anabasis-第54章

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ion；　stand　easy。〃　But　the　men　themselves；　by　a　species　of　self…marshalling；　fell　into　rank；　and　were　soon　formed；　the　heavy　infantry　eight　deep；　while　the　light　infantry　had　run　up　to　cover　either　wing。　The　Thracian　Square；　as　it　is　called；　is　a　fine　site　for　manouvering；　being　bare　of　buildings　and　level。　As　soon　as　the　arms　were　stacked　and　the　men's　tempers　cooled；　Xenophon　called　a　general　meeting　of　the　soldiers；　and　made　the　following　speech：

〃Soldiers；　I　am　not　surprised　at　your　wrath；　or　that　you　deem　it　monstrous　treatment　so　to　be　cheated；　but　consider　what　will　be　the　consequences　if　we　gratify　our　indignation；　and　in　return　for　such　deception；　avenge　ourselves　on　the　Lacedaemonians　here　present；　and　plunder　an　innocent　city。　We　shall　be　declared　enemies　of　the　Lacedaemonians　and　their　allies；　and　what　sort　of　war　that　will　be；　we　need　not　go　far　to　conjecture。　I　take　it；　you　have　not　forgotten　some　quite　recent　occurrences。　We　Athenians　entered　into　war　against　the　Lacedaemonians　and　their　allies　with　a　fleet　consisting　of　not　less　than　three　hundred　line…of…battle　ships；　including　those　in　dock　as　well　as　those　afloat。　We　had　vast　treasures　stored　up　in　the　city；　and　a　yearly　income　which；　derived　from　home　or　foreign　sources；　amounted　to　no　less　than　a　thousand　talents。　Our　empire　included　all　the　　　　　　　　　27　islands；　and　we　were　possessed　of　numerous　cities　both　in　Asia　and　in　Europe。　Amongst　others；　this　very　Byzantium；　where　we　are　now；　was　ours；　and　yet　in　the　end　we　were　vanquished；　as　you　all　very　well　know。

〃What；　must　we　anticipate；　will　now　be　our　fate？　The　Lacedaemonians　have　not　only　their　old　allies；　but　the　Athenians　and　those　who　were　at　that　time　allies　of　Athens　are　added　to　them。　Tissaphernes　and　all　the　rest　of　the　Asiatics　on　the　seaboard　are　our　foes；　not　to　speak　of　our　arch…enemy；　the　king　himself；　up　yonder；　whom　we　came　to　deprive　of　his　empire；　and　to　kill；　if　possible。　I　ask　then；　with　all　these　banded　together　against　us；　is　there　any　one　so　insensate　as　to　imagine　that　we　can　survive　the　contest？　For　heaven's　sake；　let　us　not　go　mad　or　loosely　throw　away　our　lives　in　war　with　our　own　native　citiesnay；　our　own　friends；　our　kith　and　our　kin；　for　in　one　or　other　of　the　cities　they　are　all　included。　Every　city　will　march　against　us；　and　not　unjustly；　if；　after　refusing　to　hold　one　single　barbarian　city　by　right　of　conquest；　we　seize　the　first　Hellenic　city　that　we　come　to　and　make　it　a　ruinous　heap。　For　my　part；　my　prayer　is　that　before　I　see　such　things　wrought　by　you；　I；　at　any　rate；　may　lie　ten　thousand　fathoms　under　ground！　My　counsel　to　you；　as　Hellenes；　is　to　try　and　obtain　your　just　rights；　through　obedience　to　those　who　stand　at　the　head　of　Hellas；　and　if　so　be　that　you　fail　in　those　demands；　why；　being　more　sinned　against　than　sinning；　need　we　rob　ourselves　of　Hellas　too？　At　present；　I　propose　that　we　should　send　to　Anaxibius　and　tell　him　that　we　have　made　an　entrance　into　the　city；　not　meditating　violence；　but　merely　to　discover　if　he　and　his　will　show　us　any　good；　for　if　so；　it　is　well；　but　of　otherwise；　at　least　we　will　let　him　see　that　he　does　not　shut　the　door　upon　us　as　dupes　and　fools。　We　know　the　meaning　of　discipline；　we　turn　our　backs　and　go。〃

This　resolution　was　passed；　and　they　sent　Hieronymus　an　Eleian；　with　two　others；　Eurylochus　an　Arcadian　and　Philesius　an　Achaean；　to　deliver　the　message。　So　these　set　off　on　their　errand。　But　while　the　soldiers　were　still　seated　in　conclave；　Coeratadas；　of　Thebes；　　　　　　　　　　33　arrived。　He　was　a　Theban　not　in　exile；　but　with　a　taste　for　generalship；　who　made　it　his　business　to　see　if　any　city　or　nation　were　in　need　of　his　services。　Thus；　on　the　present　occasion；　he　presented　himself；　and　begged　to　state　that　he　was　ready　to　put　himself　at　their　head；　and　lead　them　into　the　Delta　of　Thrace＇2＇；　as　it　is　called；　where　they　would　find　themselves　in　a　land　of　plenty；　but　until　they　got　there；　he　would　provide　them　with　meat　and　drink　enough　and　to　spare。　While　they　were　still　listening　to　this　tale；　the　return　message　from　Anaxibius　came。　His　answer　was：　〃The　discipline；　they　had　spoken　of；　was　not　a　thing　they　would　regret；　indeed　he　would　report　their　behaviour　to　the　authorities　at　home；　and　for　himself；　he　would　take　advice　and　do　the　best　he　could　for　them。〃

