9 Xenophon’s Anabasis

These ceremonies duly performed, Xenophon began again with these words:

“I was saying that we have many fair hopes of deliverance. For, in the first place, we are standing true to the oaths we took in the name of the gods, while our enemies have perjured themselves, and, in violation of their oaths, have broken the truce. This being so (houtó d‘ echontón), it is fair to assume (eikos) that the gods are their foes (tois men polemiois enantious einai tous theous) and our allies (hémin de summachous) – and the gods are able speedily to make the strong week (hoiper hikanoi eisi kai tous megalous tachu mikrous poiein) and, when they so will, easily to deliver the week, even though they be in dire perils (kai tous mikrous k’an en deinois ósi sóizein eupetós, hotan boulóntai). Secondly, I would remind you of the perils of our own forefathers, to show you not only that it is your right to be brave men, but that brave men are delivered, with the help of the gods, even out of most dreadful dangers. For when the Persians and their followers came with a vast array to blot Athens out of existence, the Athenians dared, unaided, to withstand them, and won the victory [in the battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.]. And while they had vowed to Artemis that for every man they might slay of the enemy they would sacrifice a goat to the goddess, they were unable to find goats enough {according to Herodotus (vi 117) the Persian dead numbered 6,400]; so they resolved to offer 500 a year, and this sacrifice they are paying even to this day. Again, when Xerxes at a later time gathered together that countless host [Herodotus (vi.185) puts the whole number of fighting men in Xerxes’ armament at 2,641,610] and came ag9 Xenophon’s Anabasis

These ceremonies duly performed, Xenophon began again with these words:

“I was saying that we have many fair hopes of deliverance. For, in the first place, we are standing true to the oaths we took in the name of the gods, while our enemies have perjured themselves, and, in violation of their oaths, have broken the truce. This being so (houtó d‘ echontón), it is fair to assume (eikos) that the gods are their foes (tois men polemiois enantious einai tous theous) and our allies (hémin de summachous) – and the gods are able speedily to make the strong week (hoiper hikanoi eisi kai tous megalous tachu mikrous poiein) and, when they so will, easily to deliver the week, even though they be in dire perils (kai tous mikrous k’an en deinois ósi sóizein eupetós, hotan boulóntai). Secondly, I would remind you of the perils of our own forefathers, to show you not only that it is your right to be brave men, but that brave men are delivered, with the help of the gods, even out of most dreadful dangers. For when the Persians and their followers came with a vast array to blot Athens out of existence, the Athenians dared, unaided, to withstand them, and won the victory [in the battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.]. And while they had vowed to Artemis that for every man they might slay of the enemy they would sacrifice a goat to the goddess, they were unable to find goats enough {according to Herodotus (vi 117) the Persian dead numbered 6,400]; so they resolved to offer 500 a year, and this sacrifice they are paying even to this day. Again, when Xerxes at a later time gathered together that countless host [Herodotus (vi.185) puts the whole number of fighting men in Xerxes’ armament at 2,641,610] and came against Greece, then too our forefathers were victorious, both by land and by sea [by sea at Salamis (480 B.C. and at Plataea (479 B.C.)], over the forefathers of our enemies. As tokens of these victories we may, indeed, still behold the trophies, but the strongest witness to them is the freedom of the states (hé eleutheria tón poleón) in which you were born and bred; for to no human creature do you pay homage as master, but to the gods alone. It is from such ancestors, then, that you are sprung.

“Now I am far from intending to say that you disgrace them; in fact not many days ago you set yourself in array against these descendants of those ancient Persians and were victorious, with the aid of the gods, over many times your own numbers. And then, mark you (kai tote men dé), it was in Cyrus’ contest for the throne that you proved themselves brave men; but now, when the struggle is for your own safety, it is surely fitting that you should be far braver and more zealous. Furthermore, you ought now to be more confident in facing the enemy. For then you were unacquainted with them, you saw that their numbers were beyond counting (to de pléthos ametron horóntes), and you nevertheless dared, with all the spirit of your fathers, to charge upon them; but now, when you have already made actual trial of them and find that they have no desire, even though they are many times your number, to await your attack, what reason can remain for your being afraid of them?

