followers of the Barbarian army. For in addition to the other slaves,
the luxurious Persian lords had brought with them their cooks, their
bakers, and all manner of personal attendants, besides enormous tents
in which to house the many members of their households who accompanied
them to the war. The complete length of the procession formed by the
army and its retinue was nothing short of six miles.
This immense multitude, great enough to people a good-sized town,
required every day to be fed, either by buying such provisions as could
be obtained on the spot, when the country through which they were
marching was fruitful and well-peopled, or, when the country was waste
and desolate, by falling back upon the stores which they had brought
with them. These stores they were careful to renew whenever there was
an opportunity of doing so.
In the Barbarian army, the officers were entrusted with the duty of
providing food for the troops, and seeing that each man received every
day his due portion of bread, meat and wine. In the Hellene army, the
men catered for themselves, for their pay was given them in money
instead of food.
The ordinary pay of a Hellene soldier was one daric a month, or about
twenty-one shillings of our money, and out of this he was expected to
provide his own weapons. The captains received twice as much as the
private soldiers, and the generals four times as much. To us such a sum
appears a very miserable pittance, but it must be remembered that in
those days the value of money was far greater than it is now. Moreover
all alike, whether officers or privates, might count upon a good share
of booty from the enemy’s country.
VII
THE PRINCESS EPYAXA
The Hellenes had now been for some considerable time in the service
of Cyrus, and hitherto he had not failed to pay them punctually every
month. But the enormous expenses incurred in starting the expedition
had for the moment completely drained his treasury, and now, two months
after the departure from Sardis, he was still unable to give them any
money, although their pay was by this time three months in arrear.
It was a painful and embarrassing situation, and he felt it the more
keenly because he had always been accustomed to give to those whom he
employed more, rather than less, than he had promised them.
For a time the soldiers had been content to wait, for they had mostly
some money of their own to fall back upon. But gradually their savings
were becoming exhausted, and they were obliged to remind Cyrus of his
debt. At first they did this modestly, but as time went on, they became
more and more persistent, and now whole bands of them were constantly
gathered round his tent, clamouring for their pay.
From this unpleasant position Cyrus was rescued by help that came to
him from an unexpected quarter. Just at this time he received a visit
from the Princess Epyaxa, wife of Prince Syennesis, who was the ruler
of Cilicia, a province of the Persian empire included in the satrapy of
Cyrus.
The princess had made a long journey in order to meet Cyrus at this
point, and she had not come empty-handed. The large sum of money that
she brought with her could not have arrived at a more welcome moment,
and it was sufficient to enable Cyrus to distribute four months’ pay to
the Hellene soldiers, and yet reserve a considerable sum for the next
time of necessity.
Cyrus was now approaching the province of Cilicia, and for some days
Epyaxa accompanied his march. One day she expressed a wish that he
would draw up his whole army before her, so that she might see it at
its full strength.
Accordingly, when they came to some open country suitable for the
purpose, Cyrus proceeded to gratify her wish, and ordered the troops to
be drawn up in battle array, that he might review them in the company
of the princess. Side by side they passed along the ranks, the princess
in a woman’s chariot shaded by curtains that could be drawn close or
opened wide at pleasure, Cyrus in a man’s chariot.
First they reviewed the Barbarian army with its endless ranks of
cavalry and foot-soldiers. Then they came to the Hellene troops,
who were stationed opposite. In point of numbers the Hellenes could
not compare with the Barbarians, but their appearance was far more
imposing, so noble and spirited was their bearing, so proud and firm
their step. They were dressed in purple tunics, with brass greaves and
helmets, and carried bright, polished shields that glittered in the
sunshine.
[Illustration: ATHENIAN HELMETS]
After having driven slowly past them, Cyrus sent word to beg that the
hoplites would advance, as if they were in battle, and about to charge.
