he said, ‘If my brother does not fight within the next ten days, he
will not fight at all.’ And he had promised the soothsayer that if his
prophecy should come true, he would give him 3,000 darics.[11] This
was now the eleventh day, and he sent for Silanus, and gave him the
promised reward.
[11] See note on p. 24.
Another circumstance seemed also to indicate that the King had
abandoned all idea of fighting. In the middle of the day, the army came
to a newly made trench of enormous size, twenty feet only from the bank
of the Euphrates, whose course they were still following. The trench
was thirty feet wide and eighteen feet deep, and was said to extend
for more than forty miles. It had been recently dug by the command
of the Great King, and must have required the toil, night and day,
for months, of many thousands of workmen. It seemed certain therefore
that the enemy would not fail to make the most of a defence that had
been prepared at such tremendous cost, and Cyrus approached it with
considerable anxiety, for in the narrow space of twenty feet between
the river and the trench, his army would be completely exposed to the
arrows and darts of the enemy, whom he expected to find waiting for him
on the further side.
To his extreme surprise however, when he reached the dreaded spot not a
soul was to be seen behind the trench, and the army was able to pass it
unharmed. There were indeed tracks of men and horses, as if troops had
been stationed there, but had retreated.
Cyrus now became convinced that his brother must have given up all
intention of fighting, and he began to look forward to obtaining
possession of the throne without a struggle. Hitherto he had been
riding on horseback, but now he dismounted and seated himself in his
chariot. The army also took its ease, and marched carelessly. In order
to save themselves the fatigue of carrying their heavy shields in the
burning sun, the hoplites took them off, and either placed them on the
baggage-wagons, or gave them to their slaves.
It was almost time to halt and prepare the midday meal when a scout
came riding up at a furious gallop, his horse all covered with foam
and heat. Without drawing rein, he dashed through the various groups
of soldiers, straight to the presence of Cyrus, but as he passed he
shouted aloud, here in Persian, there in Hellene speech, ‘The King
comes! The King comes!’
XV
BEFORE THE BATTLE.
In a moment everything was in confusion. The King was said to be
approaching with a vast army, prepared for battle, and it was thought
that the battle would take place without delay. Cyrus leapt from his
chariot, put on his armour, and mounted his horse, giving orders that
all should arm themselves in like manner, and take their appointed
places.
The Hellene army under its various officers occupied the right wing;
the Barbarian army, commanded by Ariæus, took the left; Cyrus, with
his body-guard of six hundred Persian cavalry, was in the centre. The
body-guard were armed with breast-plate and helmet, carrying in the
left hand a short Hellenic sword, and in the right hand two javelins;
their horses were also protected by light armour on the head and
breast. Cyrus was armed in like manner, but on his head he had placed,
instead of a helmet, the upright tiara, worn only by the Great King.
It was still some time however before the enemy came in sight. Not
till the afternoon was their approach announced by immense clouds of
white dust, soon displaced by a blackness that overspread the horizon.
Presently, as the host came nearer, the long, never-ending lines
of spear-points began to flash in the sunlight, and by degrees the
different groups could be distinguished, advancing nation by nation.
In front of all came a hundred and fifty scythe-chariots. These were
two-wheeled cars with a number of sharp scythes projecting from the
axle-trees on both sides. They were drawn by a pair of swift horses,
and driven as fast as possible into the midst of the enemy’s ranks,
that they might cut to pieces everything that crossed their path.
Behind the scythe-chariots came the royal troops, drawn up in the order
in which they were to fight. In the centre of the line was the Great
King surrounded by a guard of six thousand picked horsemen, and close
to him floated the standard of his forefathers, a golden eagle with
outstretched wings upon a high perch.
It was easy enough to see how infinitely greater was the army of the
King than that of his brother. Cyrus had twenty scythe-chariots, but
the King had a hundred and fifty. The army of Cyrus numbered a hundred
thousand, besides the Hellene force of thirteen thousand, but the King
was said to have with him a million two hundred thousand soldiers. This
may have been an exaggeration, but in any case the disproportion was so
great that the whole line of Cyrus, although far less deep, extended
little beyond the centre of the King’s line.
