Thereupon Xenophon and his men (Kai Xenophón men kai hoi sun autói), after telling the invalids that on the next day people would come back after them (eipontes tois asthenousin hoti téi husteraiai héxousi tines ep’ autous), continued their march (poreuomenoi), but before they had gone four stadia (prin tettara stadia dielthein) they came upon their comrades lying down in the road upon the snow (entunchanousin en téi hodói), wrapped up in their cloaks (anapauomenois epi tés chionos tois stratiótais enkekalummenois), and without so much as a single guard posted (kai oude phulaké oudemia katheistékei). They tried to get them up (kai anistasan autous), but the men said (hoi d’ elegon) that the troops in front would not make way for them (hoti hoi emprosthen ouch hupochóroien). Xenophon accordingly passed along and (ho de parión), sending forward the strongest of the peltasts (kai parapempón tón peltastón tous ischurotatous), directed them to see what the hindrance was (ekeleue skepsasthai ti eié to kóluon). They reported back that the whole army was resting in this way (hoi de apéngellon hoti holon houtós anapauoito to strateuma). Thereupon Xenophon and his party bivouacked where they were (entautha kai hoi peri Xenophónta éulisthésan autou), without a fire and a dinner (aneu puros kai adeipnoi), after stationing such guards as they could (phulakas hosas edunanto katastésamenoi). When it came towards the morning (epei de pros hémeran én), Xenophon sent the youngest of his troops to the sick men with orders to make them get up and force them to proceed (Xenophón pempsas pros tous asthenountas tous neótatous anastésantas ekeleuen anankazein proienai).
Meanwhile (En de toutói) Cheirisophus sent some of the troops
quartered in the village (Cheirisophos pempei tón ek tés kómés) to find
out how the people at the rear were faring (skepsomenous pós echoien hoi
teleutaioi). Xenophon’s party were glad enough to see them (hoi de
asmenoi idontes), and turned over the invalids to them (tous men
asthenountas toutois paredosan) to carry on to the camp (komizein epi to
stratopedon), while they themselves continued their journey (autoi de
eporeuonto), and before completing twenty stadia reached the village where
Cheirisophus was quartered (kai prin eikosi stadia dieléluthenai ésan pros
téi kóméi entha Cheirisophos éulizeto). When all had come together (epei
de sunegenonto allélois), the generals decided that it was safe for the
different divisions of the army to take up quarters in the several villages (edoxe
kata tas kómas asphales einai tas taxeis skénoun). Cheirisophus accordingly
remained where he was (kai Cheirisophos men autou emenen), while the
other generals distributed by lot the villages within sight (hoi de alloi
dialachontes has heórón kómas), and all set off with their respective
commands (eporeuonto hekastoi tous heautón echontes). Then it was that
Polycrates, an Athenian captain, asked to be detached from his division (entha
dé Polukratés Athénaios lochagos ekeleusen aphienai heauton); and with an
active group of men he ran to the village which had fallen to Xenophon’s lot (kai
labón tous euzónous, theón epi tén kómén hén eiléchen Xenophón) and there
took possession of all the villagers, the village chief included (katalambanei
pantas endon tous kómétas kai ton kómarchon), seventeen colts which were
being reared for tribute to the King (kai pólous eis dasmon basilei
trephomenous heptakeideka), and the village chief’s daughter (kai tén
thugatera tou kómarchou), who had been married eight days before (enatén
hémeran gegamémenén); her husband, however, was off hunting hares, and was
not taken in the village (ho d’ anér autés lagós óicheto thérasón kai ouch healó en téi kóméi).
The houses here were underground (Hai d’ oikiai ésan katageioi), with a mouth
like that of a well (to men stoma hósper phreatos), but spacious below (kató
d’ eureiai); and
while entrances were tunnelled down for the beasts of burden (hai de eisodoi
tois men hupozugiois oruktai), the human inhabitants descended by a ladder
(hoi de anthrópoi katebainon epi klimakos). In the houses were goats,
sheep, cattle, fowls and their young (en de tais oikiais ésan aiges, oies,
boes, ornithes kai ta ekgona toutón); and all the animals were reared and
took their fodder there in the houses (ta de kténé panta chilói endon etrephonto).
Here were also wheat, barley, and beans, and barley-wine in large bowls (ésan
de kai puroi kai krithai kai ospria kai oinos krithinos en kratérsin).
Floating on the top of this drink were the barley-grains and in it were straws
(enésan de kai autai tai krithai isocheileis kai kalamoi enekeinto), some
larger and others smaller, without joints (hoi men meizous hoi de elattous,
gonata ouk echontes); and when one was thirsty, he had to take these straws
into his mouth and suck (toutous edei hopote tis dipsóié labonta eis to
stoma muzein). It was an extremely strong drink unless one diluted it with
water (kai panu akratos én, ei mé tis hudór epicheoi), and extremely
good when one was used to it (kai panu hédu summathonti to póma én).
Xenophon made the chief man of this village his guest at
dinner (Ho de Xenophón ton
archonta tés kómés tautés sundeipnon epoiésato) and bade him be of good
cheer (kai tharrein auton ekeleue), telling him that he should not be
deprived of his children (legón hoti oute tón teknón sterésoito), and that
before they went away they would fill his house with provisions by way of
reward in case he should prove to have given the army good guidance until they
should reach another tribe (tén te oikian autou antemplésantes tón epitédeión
apiasin, én agathon ti tói strateumati exégésamenos phainétai est’ an en allói ethnei genóntai).
He promised to do this (ho de tauta hupischneito), and in a spirit of
kindliness told them where there was wine buried (kai philophronoumenos onion
ephrasen entha én katorórugmenos). For that night, then, all Xenophon’s
soldiers, in this village where they were thus separately quartered, went to
bed in an abundance of everything (tautén men tén nukta diaskénésantes houtós
ekoiméthésanto en pasin aphthonois pantes hoi stratiótai), keeping the
village chief under guard (en phulakéi echontes ton kómarchon) and his children
all together within sight (kai ta tekna autou homou en ophthalmois),
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