In answer to his request, the trumpeters gave a signal, and on hearing
it, the hoplites covered themselves with their great shields, and
lowered their long, powerful spears as if they saw the enemy before
them. Then the war cry was sounded forth, and the hoplites began to
advance, marching faster and faster, until their pace was like a
whirlwind, carrying everything before it. The Barbarians were seized
with panic, for the charge had every appearance of being in earnest;
the princess sprang from her chariot and ran away as fast as she was
able; the merchants left their wares, and, like the rest, sought refuge
in flight; and meanwhile the Hellenes returned, laughing, to their
tents.
When the princess had recovered from her fright, she could not
sufficiently praise the gallant bearing of the Hellene troops, and as
for Cyrus, his heart bounded with joy at the thought of the impression
they would make upon his enemies when they should confront them in the
field of battle.
Soon after this, the army reached the country of the Lycaonians, who
were no less notorious than the Pisidians for their constant raids
upon the territory of their neighbours. Cyrus desired the Hellenes to
plunder their country, and thus gained a double advantage. On the one
hand he was able to punish the robbers, and on the other, he could in
this way provide some spoil for his Hellene troops,--an arrangement
with which they were entirely satisfied.
The army was now within a few days’ march of Cilicia, and the princess
returned to her home by a short route, under the escort of a company of
Hellene soldiers, while the main part of the army followed by a longer
but easier way.
Cyrus was prepared to find Prince Syennesis less disposed than his wife
to receive him with open arms. As a subject of Artaxerxes the Great
King, it would be his duty to prevent Cyrus the rebel from advancing
through his country. This he could easily do, for the entrance to
Cilicia was by a road so steep and narrow that a very small number of
men could hold it against an army of invaders.
But the difficulty had been foreseen, and before leaving Sardis, Cyrus
had fitted out a fleet which had followed him round the coast of Asia
Minor, and was now in readiness to land soldiers on the further side of
the mountains, so that they might fall upon the enemy in the rear.
It happened however that the presence of the fleet was sufficient, and
that it was not necessary to land the soldiers. The prince had indeed
taken possession of the heights commanding the road by which Cyrus must
enter, but when he found that not only were the mountains behind him
occupied by the Hellene soldiers who had accompanied his wife to her
home, but that moreover the troops who were preparing to disembark from
the fleet would also be in his rear, he abandoned all idea of defending
it. And thus Cyrus was able to pass over the mountains unhindered, and
enter the city of Tarsus without further difficulty.
[Illustration: PERSIAN GALLEY.]
Cyrus now invited the prince to visit him as a friend. But Syennesis
answered, ‘I have never put myself into the power of one who was more
powerful than myself, and I will not do so now.’
The princess however persuaded him to trust to the honour of Cyrus, and
he finally accepted the invitation. Like his wife, he took with him a
considerable sum of money to assist the rebel, and in return, Cyrus
presented him with the usual gifts offered by the Persians to persons
of distinction,--a horse with a golden bridle, a sword with a golden
sheath, a ring, armlets, and a robe of honour. So little could the
Great King rely upon the loyalty of his subjects!
In deciding to make his peace with Cyrus, the Cilician prince had
probably considered what would be the course best calculated to forward
his own interests. By occupying the mountains for a few days, he had
made a display of loyalty to the Great King; and having done this, he
was anxious on the other hand to secure the favour of Cyrus also, in
case he should be the conqueror.
VIII
CLEARCHUS
For twenty days the army halted at Tarsus. It seemed indeed, at one
time, that at this point the expedition would break down altogether.
For the Hellene troops, on whom Cyrus based all his hopes of conquest,
became restive and dissatisfied. They had been engaged to punish the
Pisidian marauders, but had now passed the country of the Pisidians,
and were naturally beginning to ask themselves what was the real object
of the expedition. Their suspicions were increased moreover by the
opposition of the Cilician prince. His resistance had certainly been of
the feeblest, but still he had made an attempt to stop their passage
through his mountains, and had thus declared himself the enemy of
Cyrus. What reason could he have had for taking such a course, were it
not that he had received instructions from the Great King to bar the
passage of Cyrus, because he was a rebel and was advancing to unseat
him from his throne?
[Illustration: HALL OF THE HUNDRED COLUMNS AT PERSEPOLIS--RESTORED.
