15 Xenophon’s Anabasis

When they had come to their quarters, the troops were busy about provisions, but the generals and captains gathered in council. And here there was great despondency (kai entautha pollé aporia én). For on one side of them were exceedingly high mountains and on the other side a river so deep that not even their spears reached above water when they tried its depth. In the midst of their perplexity (aporoumenois d’ autois) a Rhodian came to them and said: “I stand ready, gentlemen (ó andres), to set you across the river (diabibasai humas), four thousand hoplites at a time, if you provide me with the means that I require (an emoi hón deomai hupéretéséte) and give me a talent for pay (kai talanton misthon poriséte).” Upon being asked what his requirements were (erótómenos de hotou deoito), he replied: “I shall need two thousand skins. I see plenty of sheep and goats and cattle and asses; take off their skins and blow them up, and they would easily provide the means of crossing. I shall want also the girths which you use on the beasts of burden; with these I shall tie the skins to one anther and also moor each skin by fastening stones to the girths and letting them down into the water like anchors; then I shall carry the line of skins across the river, make it fast at both ends, and pile on brushwood and earth. As for your not sinking, then (hoti men oun ou katadusesthe), you may be sure in an instant on that point (autika mala eisesthe), for every skin will keep two men from sinking; and as regards slipping (hóste de mé olisthanein), the brushwood and earth will prevent that (hé hulé kai hé gé schései).”

After hearing these words the generals thought that while the idea was a clever one (to men enthuméma charien edokei einai), the execution of it was impossible (to d’ ergon adunaton). For there were people on the other side of the river to thwart it, a large force of horsemen, namely (ésan gar hoi kólusontes peran polloi huppeis), who at the very outset would prevent the first comers from carrying any part of the plan (hoi euthus tois prótois ouden an hupetrepon toutón poiein).

Under these circumstances (Entautha) they marched all the next day in the reverse direction, going back to the unburned villages, after burning the one from which they withdrew. The result was that, instead of making an attack, the enemy merely gazed at the Greeks (hóste hoi polemioi ou prosélaunon, alla etheónto), and appeared to be wondering (kai homoioi ésan thaumazousin) where in the world they would turn (hopoi pote trepsontai hoi Hellénes) and what they had in mind (kai ti en nói echoien). At the close of the day (Entautha), while the rest of the army went after provisions (hoi men alloi stratiótai epi ta epitédeia éisan), the generals held another meeting (hoi de stratégoi palin sunélthon), at which they brought together the prisoners that had been taken (kai sunagagontes tous halókotas) and enquired of them about each district of all the surrounding country (élenchon tén kuklói pasan chóran tis hekasté eié).