From there (Enteuthen) they marched over a plain and through deep snow three stages (eporeuonto dia chionos pollés kai pediou stathmous treis), thirteen parasangs (parasangas treis kai deka). The third stage proved a hard one (ho de tritos egeneto chalepos), with the north wind (kai anemos borras), which blew full in their faces (enantios epnei), absolutely blasting everything and freezing the men (pantapasin apokaión panta kai pégnus tous anthrópous). Then it was that one of the soothsayers (entha dé tón manteón tis) bade them offer sacrifice to the wind (eipe sphagiasasthai tói anemói), and sacrifice was offered (kai sphagiazetai); and it seemed quite clear to everybody (kai pasi dé periphanós edoxen), that the violence of the wind abated (léxai to chalepon tou anemou). But the depth of the snow was a fathom (én de tés chionos to bathos orgyia), so that many of the baggage animals and slaves perished (hóste kai tón hupozugión kai tón andrapodón polla apóleto), and about thirty of the soldiers (kai tón stratiótón hós triakonta). They got through that night by keeping up fires (diegenonto de tén nukta pur kaiontes), for there was wood in abundance at the halting place (xula én en tói stathmói polla); those who came up late, however, had none (hoi de opse prosiontes xula ouk eichon), and consequently the men who had arrived early and were keeping a fire would not allow the latecomers to get near it unless they gave them a share of their wheat or anything else they had that was edible (hoi oun palai hékontes kai pur kaiontes ou prosiesan pros to pur tous opsizontas ei mé metadoien autois purous é allo ei ti schoien bróton). So then they shared with one another what they severally possessed (entha dé metedidosan allélois hón eichon hekastoi). Now where the fire was kindled (entha de to pur ekaieto), the snow melted (diatékomenés tés chionos), and the result was great holes clear down to the ground (bothroi egenonto megaloi este epi to dapedon); and there, of course, one could measure the depth of the snow (hou dé parén metrein to bathos tés chionos).
From there they marched all the following day through snow (Enteuthen
de tén epiousan hémeran holén eporeuonto dia chionos), and many of the men
fell ill with hunger-faintness (kai polloi tón anthrópón eboulimiasan).
And Xenophon, with the rearguard (Xenophón opisthophulakón), as he came
upon the men who were falling by the way (kai katalambanón tous piptontas
tón anthrópón), did not know what the trouble was (égnoei ho ti to pathos
eié). But as soon as a person who was acquainted with the disease had told
him that they manifestly had hunger-faintness (epeidé de eipe tis autói tón
empeirón hoti saphós boulimiósi), and if they were given something to eat
would be able to get up (k’an ti phagósin anastésontai), he went around
among the baggage animals (periión peri ta hupozugia), and wherever he
saw anything that was edible (ei pou ti horóié broton), he would
distribute it among the thick men (diedidou), or send hither and thither
people who had the strength to run along the lines, to give it to them (kai
diepempe didontas tous dunamenous paratrechein tois boulimiósin). And when
they had eaten something (epeidé de ti emphagoien), they would get up
and continue the march (anistanto kai eporeuonto).
As the army went on (Poreuomenón de), Cheirisophus
reached a village about dusk (Cheirisophos men amphi knephas pros kómén
aphikneitai), and found at the spring outside the wall women and girls who
had come from the village to fetch water (kai hudrophorousas ek tés kómés
pros téi krénéi gynaikas kai koras katalambanei emprosthen tou erumatos).
They asked the Greeks who they were (hautai érótón autous tines eien),
and the interpreter replied in Persian that they were on their way from the King
to the satrap (ho d’ herméneus eipe persisti hoti para basileós poreuontaipros
ton satrapén). The women answered that he was not there (hai de
apekrinanto hoti ouk entautha eié), but about a parasang away (all’apechei hoson parasangén).
Then, inasmuch as it was late (hoi d’, epei opse én), the Greeks accompanied the water-carriers within
the wall to visit the village chief (pros ton kómarchon suneiserchontai eis to eruma sun tais hudrophorois).
