The enemy are seen advancing in order of battle, and the army of
Cyrus hastily prepare for action. The Greeks, in the right wing,
put to flight the troops opposed to them, and pursue them some
distance. Cyrus, in the centre, directs his attack against the
king, and is killed.
1. It was now about the time of full market,[59] and the station, where
he intended to halt, was not far off, when Pategyas, a Persian, one of
Cyrus's confidential adherents, made his appearance, riding at his
utmost speed, with his horse in a sweat, and straightway called out to
all whom he met, both in Persian and Greek, "that the king was
approaching with a vast army, prepared as for battle." 2. Immediately
great confusion ensued; for the Greeks and all the rest imagined that he
would fall upon them suddenly, before they could form their ranks; 3.
and Cyrus, leaping from his chariot, put on his breastplate, and,
mounting his horse, took his javelin in his hand, and gave orders for
all the rest to arm themselves, and to take their stations each in his
own place. 4. They accordingly formed with all expedition; Clearchus
occupying the extremity of the right wing close to the Euphrates,
Proxenus being next to him, and after him the other captains in
succession. Menon and his troops occupied the left wing of the Greeks.
5. Of the Barbarian forces, about one thousand Paphlagonian cavalry were
stationed near Clearchus, and the Grecian peltasts on the right; and on
the left was Ariæus, Cyrus's lieutenant, with the rest of the Barbarian
troops. 6. In the centre[60] was Cyrus, and with him about six hundred
cavalry, the men all armed with breastplates, defences for the thighs,
and helmets, except Cyrus alone; for Cyrus presented himself for battle
with his head unprotected. [It is said, too, that the other Persians
expose themselves in battle with their heads uncovered.][61]
7. All the horses of the cavalry, that were with Cyrus, had defensive
armour on the forehead and breast; and the horsemen had also Grecian
swords.
8. It was now mid-day, and the enemy was not yet in sight. But when it
was afternoon,[62] there appeared a dust, like a white cloud, and not
long after, a sort of blackness, extending to a great distance over the
plain. Presently, as they approached nearer, brazen armour began to
flash, and the spears and ranks became visible. 9. There was a body of
cavalry, in white armour, on the left of the enemy's line; (Tissaphernes
was said to have the command of them;) close by these were troops with
wicker shields; and next to them, heavy-armed soldiers with long wooden
shields reaching to their feet; (these were said to be Egyptians;) then
other cavalry and bowmen. These all marched according to their nations,
each nation separately in a solid oblong.[63] 10. In front of their
line, at considerable intervals from each other, were stationed the
chariots called scythed chariots; they had scythes projecting obliquely
from the axletree, and others under the driver's seat, pointing to the
earth, for the purpose of cutting through whatever came in their way;
and the design of them was to penetrate and divide the ranks of the
Greeks.
11. As to what Cyrus had said, however, when, on calling together the
Greeks, he exhorted them to sustain unmoved the shout of the Barbarians,
he was in this respect deceived; for they now approached, not with a
shout, but with all possible silence, and quietly, with an even and slow
step. 12. Cyrus in the mean time, riding by with Pigres the interpreter,
and three or four others, called out to Clearchus to lead his troops
against the enemy's centre, for that there was the king; "and if," said
he, "we are victorious in that quarter, our object is fully
accomplished." 13. But though Clearchus saw that close collection of
troops in the centre of the enemy's line, and heard from Cyrus that the
king was beyond the left of the Greeks, (for so much the superior was
the king in numbers, that, while occupying the middle of his own line,
he was still beyond Cyrus's left,) nevertheless, he was unwilling to
draw off his right wing from the river, fearing lest he should be hemmed
in on both sides; and in answer to Cyrus he said, "that he would take
care that all should go well."
14. During this time the Barbarian army advanced with a uniform pace;
and the Grecian line, still remaining in the same place, was gradually
forming from those who came up from time to time. Cyrus, riding by at a
moderate distance from his army,[64] surveyed from thence both the
lines, looking as well towards the enemy as to his own men. 15.