[Illustration: THE GREAT KING ON HIS THRONE, SUPPORTED BY THE SUBJECT
NATIONS.
See p. 4.]
As the enemy approached, Cyrus rode a little forward, and surveyed
his own troops and those of his brother. The immense host marshalled
against him caused him no alarm, for he felt sure that his Hellenes
would be victorious, and setting spurs to his horse, he galloped
down to the right wing, where they were posted, to tell them that the
sacrificing priest had just declared the omens to be favourable.
As he approached, he heard a sort of murmur passing through the ranks.
He asked what it meant, and was told that it was the war-cry being
given for the second time from mouth to mouth. Before entering into
an engagement, it was the custom for the general in command to give
the war-cry, or watch-word for the day, to the first soldier in the
foremost rank, who immediately passed it on to the man next him. It
was thus passed from man to man through all the ranks, and then, for
greater safety, it was returned in like manner from the last to the
first.
‘What is the watch-word?’ asked Cyrus.
‘Zeus the Saviour, and Victory,’ was the answer.
‘It is a good omen,’ cried Cyrus; ‘may it be fulfilled!’ And with these
words he returned to his place in the centre of the line.
XVI
THE BATTLE OF CUNAXA
The eventful battle which was now fought between the rival brothers,
was called after some villages which were then in the neighbourhood,
but which have long since disappeared, the battle of Cunaxa.
Cyrus had desired Clearchus to charge the centre of the enemy’s line,
where the King was stationed. ‘For,’ he said, ‘if we win there, the
whole battle is ours.’
But Clearchus was afraid that if the Hellenes were to advance against
the centre, they would find themselves surrounded by the innumerable
host of the enemy and attacked on all sides at once. He therefore
thought it better to attack the troops of the left wing, immediately
opposite to him, and he assured Cyrus that his plan would succeed.
But, judging from the result, he would have done better to follow the
instructions of Cyrus.
The troops of the left wing consisted of a body of cavalry under the
command of Tissaphernes; a company of archers who carried shields of
basket-work fastened to poles which they stuck into the ground for
protection while discharging their arrows; and a company of Egyptian
infantry, armed with great wooden shields that covered their whole
body. Contrary to the expectation of Cyrus, they advanced, behind their
scythe-chariots, in silence, and with a firm, even step.
When they had come within a distance of five or six hundred yards, the
Hellenes sang the pæan, or battle-hymn, and began to move forwards, at
first slowly, but by degrees faster and faster, until their pace was
like a whirlwind.
At the mere sight of them, the Barbarians turned and fled. Before they
had come within arrowshot, the enemy’s line was broken, and in wild
confusion, the archers thinking of nothing but saving their lives by
running away. The drivers of the scythe-chariots sprang from their
seats and left the horses to go where they pleased. The horses rushed
pell-mell over the plain, some to the right, some to the left; many of
them ran back into their own ranks adding to the confusion there; only
a few went in the direction of the Hellenes, and these did no harm.
The only part of the line that made any resistance was the cavalry of
Tissaphernes. These troops rode rapidly forward against the light-armed
Hellene archers. But they, at the approach of the cavalry, opened their
ranks and let them pass through, and then hurled javelins and arrows
at them as they went by. The whole injury sustained by the Hellenes
in this charge consisted in the loss of one man shot by an arrow, and
another disabled through being caught by one of the scythe-chariots.
It was only at the end of several hours that the Hellenes returned from
the pursuit of the flying Barbarians. On their way back they met with
another detachment of the enemy’s troops, but these they defeated, if
possible, even more easily than the first.
They were now very anxious for their long-delayed meal, for as yet they
had eaten nothing that day. But Cyrus had arranged that all the food
should be stored in the Barbarian camp, which had been plundered by
a body of the enemy’s troops. The Hellenes were consequently obliged
to go supperless to bed, only a few of them having been able to find
something to eat. Yet they were cheered by the thought of the victory
they had won, and by the hope that Cyrus had in like manner triumphed
over the cowardly Barbarians opposed to him. They had not indeed heard
anything of him, but supposed that he had gone far in pursuit of his
foes, and was therefore at a distance from the camp.