_See page 3, and illustrations facing pages 47 and 62._]
The Hellenes now discovered for the first time that they were intended
to march on for hundreds of miles into the very heart of the Persian
empire, and then risk their lives in battle against the Great King,
of whose boundless resources they had often heard. For such a mad
enterprise as this, they had not been engaged, they said, and they
would never have agreed to enter upon it. For, putting aside the
extreme length of the march to Susa, how could they expect that in case
the hopes of Cyrus should be doomed to disappointment, it would be
possible for them, a mere handful of strangers in an unknown country,
to break through the ranks of the enemy, and make their way back to
their own land?
The Hellene mercenaries were no mere collection of soldiers of
fortune, picked up anywhere, and ready to undertake any service. On
the contrary, they were, for the most part, respectable citizens of
Hellas, who had taken service under Cyrus, with the expectation of soon
returning to their families laden with spoil.
Every day their murmurs became louder, as their suspicions received
additional confirmation, and at Tarsus they made a formal protest,
declaring to the officers who had enlisted them, that they were
betrayed, and that nothing would induce them to go a step farther.
Almost all the officers were of the same mind, but there was one who
thought otherwise. This was Clearchus the Spartan, a man who had
received from Cyrus many favours, and who was anxious to prove his
gratitude by doing his utmost to forward the prince’s wishes. To
Cyrus the ultimate decision of the Hellene troops was of the gravest
consequence; in his mind there was no question that the success of his
plans depended on his being able to reckon upon their help.
Clearchus was at this time about fifty years of age. He possessed
the entire confidence of Cyrus, and was in fact the only person who
had been told from the first the real, though secret, object of the
expedition.
He was a man born to be a soldier. A quiet, easy life in his native
land was an existence altogether without charm for him; war, with
all its dangers and hardships, was his natural element, and into
this favourite pursuit he threw all the energy of his character. He
personally supervised the provisioning of his men, and this was only
one instance of the extreme care with which he attended to every
detail. Nothing that could contribute to the efficiency of his company
was too insignificant for his notice.
He had nearly all the qualifications of a great general, but in one
respect he failed signally. For whilst he could always command the
admiration and respect of his men, he was quite incapable of gaining
their affection. He had not indeed any desire to do so, for he believed
in discipline, and in nothing else. His orders were strict and severe,
and he required instant obedience to the most minute particular. He
was accustomed to say that an army without discipline was utterly
worthless, and that soldiers should fear their officers more than they
feared the enemy. Yet although he was so careful to exact obedience
from others, he himself was but a poor hand at rendering obedience.[9]
[9] See p. 75.
The soldiers under the command of Clearchus never saw him unbend.
His face was always stern, his brow contracted, his eye restless.
He punished his men constantly, and severely, and often in moments
of passion did things that he afterwards sincerely regretted. The
consequence was that when there was no immediate danger impending,
his men were often tempted to leave him and take service under a less
strict officer. But in any time of danger or difficulty, the soldiers
would follow Clearchus more readily than any one else, for they had
unbounded belief in his ability as a general.
Nothing ever disturbed his presence of mind. However threatening the
danger, he always met it with perfect calm and self-possession. At
such times the stern, unbending face of Clearchus seemed to his men
a tower of strength, the sight of his coolness and insensibility to
fear inspired them with courage, and they felt an enthusiasm for their
general, in which for the moment something like affection was added to
respect.
IX
NEGOTIATIONS AT TARSUS
When first the soldiers of his company declared their intention of
marching no farther, Clearchus refused to listen to them. He thought he
had sufficient influence over them to compel them to do as he wished,
but in this he was mistaken. For when he sternly ordered them to
continue the march, and placed himself at their head to lead them on
whether they would or no, they took up stones to throw at him, and if
he had not quickly made his escape, they would have stoned him to death.
It was clear that any attempt to enforce discipline would be of no
avail in such a case as this, but for all that, Clearchus did not
intend to be beaten. He knew how to manœuvre as well as how to fight,
and had no difficulty in finding ways and means to gain his end.
