4 Xenophon’s Anabasis

There was a man in the army named Xenophon, an Athenian, who was neither general nor captain nor private, but had accompanied the expedition because Proxenus, an old friend of his, had sent him at his home an invitation to go with him; Proxenus had also promised him that, if he would go, he would make him a friend of Cyrus, whom he himself regarded, so he said, as worth more to him than his native state (hon autos ephé kreittó heautói nomizein tés patridos). After reading Proxenus’ letter Xenophon conferred with Socrates [The philosopher, whose follower and friend Xenophon had been from his youth, notes Brownson, the translator], the Athenian, about the proposed journey; and Socrates, suspecting that his becoming a friend of Cyrus might be a cause for accusation against Xenophon on the part of the Athenian government, for the reason that Cyrus was thought to have given the Lacedaemonians zealous aid in the war against Athens, advised Xenophon to go to Delphi and consult the god in regard to this journey. So Xenophon went and asked Apollo to what one of the gods he should sacrifice and pray in order best and most successfully to perform the journey which he had in mind and, after meeting with good fortune, to return home in safety; and Apollo in his response told him to what gods he must sacrifice. When Xenophon came back from Delphi, he reported the oracle to Socrates (legei tén manteian tói Sókratei); and upon hearing about it (ho d’ akousas) Socrates found fault with him (étiato auton) because he did not first put the question whether it were better for him to go or stay, but decided for himself that he was to go and then asked the god as to the best way of going. “However,” he added, “since you did put the question in that way, you must do all that the god directed.”

Xenophon, accordingly, after offering the sacrifices to the gods that Apollo’s oracle prescribed (thusamenos hois aneilen ho theos), set sail (exeplei), overtook Proxenus and Cyrus at Sardis as they were on the point of beginning the upward march (mellontas édé horman tén anó hodon), and was introduced to Cyrus.

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Brownson notes in the ‘Introduction‘ to his translation: ‘The verb anabainein, lit. “to go up,” was used of any journey from the sea coast to the higher lands of the interior, but more especially of the famous route from the Greek coast of Asia Minor to the Persian capital, Susa. Hence the noun anabasis – “Anabasis.”

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And not only did Proxenus urge him to stay with them, but Cyrus also joined in this request, adding that as soon as the campaign came to an end, he would send Xenophon home at once; and the report was that the campaign was against the Pisidians (elegeto de ho stolos einai eis Pisidas).