The Anabasis of Cyrus by Xenophon.;Buzzetti Eric.;Ambler Wayne.;

Author:Xenophon.;Buzzetti, Eric.;Ambler, Wayne.; [Xenophon.;Buzzetti, Eric.;Ambler, Wayne.;]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 3050128003
Publisher: LightningSource
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

After this they marched five stages, thirty parasangs, against Taochians, and their provisions gave out, for the Taochians dwelt in strongholds into which they carried up and kept all their provisions. (2) When they reached a fortress which had neither a city nor houses, but where men, women, and many flocks had gathered together, Cheirisophus made an attack as soon as he arrived. When this first formation began to grow tired, another went forward, and then another in turn. For it was not possible to surround it in a body, for it was sheer all around it.17 (3) When Xenophon arrived with the rear guard of both peltasts and hoplites, Cheirisophus said, “You have come at a fine time: the fortress must be taken, for the army will not have provisions, unless we take this place.”18 (4) Here, then, they deliberated in common. And when Xenophon asked what was preventing them from entering, Cheirisophus said, “What you see is the one approach there is. Whenever one tries to go along it, they roll down stones from that overhanging rock. Whoever gets caught is rendered thus.” And at the same time he showed him people with crushed legs and ribs. (5) “But if they use up their stones,” said Xenophon, “is there anything else that prevents us from going up? Surely on the side opposite we do not see any except those few people, and of those, only two or three in arms. (6) And as you also see, the distance which we need to cross while under attack is about a plethrum and a half, and of this, as much as a plethrum is thick with large pine trees spread about, and if our men should stand behind them, what would they suffer from either the stones flying down or those rolling? The distance remaining is then about half a plethrum, which we need to run across when the stones shall have ceased.” (7) “But,” said Cheirisophus, “as soon as we begin to go forward toward the stand of trees, stones fly at us in great numbers.” “And this,” he said, “is just what we need, for thus they will use up their stones more quickly. But let us march to a place from which we will have just a short stretch to run across, if we are able, and from which it will be easier to come back, if we wish.”

(8) Then they marched, Cheirisophus, Xenophon, and Callimachus, a Parrhasian captain; for leadership over the captains of the rear guard belonged to him on that day. The other captains remained in safety. After this, then, up to seventy people got under cover of the trees, not in a body, but one by one, each being on his guard as much as he could. (9) Agasias the Stymphalian and Aristonymus, a Methydrian, who were also captains of the rear guard, and others too, stood in support outside the trees, for it was not safe for more than one company to stand among the trees.

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