After allowing a little time for the excitement of the soldiers to
subside, he sent to summon them to a meeting. They were at first
disinclined to go, but they said to one another, ‘We may as well hear
what it is that he wants us to do. But no matter what he says, we will
be firm, and hold to our decision.’
When they came to the meeting, they found Clearchus so changed that
they would hardly have recognised him. Instead of the stern officer
with angry brow and flashing eyes, there stood before them a silent,
downcast man, who wept like a child. Never had they seen him so deeply
moved.
At last he began to speak in a low agitated voice. ‘Comrades,’ he said,
‘be not surprised that I am grieved at your decision. I have every
cause to be grateful to Cyrus, who has been to me the best of friends,
and for this reason it was my earnest hope that with your assistance
I might be able to repay his kindness by helping him in his present
undertaking. But you are not willing, and it shall never be said of
me that I took the part of a Barbarian against my own countrymen. I
declare therefore that I will follow you, for to me you are country,
friends, comrades. Without you I can neither help a friend nor harm an
enemy.’
On hearing these words, the soldiers felt perfectly satisfied, and
at once made peace with their general. Moreover two thousand men,
belonging to two other companies, left the generals under whom they had
enlisted, in order to join the company of Clearchus. For they believed
that having once said that he would not march against the Great King,
Clearchus would hold to his resolution whatever happened, whereas it
seemed very possible that the other officers might be won over by
Cyrus, notwithstanding their present protests.
When Cyrus heard what had passed at the meeting, he was vexed and
disappointed, and sent a messenger to summon Clearchus to his presence.
Clearchus however refused to go, and took care that the soldiers
should know of his refusal, but sent word secretly to Cyrus that he
hoped all would yet be well.
Several more days went by, and then Clearchus again summoned the
soldiers to a meeting. This time any one was allowed to attend, whether
he belonged to the company of Clearchus or not, so that there was a
very large gathering. Clearchus was the first to speak.
‘Comrades,’ he said, ‘we have now broken with Cyrus. We are no longer
his mercenaries, and he is no longer our paymaster. Naturally he is
angry with us for deserting him, and as for me, I dare not show myself
in his presence, for although he is the best of friends, he is at the
same time a relentless enemy, and his power is great. We shall do well
therefore to lose no time in considering how we may return in safety,
and above all, how it will be possible, without the help of Cyrus, to
obtain food for the march. Let whosoever will, now speak his mind.’
First one man and then another rose to speak, some saying what occurred
to them at the moment, and others according to instructions previously
received. For Clearchus had made his own preparations for the meeting,
and had prompted several of the soldiers as to what they should say.
Some were to speak in favour of returning home at once, and others were
to raise difficulties.
After some of the other soldiers had spoken, one of the men who had
been prompted by Clearchus, rose and began to urge with great eagerness
an immediate return home, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
‘To begin with,’ he said, ‘we must lay in a store of provisions, and
then ask Cyrus to give us ships to take us home by sea from Tarsus.
Or, if he refuses that, we must ask him to supply us with a guide,
who knows the country, to take us back by land. We must act promptly
moreover, lest the people of the country treat us as enemies and come
out against us.’
This speech was received with great applause. But immediately another
of those who had been previously told what to say, rose to reply.
‘All that you have just heard,’ he said, ‘is utter nonsense. How can
we expect to get food, when the only market is in the camp of the
Barbarians? Do you suppose that after we have broken with Cyrus, he is
likely to be so pleasant and obliging as to allow us to take provisions
out of his camp for our journey? And the ships that he has brought here
for his own use, is it likely that he will part with them in order that
we may get home comfortably?
‘Then as regards the guide, is it to be expected that he will grant a
guide to us, who by our desertion will be doing him the greatest injury
and crossing all his plans? Even if he were to supply us with ships, I,
for one, should expect the ships to be sunk in mid-sea in order that
we might be drowned, or if he gave us a guide, I should fear that the
guide would lead us into some place where we could not fail to perish.
‘This plan will never do. I propose instead that we nominate certain
persons to go with Clearchus to Cyrus, and ask him what it is exactly
that he wants of us. If he proposes some such enterprise as those on
which our countrymen have been employed before, then let us follow him.
