16 Xenophon’s Anabasis

Follows Book IV, preceded with a summary that follows:

The preceding narrative has described (En tói prosthen logói dedélótai) all that took place on the upward march until the time of the battle (hosa men dé en téi anabasei egeneto mechri tés machés), all that happened after the battle (kai hosa meta tén machén) during the truce concluded by the King and the Greeks who had made the upward march in company with Cyrus (en tais spondais has basileus kai hoi sun Kurói anabantes Hellénes epoiésanto), and likewise the whole course of the warfare carried on against the Greeks after the King and Tissaphernes had broken the truce (kai hosa parabantos tas spondas basileós kai Tissaphernous epoleméthé pros tous Hellénas), when the Persian army was hanging upon the Greek rear (epakolouthountos tou Persikou strateumatos). When the Greeks finally reached a point (epei de aphikonto) where the Tigris river (entha ho men Tigris potamos) was quite impassable (pantapasin aporos én) by reason of its depth (dia to bathos) and width (kai megethos), and where there was no passage-way alongside the river (parodos de ouk én), since the Carduchian mountains (alla ta Kardouchia oré) hung sheer and close above it (apotoma huper autou tou potamou ekremato), the generals were forced to the conclusion (edokei dé tois stratégois) that they must make their way through the mountains (dia tón oreón poreuteon einai). For they heard (ékouon gar) from the prisoners who were taken (tón haliskomenón) that once they had passed through the Carduchian mountains (hoti ei dielthoien ta Kardoucheia oré) and reached Armenia (en téi Arméniai), they could there cross the headwaters of the Tigris river, if they so desired (tas pégas tou Tigrétos potamou, én men boulóntai, diabésontai), or, if they preferred (én de mé boulóntai), could go round them (periiasi). They were also informed that the headwaters of Euphrates (kai tou Euphratou de tas pégas elegeto) were not far from those of the Tigris (ou prosó tou Tigrétos einai), – and such is indeed the case (kai estin houtós echon). Now they conducted their invasion of the country of the Carduchians in the following way (tén d’ eis tous Kardouchous embolén hóde poiountai): they were seeking not only to escape observation (hama men lathein peirómenoi), but at the same time to reach the heights before the enemy could take possession of them (hama de phthasai prin tous polemious katalabein ta akra).