After they had had dinner and night had come on (Epeidé de edeipnésan kai nux egeneto), the men appointed to the task set forward and gained possession of the mountain (hoi men tachthentes apérchonto, kai katalambanousi to oros), while the remainder of the troops rested where they were (hoi de alloi autou anepauonto). And when the enemy perceived that the mountain was occupied (hoi de polemioi epei éisthonto to oros echomenon), they stayed awake and kept many fires burning through the night (egrégoresan kai ekaion pura polla dia nuktos). As soon as day came Cheirisophus offered sacrifice and led the army forward along the road (epeidé de hémera egeneto Cheirisophos men thusamenos ége kata tén hodon), while the party that had seized the mountain advanced along the heights (hoi de to oros katalabontes kata ta akra epéisan). As for the enemy, the majority remained at the pass over the mountain (tón de polemión to men polu emenen epi téi huperboléi tou orous), but a part of them went to meet the detachment on the heights (meros d’ autón apénta tois kata ta akra). Now before the two main bodies got near one another (prin de homou einai tous pollous allélón), those upon the heights came to close combat (summeignuasin hoi kata ta akra), and the Greeks were victorious and began their pursuit (kai nikósin hoi Hellénes kai diókousin). Meanwhile the main body of the Greeks was moving upward from the plain), the peltasts charging at a run upon the enemy’s battleline (en toutói de kai hoi ek tou pediou hoi men peltastai tón Hellénón dromói etheon pros tous paratetagmenous) and Cheirisophus following at a quick-step with the hoplites (Cheirisophos de badén tachu epheipeto sun tois hoplitais). But the enemy on the road no sooner saw their detachment on the hights being defeated than they took to flight (hoi de polemioi hoi epi téi hodói epeidé to anó heórón héttómenon, pheugousi); and while not many of them were killed (kai apethanon men ou polloi autón), a great number of wicker shields were captured (gerra de pampolla eléphthé), which the Greeks rendered useless by slashing them with their sabres (ha hoi Hellénes machairais koptontes achreia epoioun). When they had climbed to the top of the pass (hós d’ anebésan), after offering sacrifice and setting up a trophy they descended into the plain on the farther side (thusantes kai tropaion stésamenoi katebésan eis to pedion), and reached villages full of many good things (kai eis kómas pollón kai agathón gemousas élthon).
After this (Ek de toutón) they marched into the
country of the Taochians five stages, thirty parasangs (eporeuthésan eis Taochous
stathmous pente parasangas triakonta); and their provisions were running
low (kai ta epitédeia epeleipe), for the Taochians lived in strongholds
(chória gar óikoun ischura hoi Taochoi), and in these strongholds they
kept all their provisions stored away (en hois kai ta epitédeia hapanta
eichon anakekomismenoi). Now when the Greeks arrived at one of them which contained no
town nor houses (epei d’
aphikonto pros chórion ho polin men ouk eiche oud’ oikias), but was only a place where men
and women and a great number of cattle were gathered (suneléluthotes ésan
autose kai andres kai gunaikes kai kténé polla), Cheirisophus proceeded to
attack this stronghold as soon as he reached it (Cherisophos men oun pros
touto proseballen euthus hékón); and when his first battalion grew weary (epeidé
de hé próté taxis ekamnen), another advanced to the attack, and yet another
(allé proséiei kai authis allé); for it was not possible for them to
surround the place in a continuous line (ou gar én hathroois peristénai),
because its sides were precipitous (all’ apotomon én kuklói).
The moment Xenophon came up with the rearguard (Epeidé de
Xenophón élthe sun tois opisthophulaxi), consisting of both peltasts and hoplites
(kai peltastais kai hoplitais) Cheirisophus said to him (entautha dé
legei Cheirisophos):” You have come in the nick of time (Eis kalon hékete);
for the place must be captured (to gar chórion haireteon); for the army
has no provisions unless we capture this place (téi gar stratiai ouk esti ta
epitédeia, ei mé lépsometha to chórion).” Then they took council together (entautha
dé koinéi ebouleuonto), and when Xenophon asked what it was that prevented
effecting an entrance (kai tou Xenophóntos erótóntos ti to kóluon eié
eiselthein), Cheirisophus replied (eipen ho Cheirisophos): “There is
this one way of approach which you see (Mia hauté parodos estin hén horais),
but when one tries to go along by this way (hotan de tis tauté peiratai parienai), they roll
down stones from this overhanging rock (kulindousi lithous huper tautés tés
uperechousés petras); and whoever gets caught (hos d’ an kataleiphthé), is served in
this fashion (houtó diatithetai)” – and with the words he pointed out
men with their legs and ribs crushed (hama d’edeixe suntetrimmenous anthrópous kai skelé
kai pleuras). “But suppose they use up their stones (én de tous lithous
analósosi),” said Xenophon (ephé ho Xenophón), “there is nothing
then, is there, to hinder one’s passing (allo ti é ouden kóluei parienai;)?
For surely there is nothing we can see on the other side except a few men
yonder (ou gar dé ek tou enantiou horómen ei mé oligous tous anthrópous),
and only two or three of them are armed (kai toutón duo é treis hóplismenous).
Furthermore, as you can see for yourself (to de chórion, hós kai su horais),
the distance we must traverse under attack is about a plethrum and a half (schedon
tria hémiplethra estin ho dei ballomenous dielthein). Now as much as a
plethrum of that distance is covered with tall, scattered pine trees (toutou
de hoson plethron dasu pitusi dialeipousais megalais), and if men should
stand behind them (anth’ hón hestékotes andres), what harm could they
suffer either from flying stones or the rolling ones (ti an paschoien é hupo
tón pheromenón lithón é hupo tón kulindoumenón;)? The remaining space,
then, amounts to about half a plethrum (to loipon oun gignetai hós
hémiplethron), and that we must cross on the run at a moment when the
stones stop coming (ho dei hotan lófésósi hoi lithoi paradramein).” “But,” said Cheirisophus, “the very moment we
begin to push out toward the trees (Alla euthus, ephé ho Cheirisophos,
epeidan arxómetha eis to dasu proienai), the stones fly in quantities (pherontai
hoi lithoi polloi).” “Precisely the thing we want,” said Xenophon (Auto
an, ephé, to deon eié), “for they will use up their stones the sooner (thatton
an analósousi tous lithous). But let us make our way to a spot from which
we shall have only a short distance to run across (alla poreuómetha enthen hemin
mikron ti paradramein estai), in case we can do that (én dunómetha),
and an easy retreat, in case we choose to come back (kai apelthein raidion, én
boulómetha).”
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