If on the other hand it appears likely that his plans will involve
us in great toils and dangers, we must ask him either to give us good
reasons for advancing, or else consent to our going back. Then we shall
either accompany him as friends, or else be allowed to return in peace.’
This speech made the desired impression, for the Hellenes could not
but see that there was far more sense in the apprehensions of the last
speaker than in the hopeful view of the man who had preceded him, and
accordingly, when the proposal to send a deputation to Cyrus was put
to the meeting, a great show of hands was raised in favour of it. The
members of the deputation were therefore chosen at once, and sent away
on their errand.
Cyrus granted the messengers an interview, and agreed to answer their
questions. He made no mention of attacking the Pisidians, still less
of marching against the Great King, but spoke of an enemy of his,
a powerful satrap named Abrocamas, who lived on the banks of the
Euphrates at a distance of twelve days’ march from Tarsus. It was for
the purpose of fighting this satrap, he said, that he wanted the help
of the Hellenes, for Abrocamas had a great army under his command. If
he held his ground, he should be punished; but if on the other hand he
should save himself by flight, then in that case, it would be necessary
to consider further what would have to be done.
[Illustration: RUINS OF PERSEPOLIS: HALL OF THE HUNDRED COLUMNS
See p. 3, and illustrations facing pp. 38 and 62.]
With this answer the messengers returned to their comrades, and the
Hellenes declared themselves ready to remain in the service of Cyrus,
on condition that he would increase their pay. To this he readily
consented, and promised that instead of receiving every month one
daric as before,[10] the private soldiers should in future have a daric
and a half. In like proportion, the captains were to have three darics
instead of two, and the generals six darics instead of four.
[10] See p. 31.
The Hellenes were in the position of a man whose path lies through
a bog. After he has advanced some little way, he begins to consider
whether it would not be better to turn back, but finding that this is
just as difficult as to go forward, he thinks it a pity to waste the
effort he has already made, and decides to continue.
So to the Hellenes it seemed that to return promised to be no less
dangerous than to advance. The more clear-sighted were by this time
perfectly aware that whatever Cyrus might say, or refrain from saying,
his ultimate design was to proclaim war against the Great King. But the
great mass of the soldiers, although they knew in their hearts that
this was his real intention, preferred not to think too much about
it, and persisted in hoping that after all it might turn out to be
something else.
X
FROM TARSUS TO MYRIANDUS
After twenty days’ halt at Tarsus, the army again set out on its march,
and in five days came to the last city in Cilicia. The next province
through which they would have to pass was that of Syria, and here the
entrance was even more carefully guarded than had been the approach to
Cilicia.
Between the two provinces were two fortresses, called the Gates of
Cilicia and Syria. They were at about six hundred yards apart, and
stood one behind the other on each side of a little river which flowed
from the mountains into the sea, and formed the boundary between the
two provinces. The mountains at this place approached so close to the
sea that the walls of the fortresses stretched the whole distance, and
the only passage was through gates which opened to admit friends, but
remained fast shut when enemies approached. The fortresses were quite
impregnable, if defended, and it was said that Abrocamas had taken
the field against Cyrus with 300,000 men, reinforced moreover by 400
Hellenes who were in the service of the Great King.
But Cyrus had long ago foreseen this difficulty as he had foreseen that
of entering Cilicia, and had provided against it in the same way. He
had desired the fleet to follow him from Tarsus, and had arranged that
it should land two divisions of troops on the coast of Syria, one in
the space between the river and the Syrian fortress, the other on the
further side of it, so that the fortresses might be attacked on both
sides at the same time.
As before however, it proved unnecessary to carry out the plan. For
when Abrocamas heard that Cyrus had made his way through Cilicia,
and found moreover that his Hellenes were leaving him to join their
countrymen, he turned and fled, never stopping until the waters of the
Euphrates were rolling behind him. The only harm that he did to Cyrus
was to burn the ferry-boats employed for crossing the Euphrates, after
making use of them himself.