Xenophon, an Athenian, perceiving him from the Grecian line, rode up to
meet him, and inquired whether he had any commands; when Cyrus stopped
his horse, and told him, and desired him to tell everybody, that the
sacrifices and the appearances of the victims were favourable.[65] 16.
As he was saying this, he heard a murmur passing through the ranks, and
asked what noise that was. He answered,[66] "that it was the watchword,
passing now for the second time."[67] At which Cyrus wondered who had
given it, and asked what the word was. He replied that it was, "JUPITER
THE PRESERVER and VICTORY." 17. When Cyrus heard it, "I accept it as a
good omen," said he, "and let it be so." Saying this, he rode away to
his own station; and the two armies were now not more than three or four
stadia distant from each other, when the Greeks sang the pæan, and began
to march forward to meet the enemy. 18. And as, while they proceeded,
some part of their body fluctuated out of line,[68] those who were thus
left behind began to run: and at the same time, they all raised just
such a shout as they usually raise to Mars, and the whole of them took
to a running pace. Some say, that they made a noise with their spears
against their shields, to strike terror into the horses. 19. But the
Barbarians, before an arrow could reach them, gave way, and took to
flight. The Greeks then pursued them with all their force, calling out
to each other, not to run, but to follow in order. 20. The chariots,
abandoned by their drivers, were hurried, some through the midst of the
enemies themselves, and others through the midst of the Greeks. The
Greeks, when they saw them coming, opened their ranks to let them pass;
some few, however, were startled and caught by them, as might happen in
a race-course; but these, they said, suffered no material injury; nor
did any other of the Greeks receive any hurt in this battle, except
that, on the left of their army, a man was said to have been shot with
an arrow.
21. Cyrus, though he saw the Greeks victorious, and pursuing those of
the enemies who were opposed to them, and though he felt great pleasure
at the sight, and was already saluted as king by those about him, was
not, however, led away to join in the pursuit; but keeping the band of
six hundred cavalry, that were with him, drawn up in close order around
him, he attentively watched how the king would proceed; for he well knew
that he occupied the centre of the Persian army. 22. All the commanders
of the Barbarians, indeed, lead[69] their troops to battle occupying the
centre of their own men; thinking that they will thus be most secure, if
they have the strength of their force on either side of them, and that
if they have occasion to issue orders, their army will receive them in
half the time. 23. On the present occasion, the king, though he occupied
the centre of his own army, was nevertheless beyond Cyrus's left wing.
But as no enemy attacked him in front, or the troops that were drawn up
before him, he began to wheel round, as if to enclose his adversaries.
24. Cyrus, in consequence, fearing that he might take the Greeks in the
rear, and cut them in pieces, moved directly upon him, and charging with
his six hundred horse, routed the troops that were stationed in front of
the king, and put the guard of six thousand to flight, and is said to
have killed with his own hand Artagerses, their commander.
25. When this flight of the enemy took place, Cyrus's six hundred became
dispersed in the eagerness of pursuit; only a very few remaining with
him, chiefly those who were called "partakers of his table."
26. While accompanied by these, he perceived the king and the close
guard around him; when he immediately lost his self-command, and
exclaiming, "I see the man," rushed upon him, struck him on the breast,
and wounded him through the breastplate, as Ctesias, the physician,
relates, stating that he himself dressed the wound. 27. As Cyrus was in
the act of striking, some one hit him violently with a javelin under the
eye; and how many of those about the king were killed, (while they thus
fought, the king, and Cyrus, and their respective followers in defence
of each,) Ctesias relates; for he was with him; on the other side, Cyrus
himself was killed, and eight of his principal officers lay dead upon
his body. 28. Artapates, the most faithful servant to him of all his
sceptre-bearers,[70] when he saw Cyrus fall, is said to have leaped from
his horse, and thrown himself upon the body of his master; 29. and some
say, that the king ordered some one to kill him on the body of Cyrus;
but others relate, that he drew his scimitar, and killed himself upon
the body; for he had a golden scimitar by his side, and also wore a
chain and bracelets, and other ornaments, like the noblest of the
Persians; since he was honoured by Cyrus for his attachment and fidelity
to him.