[Illustration: A FIGHT BETWEEN HELLENES AND BARBARIANS.
(_From the Darius Vase at Naples._)]
The next morning, as they had nothing else to eat, they slaughtered
the oxen and asses belonging to the baggage-wagons, and sought in the
battle-field for fuel to make a fire. There they found great quantities
of arrows, and shields both of wood and wicker-work, as well as empty
wagons and overturned chariots. All of these they piled up in heaps,
and kindled therewith several fires in which they cooked the food,
holding it in the flame on their spear-points, and so appeased their
hunger for that day.
They wondered however that Cyrus neither came, nor sent them word of
what had happened since they had left him to pursue the Barbarians, and
resolved to set out in search of him. But whilst they were preparing
for the start, they were hailed by two soldiers of the army of Cyrus,
who brought them this terrible news:--‘Cyrus is dead. Ariæus and the
Barbarians under him have been put to flight.’
On perceiving the easy victory won by the Hellenes, Cyrus had been
beside himself with joy, for he thought that the fate of the day was
already decided. All those around him shared his expectation, and
the officers of the body-guard sprang from their horses and threw
themselves in the dust before him, as if he were already the Great King.
For a moment he waited to see what the enemy would do. Then, observing
that the troops of Artaxerxes were making a movement as if to wheel
round and attack him in the rear, he hesitated no longer, but dashed
forward with his six hundred chosen companions towards the place where
the King was stationed with his guard of six thousand horse.
With his own hand Cyrus killed the leader of the guard, and so
irresistible was the charge, that the ranks of the enemy were broken
through in a moment, and driven right and left before the cavalry of
Cyrus, who pursued them eagerly.
Thus it happened that the prince was left almost alone, with only his
most intimate friends, those whom he called his table-companions, round
him. At the same moment he caught sight of his hated brother, the
troops in front of the King having been put to flight, and on seeing
him, lost all command of himself. Mad with passion he galloped up to
him, crying out, ‘I see the man!’ and hurling his javelin, hit him in
the breast, inflicting a wound which however was but slight, the course
of the javelin having been checked by the coat of mail worn by the King.
But at that moment, while still almost alone, Cyrus was struck under
the eye by the javelin of a Carian lancer. It was a mortal wound, and
falling from his horse to the ground, he died immediately. All his
table-companions fell around him; the most faithful of all leaped from
his horse and threw himself upon the corpse, where he was either killed
by the enemy, or, as some say, fell upon his own sword.
The head and right hand of Cyrus were cut off by command of Artaxerxes,
and carried through the ranks on the point of a long spear. And when
Ariæus, who commanded the right wing of the rebel army, saw that Cyrus
was dead, he sought safety in flight. Thus the battle which had begun
so well for Cyrus, turned in a moment quite unexpectedly, and all the
hopes of his followers were dashed to the ground.
But for the javelin thrust which ended the life of Cyrus, the future
history of Persia might have been very different. Artaxerxes, the
indolent, was not the man to save his country. From him no effort could
be expected, no attempt to improve his subjects, or check the luxurious
selfishness which was bringing the country to ruin. But had Cyrus,
the brave, wise, and generous Cyrus, become King, he might have been
able, not only to arrest the ruin, but even to restore the empire to
something of its former greatness. For since the time of Cyrus I., the
throne of Persia had never been occupied by a man so worthy and so able
to govern a great nation as was his young namesake.
Had it been Artaxerxes who had fallen in the battle, the Queen-mother
Parysatis would hardly have wept other than tears of joy, for then
Cyrus would have been sure of the throne. But now that her best-beloved
son was killed, the grief of Parysatis was only equalled by her burning
desire for vengeance on all who had had any part in his death. She
contrived to get into her power the Carian archer by whose javelin her
son had been wounded, and the soldier who had carried through the ranks
his head and hand, and caused them both to be tortured to death.
[Illustration: TOMB OF DARIUS I. NEAR PERSEPOLIS.
