20 Xenophon’s Anabasis

But Xenophon with half the rearguard (Xenophón de echón tón opisthophulakón tous hémiseis) set out by the same route which the party with the guide had followed (eporeueto héiper hoi ton hégemona echontes), because this was the easiest route for the baggage animals (euodótaté gar én tois hupozugiois); and behind the baggage animals he posted the other half of the rearguard (tous de hémiseis opisthen tón hupozugión etaxe). As they proceeded they came upon a hill above the road which had been seized by the enemy (poreuomeoi d’ entunchanousi lophói huper tés hodou kateilémmenói hupo tón polemión), and found themselves compelled either to dislodge them (hous é apokopsai én ananké) or be completely separated from the rest of the Greeks (é diezeuchthai apo tón allón Hellénón); and while, as far as the troops themselves were concerned (kai autoi men), they might have taken the same route that the rest followed (an eporeuthésan héiper hoi alloi), the baggage animals could not get through by any other road (ta de hupozugia ouk én alléi) than this one by which Xenophon was proceeding (é tautéi ekbénai). Then and there, accordingly (entha dé), with words of cheer to one another (parakeleusamenoi allélois), they charged upon the hill (prosballousi pros ton lophon) with their companies in column (orthiois tois lochois) not surrounding it (ou kuklói), but leaving the enemy a way of retreat (alla katalipontes aphodon tois polemiois) in case they chose to use it (ei boulointo pheugein). For a while (kai teós men), as the Greeks were climbing up by whatever way they severally could (autous anabainontas hopéi edunato hekastos), the barbarians discharged arrows and other missiles upon them (hoi barbaroi etoxeuon kai eballon); they did not let them get near, however (engus ou prosiento), but took to flight and abandoned the place (alla phugéi leipousi to chórion). No sooner had the Greeks passed by this hill (kai touton te pareléluthesan hoi Hellénes), than they saw a second one ahead similarly occupied by the enemy (kai heteron horósi emprosthen lophon katechomenon), and decided to proceed against this one in its turn (epi touton authis edokei poreuesthai). Xenophon, however, becoming apprehensive lest, if he should leave unoccupied the hill he had just captured (ennoésas de ho Xenophón mé, ei erémon katalipoi ton hélókota lophon), the enemy might take possession of it again (palin labontes hoi polemioi) and attack the baggage train as it passed (epithointo tois hupozugiois pariousin) (and the train stretched out a long way (epi polu d’ én ta hupozugia) because of the narrowness of the road it was following (hate dia stenés tés hodou poreuomena), left three captains upon the hill (kataleipei epi tou lophou lochagous), Cephisodorus (Képhisodóron), son of Cephisophon (Képhisophóntos), an Athenian (Athénaion), Amphicrates, son of Amphidemus, also an Athenian (Amphikratén Amphidémou Athénaion), and Archagoras, an Argive exile (kai Archagoran Argeion phugada); while he himself with the rest of the troops proceeded against the second hill (autos de sun tois loipois eporeueto epi ton deuteron lophon), which they captured in the same way as the first (kai ton auton tropon kai touton hairousin).

There still remained a third round hill (eti de autois tritos mastos loipos én), far the steepest of them all (polu orthiótatos), the one that rose above the guard post, by the fire (ho huper tés epi tói puri kataleiphtheisés phulakés), which had been captured during the night by the volunteers (ekataleiphtheis tés nuktos hupo tón ethelontón). But when the Greeks got near this hill (epei d’ engus egenonto hoi Hellénes), the barbarians abandoned it without striking a blow (leipousin hoi barbaroi amachéti ton maston), so that everybody was filled with surprise (hóste thaumaston pasi genesthai) and imagined that they had quit the place out of fear that they might be surrounded and blockaded (kai hupópteuon deisantas autous mé kuklóthentes poliorkointo apolipein). As it proved,  however, they had seen, looking down from their hight, what was going on farther back, and were all setting out to attack the Greek rearguard (hoi d’ ara apo tou akrou kathoróntes ta opisthen gignomena pantes epi tous opisthophulakas echóroun). Meanwhile Xenophon proceeded to climb the abandoned height with his youngest troops (kai Xenophón men sun tois neótatois anebainen epi to akron), ordering the rest to move on slowly (tous de allous ekeleusen hupagein) in order that the hindmost companies might catch up (hopós hoi teleutaioi lochoi prosmeixeian); then they were to advance along the road (kai proelthontes kata tén hodon) and halt under arms on the plateau at the top of the pass (en tói homalói thesthai ta hopla eipe).