[Footnote 59: Ἀμφὶ ἀγορὰν πλήθουσαν.] The time from the tenth hour till
noon. The whole day was divided by the Greeks into four parts, πρωῖ,
ἀμφὶ ἀγορὰν πλήθουσαν, μεσημβρία, δείλη. _Kühner_.]
[Footnote 60: The words κατὰ τὸ μέσον, which were introduced into the
text by Leunclavius, as if absolutely necessary, and from a comparison
of Diod. Siculus, xiv. 2, Bornemann and others have omitted. I have
thought it well to express them in the translation. Compare sect. 22,
23.]
[Footnote 61: The words in brackets, as being at variance with what is
said immediately before, that the Persians had helmets on their heads,
Wyttenbach, Weiske, and most other critics have condemned as an
interpolation of some copyist. Kühner defends them an the ground that
they do not interfere with what precedes, but merely express a general
custom of the Persians. Jacobs for ἄλλους conjectures παλαιούς, which
Lion has received into his text; but παλαιούς does not suit well with
the present διακινδυνεύειν. For my own part, I would rather see the
words out of the text than in it, if for no other reason than that they
break the current of the narrative. Dindorf very judiciously leaves them
in brackets.]
[Footnote 62: Δείλη.] See note on sect. 1. of this chap. "This division
of the day was also distinguished into two parts, δείλη πρωῖα, and δείλη
οψία, the early part of the afternoon, (which is here meant,) and the
evening." _Kühner_.]
[Footnote 63: Ἐν πλαισίῳ πλήρει ἀνθρώπων.] "In an oblong full of men,"
i. e. the men being close together.]
[Footnote 64: Οὐ πάνυ πρὸς αὐτῷ τῶ στρατεύματι.] "Satis longinquo à suis
intervallo."--_Weiske_.]
[Footnote 65: Τὰ ἱερὰ ---- καὶ τὰ σφάγια καλά.] The ἱερὰ are omens from
the entrails of the victims; the σφάγια were omens taken from the
appearances and motions of the animals when led to sacrifice. This is
the explanation given by Sturz in the Lexicon Xenophonteum, and adopted
by Kühner. Compare ii, 1. 9.]
[Footnote 66: Dindorf has ὁ δὲ Κλέαρχος εἶπεν, which is the reading of
some manuscripts; others have Ξενοφῶν instead of Κλέαρχος. Dindorf
prefers the former, assuming that Clearchus had probably ridden up to
Cyrus on that occasion; but this is an assumption which he had no right
to make, as nothing can be gathered from the text in favour of it.
Bornemann and Kühner think it better to consider both names as equally
interpolations, and to read simply ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, Xenophon of course being
understood.]
[Footnote 67: Δεύτερον.] The watchword seems to have been passed from
the extremity of one wing (the right I should suppose) to the extremity
of the other, and then back again, that the soldiers, by repeating it
twice, might be less likely to forget it. But as it would thus be passed
only twice, not oftener, it would appear that we should read τὸ
δεύτερον. _Krüger_ de Authen. Anab. p. 33. Kühner observes that the
article is not absolutely necessary. I have translated "_the_ second
time," as the sense seems to require. Some have imagined that the word
δεύτερον implies that _a second watchword_, another given out for the
occasion, was passing round; but for this supposition there seems no
ground. As there is no answer to the inquiry, τίς παραγγέλλει, Krüger
thinks that some words have dropped out of the text.]
[Footnote 68: Ἐξεκύμαινε.] This metaphor, from the swelling and heaving
of a wave, is imitated by Arrian, Anab. ii. 10. 4, and praised in the
treatise de Eloc. 84, attributed to Demetrius Phalereus.]
[Footnote 69: Ἡγοῦνται.] Schneider, Kühner, and some other editors have
ἡγοῦντο but Poppo and Dindorf seem to be right in adopting the present,
notwithstanding the following optative.]
[Footnote 70: See c. 6, sect. 11.]