_See page 5._]
XVII
THE TREATY WITH ARIÆUS
Terrible indeed must have been the despair of the Hellenes on hearing
of the death of Cyrus, for by this one blow their whole position
was changed, their every hope was shattered. Instead of being able
to cherish pleasant dreams of future happiness made possible by the
bounty of Cyrus, they had now before them nothing but a dark and dreary
prospect of toil and danger, through which if they barely escaped with
their lives, it was as much as they could dare to hope.
Hitherto Cyrus, who had studied in advance every mile of the road, had
been their leader, and had always brought them by the best way. Now
they found themselves a thousand miles distant from their home, without
the slightest knowledge of the countries through which they would have
to pass. Hitherto they had been free from all care with regard to their
daily food, for the liberal pay which they had received from Cyrus had
enabled them to supply their wants without difficulty. Now they had
nothing to fall back upon but their savings, and when these were spent,
they would be reduced to the most extreme distress.
They were, in fact, like men lost in some primeval forest, surrounded
by every kind of danger, with no human being to help them, no landmark
to point out the way, but nevertheless struggling to escape from among
its gloomy shades.
Fortunately for the Hellenes, there was among them one man at least,
who, even in the most sudden reverses of fortune, never lost his
presence of mind. This was the rough, stern soldier, Clearchus.
Although under ordinary circumstances he was rather hated than loved
by his men, yet in the press of battle, the consciousness that nothing
escaped him, and that he, at all events, was absolutely cool and
self-possessed, inspired them with courage and confidence, and in this
time of need, he rose at once to the position of greatest authority
in the whole army. Hitherto he had been merely the general of his own
company; now he became commander-in-chief, not so much by any formal
choice, as because every one was ready to grant him willing obedience,
in the belief that whatever the difficulties might be, he would cope
with them better than any one else.
The first plan suggested by Clearchus was to join forces with Ariæus,
who had commanded the Barbarian army under Cyrus, and who, on the
previous day, had fled back three miles to the last halting-place. To
him therefore the Hellenes sent messengers to say that if he would like
to fight for the throne on his own account, they would be willing to
help him, as they had helped Cyrus.
Soon after the messengers had departed, there arrived at the camp some
Persian ambassadors, accompanied by a Hellene named Phalinus, belonging
to the suite of Tissaphernes, who acted as their spokesman. They asked
to see the generals, and demanded, in the name of the Great King, that
the Hellenes should give up their arms, and throw themselves upon his
mercy.
But Clearchus said, ‘We have conquered, and it is not usual for the
conquerors to give up their arms.’
Just then however he was called away to attend to a sacrifice that
he had caused to be offered for the purpose of consulting the omens,
and he left the conference, saying to his comrades, ‘Give them such a
message to take back as may seem good to you.’
In his absence, Cleanor, the eldest of the generals, was the first to
speak, and he said, ‘We will rather die than give ourselves up.’
Another general asked, ‘If the King thinks himself the conqueror, why
does he not come and fetch our arms?’
And a third said, ‘The most precious possessions that we have are our
valour and our arms. So long as we keep our arms, our valour may be of
some service to us, but if we part with them, our lives will not be
worth much.’
Others again thought it desirable not to irritate the King, and said
that the arms which they had hitherto carried in the service of Cyrus
might now be employed in the service of the King.
By this time Clearchus had returned, and he asked Phalinus whether the
ambassadors had as yet received their answer.
‘The other generals,’ answered Phalinus, ‘have spoken this and
that,--now let us hear what you say.’
This gave Clearchus an opportunity of appealing to Phalinus to help
him to keep up the spirits of his comrades. ‘I rejoice, Phalinus,’
he said, ‘that you, a countryman of our own, are here among the
ambassadors. Give us counsel, and say what appears to you the most
honourable and advantageous course for us Hellenes, situated as we are.
You know that in the time to come all Hellas will know what has been
your advice to us to-day.’
But Phalinus evaded the appeal, and gave a very different answer from
that which Clearchus had hoped for. ‘If,’ he said, ‘you have the least
ground for supposing yourselves able to hold your own against the Great
King, I advise you not to give up your arms. But if you see clearly
that it is impossible, then my advice is this, Save yourselves as best
you can.’
