

As　soon　as　the　pledge　was　taken；　Clearchus　spoke：　〃And　now；　Ariaeus；〃　he　said；　〃since　you　and　we　have　one　expedition　in　prospect；　will　you　　　　10　tell　us　what　you　think　about　the　route；　shall　we　return　the　way　we　came；　or　have　you　devised　a　better？〃　He　answered：　〃To　return　the　same　way　is　to　perish　to　a　man　by　hunger；　for　at　this　moment　we　have　no　provisions　whatsoever。　During　the　seventeen　last　stages；　even　on　our　way　hither；　we　could　extract　nothing　from　the　country；　or；　if　there　was　now　and　again　anything；　we　passed　over　and　utterly　consumed　it。　At　this　time　our　project　is　to　take　another　and　a　longer　journey　certainly；　but　we　shall　not　be　in　straits　for　provisions。　The　earliest　stages　must　be　very　long；　as　long　as　we　can　make　them；　the　object　is　to　put　as　large　a　space　as　possible　between　us　and　the　royal　army；　once　we　are　two　or　three　days'　journey　off；　the　danger　is　over。　The　king　will　never　overtake　us。　With　a　small　army　he　will　not　dare　to　dog　our　heels；　and　with　a　vast　equipment　he　will　lack　the　power　to　march　quickly。　Perhaps　he；　too；　may　even　find　a　scarcity　of　provisions。　There；〃　said　he；　〃you　asked　for　my　opinion；　see；　I　have　given　it。〃

Here　was　a　plan　of　the　campaign；　which　was　equivalent　to　a　stampede：　helter…skelter　they　were　to　run　away；　or　get　into　hiding　somehow；　but　fortune　proved　a　better　general。　For　as　soon　as　it　was　day　they　recommenced　the　journey；　keeping　the　sun　on　their　right；　and　calculating　that　with　the　westering　rays　they　would　have　reached　villages　in　the　territory　of　Babylonia；　and　in　this　hope　they　were　not　deceived。　While　it　was　yet　afternoon；　they　thought　they　caught　sight　of　some　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　and　those　of　the　Hellenes　who　were　not　in　rank　ran　to　their　ranks；　and　Ariaeus；　who　was　riding　in　a　wagon　to　nurse　a　wound；　got　down　and　donned　his　cuirass；　the　rest