“Again, do not suppose that you are the worse off because the followers of Ariaeus, who were formerly marshalled with us, have now deserted us. For they are even greater cowards than the men we defeated; at any rate they took to flight before them, leaving us to shift for ourselves.

***

Concerning Ariaeus’ flight Brownson refers to IX.31-X.1-3: ‘When Cyrus died, all his bodyguard of friends and table companions died fighting in his defence, with the exception of Ariaeus; he, it chanced, was stationed on the left wing at the h9 Xenophon’s Anabasis

These ceremonies duly performed, Xenophon began again with these words:

“I was saying that we have many fair hopes of deliverance. For, in the first place, we are standing true to the oaths we took in the name of the gods, while our enemies have perjured themselves, and, in violation of their oaths, have broken the truce. This being so (houtó d‘ echontón), it is fair to assume (eikos) that the gods are their foes (tois men polemiois enantious einai tous theous) and our allies (hémin de summachous) – and the gods are able speedily to make the strong week (hoiper hikanoi eisi kai tous megalous tachu mikrous poiein) and, when they so will, easily to deliver the week, even though they be in dire perils (kai tous mikrous k’an en deinois ósi sóizein eupetós, hotan boulóntai). Secondly, I would remind you of the perils of our own forefathers, to show you not only that it is your right to be brave men, but that brave men are delivered, with the help of the gods, even out of most dreadful dangers. For when the Persians and their followers came with a vast array to blot Athens out of existence, the Athenians dared, unaided, to withstand them, and won the victory [in the battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.]. And while they had vowed to Artemis that for every man they might slay of the enemy they would sacrifice a goat to the goddess, they were unable to find goats enough {according to Herodotus (vi 117) the Persian dead numbered 6,400]; so they resolved to offer 500 a year, and this sacrifice they are paying even to this day. Again, when Xerxes at a later time gathered together that countless host [Herodotus (vi.185) puts the whole number of fighting men in Xerxes’ armament at 2,641,610] and came against Greece, then too our forefathers were victorious, both by land and by sea [by sea at Salamis (480 B.C. and at Plataea (479 B.C.)], over the forefathers of our enemies. As tokens of these victories we may, indeed, still behold the trophies, but the strongest witness to them is the freedom of the states (hé eleutheria tón poleón) in which you were born and bred; for to no human creature do you pay homage as master, but to the gods alone. It is from such ancestors, then, that you are sprung.

“Now I am far from intending to say that you disgrace them; in fact not many days ago you set yourself in array against these descendants of those ancient Persians and were victorious, with the aid of the gods, over many times your own numbers. And then, mark you (kai tote men dé), it was in Cyrus’ contest for the throne that you proved themselves brave men; but now, when the struggle is for your own safety, it is surely fitting that you should be far braver and more zealous. Furthermore, you ought now to be more confident in facing the enemy. For then you were unacquainted with them, you saw that their numbers were beyond counting (to de pléthos ametron horóntes), and you nevertheless dared, with all the spirit of your fathers, to charge upon them; but now, when you have already made actual trial of them and find that they have no desire, even though they are many times your number, to await your attack, what reason can remain for your being afraid of them?

“Again, do not suppose that you are the worse off because the followers of Ariaeus, who were formerly marshalled with us, have now deserted us. For they are even greater cowards than the men we defeated; at any rate they took to flight before them, leaving us to shift for ourselves.

***

Concerning Ariaeus’ flight Brownson refers to IX.31-X.1-3: ‘When Cyrus died, all his bodyguard of friends and table companions died fighting in his defence, with the exception of Ariaeus; he, it chanced, was stationed on the left wing at the head of the cavalry, and when he learned that Cyrus had fallen, he took to flight with the whole army that he commanded.

