The Persian Expedition by Xenophon

Author:Xenophon
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141909387
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Chapter 7

THE GREEKS CATCH SIGHT

OF THE SEA

NEXT came a five days’ march of ninety miles into the country of the Taochi, and here provisions began to run short. The Taochi lived behind strong fortifications inside which they had all their provisions stored up. The Greeks arrived at one of these fortifications, which had no city or dwellings attached to it, but into which men and women and a lot of cattle had got together, and Chirisophus, as soon as he reached the place, launched an attack on it. When the first body of attackers became tired, another body of troops relieved them, and then another, since it was impossible to surround the place with the whole lot together, as there was precipitous ground all round it. On the arrival of Xenophon with the rearguard, both hoplites and peltasts, Chirisophus exclaimed: ‘You have come where you are needed. This position must be taken. If we fail to do so, there are no supplies for the army.’

They then discussed the situation together, and, when Xenophon asked what it was that was stopping them from getting inside, Chirisophus said: “This approach, which you see, is the only one there is. But when one tries to get in by that way, they roll down boulders from that rock which overhangs the position. Whoever gets caught by one, ends up like this.’ And he pointed out some men who had had their legs and ribs broken.

‘But,’ said Xenophon, ‘when they have used up their boulders, what is there to stop us getting inside? In front of us we see only these few men, and of these only two or three who are armed. And, as you can see yourself, the piece of ground where we are bound to be exposed to the stones, as we go over it, is about a hundred and fifty feet in length. Of this distance, about a hundred feet is covered with large pine trees spaced at intervals. If the men take shelter against their trunks, what damage could come to them either from the rolling stones or the stones flying through the air? All that is left is fifty feet, over which we must run when the stones cease coming at us.’

‘But,’ said Chirisophus, ‘as soon as we begin to advance towards the wooded part, great numbers of stones are hurled down at us.’

‘That,’ said Xenophon, ‘is just what we want. They will use up their stones all the quicker. Let us advance, then, to the point from which we shall not have far to run forward if we are to do so, and from which we can easily retreat if we want to.’

Then Chirisophus and Xenophon went forward, accompanied by one of the captains, Callimachus of Parrhasia, since on that day he held the position of chief officer among the captains of the rearguard. The other captains stayed behind in safety. Afterwards about seventy men reached the shelter of the trees, not in a body, but one by one, each man looking after himself as well as he could.

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