Clearly there was nothing to be gained by further discussion, and
Clearchus said, ‘You have spoken, but take to the King this answer,
that if he desires our service as friends, it is better for him that
we should keep our arms. And on the other hand, if he regards us as
enemies, it is better for us that we should have them.’
With this message, the ambassadors returned to the King. When they were
gone, Clearchus announced to the other generals that the omens of the
sacrifice which he had just caused to be offered, were unfavourable for
a battle with the King, but favourable for the proposal to join forces
with Ariæus.
Soon afterwards the messengers returned from Ariæus with the answer
that he did not care to accept the offer of the Hellenes to set him on
the throne, because among the great lords of Persia there were many
more powerful and distinguished than himself, who would never endure to
see him placed above them. But he said that early the next morning he
was going to begin the return-march to Sardis, and that the Hellenes
might go with him if they liked.
The generals decided to do so, and although it was already dark, they
set out at once for the place where he was encamped, and reached it
about midnight. There they entered into a treaty with Ariæus, and
confirmed it with sacred rites in order that it might be doubly sure.
According to the Persian custom, a bull, a wolf, a wild boar, and a
ram were slaughtered, and their blood was mingled in the hollow of a
shield, into which the Hellene officers dipped their swords and the
Barbarian officers their lances. Then they swore on both sides to help
one another in every difficulty. Neither party was to desert the other,
the Barbarians were to act as guides to the Hellenes, according to the
best of their knowledge, and in all emergencies they were to stand by
one another as true friends.
XVIII
THE TREATY WITH THE GREAT KING
The next thing was to decide as to the best route for the return march,
and Ariæus was of opinion that it would be better not to return by the
way they had come.
‘If we go that way’ he said, ‘we cannot fail to perish from hunger,
for even on the journey hither we have often been short of food, and
in those places where food was plentiful, we have already taken all
that was to be had. I think I can show you a better way, which though
longer, goes through fruitful districts. But for the first few days
we must make long forced marches, so as to get at least two or three
days’ journey in advance of the Great King. He will give up the idea
of pursuing us, for he would not venture to come after us with a small
army; and with a great army, which must of necessity move slowly, he
would not be able to overtake us.’
Early the next morning therefore, the allied forces started together
for some villages in which they were to encamp for the night. They
were still on the march when, towards evening, they perceived by
various signs that the King’s troops were not far off. Clearchus did
not wish for an engagement, for his men were tired and hungry, having
had nothing to eat all day, but in order that he might not seem to be
afraid of them, he went on marching in the same direction as before.
The enemy did not however appear in sight, and the Hellenes reached
the villages for which they were bound, without any fighting. But on
arriving at the place, they found that the King’s soldiers had been
there, and had destroyed everything; they had not even stopped short of
burning down the houses. The first-comers were able to make themselves
fairly comfortable, but the rear, who did not get in till after dark,
were obliged to lie down upon the bare ground, without food or shelter.
The discomfort gave rise to quarrels among the soldiers, and there was
so much noise and confusion that those at a distance were seized with
panic, thinking that the enemy had surprised them in the darkness.
Thus the night passed in wretchedness and anxiety, but in the morning
Clearchus invented a joke as a means of reassuring the disheartened
soldiers. He sent for a herald, and told him to go round the camp,
proclaiming that whoever would give information as to the person who
had let the ass into the camp, should receive a talent of silver.[12]
By this joke the soldiers understood that Clearchus meant to laugh at
them for their fright, and to assure them that there had been no real
cause for it.
[12] A talent was equal to 243_l._ 15_s._ of our money.
Meanwhile the King was by no means at ease, for he was quite as much
afraid of the Hellenes as they of him, and in the morning he again sent
heralds to them. He did not now attempt to demand that they should
give up their arms, but proposed to make a treaty with them.
When the heralds were announced, Clearchus was very careful not to
let it appear that the Hellenes were in any pressing need, or that
they felt their position to be a difficult one. The heralds were told
that they must wait until he could find time to attend to them, and
meanwhile he drew up his troops in such a manner as to make the best
possible display, putting in front those who had complete sets of
armour and who could otherwise appear to the greatest advantage.