When these elections were completed, and as the day was just about beginning to break, the commanders met in the middle of the camp; and they resolved to station outposts and then call an assembly of the soldiers. As soon as they came together, Cheirisophus the Lacedaenonian arose first and spoke as follows: “Fellow-soldiers, painful indeed is our present situation, seeing that we are robbed of such generals and captains and soldiers, and, besides, that Ariaeus and his men, who were formerly our allies, have betrayed us; nevertheless, we must quit ourselves like brave men as well as may be in these circumstances, and must not yield, but rather try to save ourselves by glorious victory if we can; otherwise, let us at least die a glorious death, and never fall into the hands of our enemies alive. For in that case I think we should meet the sort of sufferings that I pray the gods may visit upon our foes.”
Then Cleanor the Orchomenian arose and spoke as follows:
“Come, fellow-soldiers, you see the perjury and impiety of the King; you see
likewise the faithlessness of Tissaphernes. It was Tissaphernes who said that
he was a neighbour of Greece and that he would do his utmost to save us; it was
none other than he who gave us his oaths to confirm these words; and then he,
Tissaphernes, the very man who had given such pledges, was the very man who
deceived and seized our generals. More than that, he did not even reverence
Zeus, the god of hospitality; instead, he entertained Clearchus at his own
table and then made that very act the means of deceiving and destroying the
generals. Ariaeus, too, whom we were ready to make king, with whom we have
exchanged pledges not to betray one another, even he, showing neither the fear
of the gods nor honour for the memory of Cyrus dead, although he was most
highly honoured by Cyrus living, has now gone over to the bitterest foes of
that same Cyrus, and is trying to work harm on us, the friends of Cyrus. Well,
may these men be duly punished by the gods; we, however, seeing their deeds,
must never again be deceived by them, but must fight as stoutly as we can and
meet whatever fortune the gods may please to send.”
Hereupon Xenophon rose, arrayed for war in his finest dress
(estalmenos epi polemon hós
edunato kallista). For he thought that if the gods should grant
victory, the finest raiment was suited for victory; and if it should be his
fate to die, it was proper, he thought, that inasmuch as he had accounted his
office worthy of the most beautiful attire, in this attire he should meet his
death. He began his speech as follows: “The perjury and faithlessness of the
barbarians has been spoken of by Cleanor and is understood, I imagine, by the
rest of you. If, then, it is our desire to begin on terms of friendship with
them, we must needs feel great despondency when we see the fate of our generals,
who trustingly put themselves in their hands; but if our intention is to rely
on our arms, and not only to inflict punishment upon them for their deeds, but
henceforth to wage implacable war with them, we have – the gods willing – many fair
hopes of deliverance (sun tois theois pollai hémin kai kalai elpides eisi sótérias).”
As he was saying this a man sneezed [The sneeze was a lucky
sign, and particularly lucky because it came at just the time when Xenophon was
uttering the word sótérias, “deliverance,” noted Brownson.],
and when the soldiers heard it (akousantes d’ hoi stratiótai), they all
with one impulse (miai horméi)
made obeisance to the god (prosekunésan
ton theon); and Xenophon said, “I move, gentlemen, since at the
moment when we were talking about deliverance an omen from Zeus the Saviour was
revealed to us, that we make a vow to sacrifice to that god thank-offerings for
deliverance as soon as we reach a friendly land; and that we add a further vow
to make sacrifices, to the extent of our ability, to the other gods also. All
who are in favour of this motion,” he said, “will raise their hands.” And every
man in the assembly raised his hand. Thereupon they made their vows and struck
up the paean.|
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