＇2＇　The　exact　locality；　so　called；　is　not　known；　doubtless　it　lay　　　　　somewhere　between　Byzantium　and　Salmydessus；　possibly　at　Declus　　　　　（mod。　Derkos）；　or　possibly　the　narrow　portion　of　Thrace　between　　　　　the　Euxine；　Bosphorus；　and　Propontis　went　by　this　name。　See　note　　　　　in　Pretor　ad。　loc。；　and　〃Dict。　Geog。〃　〃Thracia。〃

Thereupon　the　soldiers　accepted　Coeratadas　as　their　general；　and　retired　without　the　walls。　Their　new　general　undertook　to　present　himself　to　the　troops　next　day　with　sacrificial　beasts　and　a　soothsayer；　with　eatables　also　and　drinkables　for　the　army。　Now；　as　soon　as　they　were　gone　out；　Anaxibius　closed　the　gates　and　issued　a　proclamation　to　the　effect　that　〃any　of　the　soldiers　caught　inside　should　be　knocked　down　to　the　hammer　and　sold　at　once。〃　Next　day；　Coeratadas　arrived　with　the　victims　and　the　soothsayer。　A　string　of　twenty　bearers　bearing　barleymeal　followed　at　his　heels；　succeeded　by　other　twenty　carrying　wine；　and　three　laden　with　a　supply　of　olives；　and　two　others　carrying；　the　one　about　as　much　garlic　as　a　single　man　could　lift；　and　the　other　a　similar　load　of　onions。　These　various　supplies　he　set　down；　apparently　for　distribution；　and　began　to　sacrifice。

Now　Xenophon　sent　to　Cleander；　begging　him　to　arrange　matters　so　that　he　might　be　allowed　to　enter　the　walls；　with　a　view　to　starting　from　Byzantium　on　his　homeward　voyage。　Cleander　came；　and　this　is　what　he　　　　39　said：　〃I　have　come；　but　I　was　barely　able　to　arrange　what　you　want。　Anaxibius　insisted：　'It　was　not　convenient　that　Xenophon　should　be　inside　while　the　soldiers　are　close　to　the　walls　without；　the　Byzantines　at　sixes　and　sevens　moreover；　and　no　love　lost　between　the　one　party　of　them　and　the　other。'　Still；　he　ended　by　bidding　you　to　come　inside；　if　you　were　really　minded　to　leave　the　town　by　sea　with　himself。〃　Accordingly　Xenophon　bade　the　soldiers　good…bye；　and　returned　with　Cleander　within　the　walls。

To　return　to　Coeratadas。　The　first　day　he　failed　to　get　favourable　signs　at　the　sacrifice；　and　never　a　dole　of　rations　did　he　make　to　the　soldiers。　On　the　second　day　the　victims　were　standing　ready　near　the　altar；　and　so　was　Coeratadas；　with　chaplet　crowned；　all　ready　to　sacrifice；　when　up　comes　Timasion　the　Dardanian；　with　Neon　the　Asinaean；　and　Cleanor　of　Orchomenus；　forbidding　Coeratadas　to　sacrifice：　〃He　must　understand　there　was　an　end　to　his　generalship；　unless　he　gave　them　provisions。〃　The　other　bade　them　measure　out　the　supplies；　〃Pray；　dole　them　out。〃　But　when　he　found　that　he　had　a　good　deal　short　of　a　single　day's　provisions　for　each　man；　he　picked　up　his　paraphernalia　of　sacrifice　and　withdrew。　As　to　being　general；　he　would　have　nothing　more　to　say　to　it。



II

Now　these　five　were　leftNeon　the　Asinaean；　Phryniscus　the　Achaean；　　　　1　Philesius　the　Achaean；　Xanthicles　the　Achaean；　Timasion　the　Dardanianat　the　head　of　the　army；　and　they　pushed　on　to　some　villages　of　the　Thracians　facing　Byzantium；　and　there　encamped。　Now　the　generals　could　not　agree。　Cleanor　and　Phryniscus　wished　to　march　to　join　Seuthes；　who　had　worked　upon　their　feelings　by　presenting　one　with　a　horse　and　the　other　with　a　woman　to　wife。　But　Neon's　object　was　to　come　to　the　Chersonese：　〃When　we　are　under　the　wing　of　the　Lacedaemonians；〃　he　thought；　〃I　shall　step　to　the　front　and　command　the　whole　army。〃

Timasion's　one　ambition　was　to　cross　back　again　into　Asia；　hoping　to　be　reinstated　at　home　and　end　his　exile。　The　soldiers　shared　the　wishes　of　the　last　general。　But；　as　time　dragged　on；　many　of　the　men　sold　their　arms　at　different　places　and　set　sail　as　best　they　could；　others　＇actually　gave　away　their　arms；　some　here；　some　there；　and＇1＇＇　　　3　became　absorbed　in　the　cities。　One　man　rejoiced。　This　was　Anaxibius；　to　whom　the　break…up　of　the　army　was　a　blessing。　〃That　is　the　way；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃I　can　best　gratify　Pharnabazus。〃

＇1＇　The　MSS。　give　the　words　so　rendered｛oi　de　kai　＇didontes　ta