So it was that Cheirisophus and all the troops who could muster strength enough
to reach the village, went into quarters there (Cheirisophos men oun kai
hosoi edunéthésan tou strateumatos entautha estratopedeusanto), but such of
the others as were unable to accomplish the journey spent the night without
food or fire (tón d’ allón
stratiótón hoi mé dunamenoi diatelesai tén hodon enuktereusan asitoi kai aneu
puros); and in this way some of the soldiers perished (kai
entautha tines apólonto tón stratiótón).
Meanwhile they were being followed by the enemy, some of
whom had band together and were seizing such of the pack animals as lacked the strength
to go on (Epheiponto de tón
polemión suneilegmenoi tines kai ta mé dunamena tón hupozugión hérpazon),
and fighting over them with one another (kai allélois emachonto peri autón).
Some of the soldiers likewise were falling behind – those whose eyes had been
blinded by the snow (eleiponto de tón stratiótón hoi te diephtharmenoi hupo
tés chionos tous ophthalmous), or whose toes had rotted off by reason of
the cold (hoi te hupo tous psuchous tous daktulous tón podón aposesépotes).
It was a protection to the eyes against the snow if a man marched with
something black in front of them (én de tois men ophthalmois epikouréma tés
chionos ei tis melan ti echón pro tón ophthalmón eporeueto), and a protection
to the feet if one kept moving and never quiet (tón de podón ei tis kinoito
kai médepote hésuchian echoi), and if he took off the shoes for the night (kai
eis tén nukta hupoluoito); but in all cases where men slept with their
shoes on (hosoi de hupodedemenoi ekoimónto), the straps sank into their
flesh and the shoes froze on their feet (eiseduonto eis tous podas hoi
himantes kai ta hupodémata periepégnunto); for what they were wearing,
since their old shoes had given out, were brogues made of freshly flayed
ox-hides (kai gar ésan, epeidé epelipe ta archaia hupodémata, karbatinai
pepoiémenai ek tón neodartón boón).
It was under compulsion of such difficulties that some of
the soldiers were falling behind (Dia tas toiautas oun anankas hupeleiponto
tines tón stratiótón);
and espying a spot that was dark because the snow just there had disappeared (kai
idontes melan ti chórion dia to ekleloipenai autothi tén chiona), they
surmised that it had melted (éikazon tetékanai); and in fact it had
melted, on account of a spring which was near by, steaming in a dell (kai etetékei
dia krénén tina hé plésion én atmizousa en napéi); here they turned aside
and sat down, refusing to go any further (entauth’ ektrapomenoi ekathénto
kai ouk ephasan poreuesthai). But when Xenophon with some of the rearguard
observed them (ho de Xenophón echón opisthophulakas hós éistheto), he
begged them by all manner of means not to be left behind (edeito autón paséi
technéi kai méchanéi mé apoleipesthai), telling them that a large body of
the enemy had gathered and were pursuing (legón hoti hepontai polloi polemioi
suneilegmenoi), and finally he became angry (kai teleutón echalepainen).
They told him, however, to kill them, for they could not go on (hoi de
sphattein ekeleuon, ou gar an dunasthai poreuthénai). In this situation it
seemed to be best to frighten the pursuing enemy, if they could (entha edoxe
kratiston einai tous hepomenous polemious phobésai, ei tis dunaito),
in order to prevent them from falling upon the sick men (mé epioien tois
kamnousi). It was dark by this time (kai én men skotos édé), and the
enemy were coming on with a great uproar (hoi de proséisan pollói thorubói),
quarrelling over the booty they had (amphi hón eichon diapheromenoi).
Then the men of the rearguard, since they were sound and well, started up and
charged upon the enemy (entha dé hoi opisthophulakes hate hugiainontes
exanastantes edramon eis tous polemious), while the invalids raised as big
a shout as they could and clashed their shields against their spears (hoi de
kamnontes anakragontes hoson edunanto megiston tas aspides pros ta dorata
ekrousan). And the enemy, seized with fear threw themselves down over the
snow into the dell (hoi de polemioi deisantes hékan hautous kata tés chionos
eis tén napén), and not a sound was heard from them afterwards (kai
oudeis eti oudamou ephthenxato).
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