Then the head of Cyrus and his right hand were cut off. But the King pursuing Ariaeus, burst into the camp of Cyrus; and Ariaeus and his men no longer stood their ground, but fled through their own camp to the stopping-place from which they had set out that morning. So the King and his troops proceeded to secure plunder of various sorts in abundance, while in particular he captured the Phocaean woman, Cyrus’ concubine, who, by all accounts, was clever and beautiful. The Milesian woman, however, the younger one, after being seized by the King’s men made her escape, lightly clad, to some Greeks who had chanced standing guard amid the baggage train and, forming themselves in line against the enemy, had killed many of the plunderers, although some of their own numbers had been killed also; nevertheless, they did not take to flight, but they saved this woman and, furthermore, whatever else came within their lines, whether persons or property, they saved all alike.’ead of the cavalry, and when he learned that Cyrus had fallen, he took to flight with the whole army that he commanded.

Then the head of Cyrus and his right hand were cut off. But the King pursuing Ariaeus, burst into the camp of Cyrus; and Ariaeus and his men no longer stood their ground, but fled through their own camp to the stopping-place from which they had set out that morning. So the King and his troops proceeded to secure plunder of various sorts in abundance, while in particular he captured the Phocaean woman, Cyrus’ concubine, who, by all accounts, was clever and beautiful. The Milesian woman, however, the younger one, after being seized by the King’s men made her escape, lightly clad, to some Greeks who had chanced standing guard amid the baggage train and, forming themselves in line against the enemy, had killed many of the plunderers, although some of their own numbers had been killed also; nevertheless, they did not take to flight, but they saved this woman and, furthermore, whatever else came within their lines, whether persons or property, they saved all alike.’ainst Greece, then too our forefathers were victorious, both by land and by sea [by sea at Salamis (480 B.C. and at Plataea (479 B.C.)], over the forefathers of our enemies. As tokens of these victories we may, indeed, still behold the trophies, but the strongest witness to them is the freedom of the states (hé eleutheria tón poleón) in which you were born and bred; for to no human creature do you pay homage as master, but to the gods alone. It is from such ancestors, then, that you are sprung.

“Now I am far from intending to say that you disgrace them; in fact not many days ago you set yourself in array against these descendants of those ancient Persians and were victorious, with the aid of the gods, over many times your own numbers. And then, mark you (kai tote men dé), it was in Cyrus’ contest for the throne that you proved themselves brave men; but now, when the struggle is for your own safety, it is surely fitting that you should be far braver and more zealous. Furthermore, you ought now to be more confident in facing the enemy. For then you were unacquainted with them, you saw that their numbers were beyond counting (to de pléthos ametron horóntes), and you nevertheless dared, with all the spirit of your fathers, to charge upon them; but now, when you have already made actual trial of them and find that they have no desire, even though they are many times your number, to await your attack, what reason can remain for your being afraid of them?

“Again, do not suppose that you are the worse off because the followers of Ariaeus, who were formerly marshalled with us, have now deserted us. For they are even greater cowards than the men we defeated; at any rate they took to flight before them, leaving us to shift for ourselves.

***

Concerning Ariaeus’ flight Brownson refers to IX.31-X.1-3: ‘When Cyrus died, all his bodyguard of friends and table companions died fighting in his defence, with the exception of Ariaeus; he, it chanced, was stationed on the left wing at the head of the cavalry, and when he learned that Cyrus had fallen, he took to flight with the whole army that he commanded.

Then the head of Cyrus and his right hand were cut off. But the King pursuing Ariaeus, burst into the camp of Cyrus; and Ariaeus and his men no longer stood their ground, but fled through their own camp to the stopping-place from which they had set out that morning. So the King and his troops proceeded to secure plunder of various sorts in abundance, while in particular he captured the Phocaean woman, Cyrus’ concubine, who, by all accounts, was clever and beautiful. The Milesian woman, however, the younger one, after being seized by the King’s men made her escape, lightly clad, to some Greeks who had chanced standing guard amid the baggage train and, forming themselves in line against the enemy, had killed many of the plunderers, although some of their own numbers had been killed also; nevertheless, they did not take to flight, but they saved this woman and, furthermore, whatever else came within their lines, whether persons or property, they saved all alike.’