BOOK I
Chapter 1
To Darius and Parysatis were born two sons, the older Artaxerxes and the younger Cyrus.1 When Darius fell sick and suspected the end of his life to be near, he wished both sons to be at his side. (2)a Now the older happened to be present, but Cyrus he summoned from the province over which he had made him satrap;b he had also appointed him general of all the troops that assemble on the plain of Castolus.2 So Cyrus ascendedc from the coast, taking Tissaphernes as a friend,3 and he ascended with three hundred Greek hoplites,d with Xenias the Parrhasian as their commander.4 (3) When Darius had died and Artaxerxes was settled in the kingship, Tissaphernes slandered Cyrus to his brother, saying that he was plotting against him.5 And he believed this and had Cyrus seized, so that he might put him to death. Their mother, however, interceded and sent him back again to his province.
(4) After he departed, having been in danger and dishonored, Cyrus began planning how he would avoid being subject to his brother ever again but rather, if he were able, would rule as King instead of him. Parysatis, their mother, was on the side of Cyrus, for she loved him more than the ruling King, Artaxerxes. (5) And, as for those who came to him from the King,6 Cyrus would make them all such that they became friends more to himself than to the King, and then he would send them back. Of the barbarianse with him, he took care that they would be capable of making war and would also be well disposed to him. (6) He went about assembling his Greek force as secretly as he could, in order that he might catch the King as unprepared as possible.
This is how he carried out this collection of troops: he passed the word to the garrison commanders of all the garrisons he had in the cities to secure men from the Peloponnese as numerous and as good as possible, on the grounds that Tissaphernes was plotting against their cities.7 For the Ionian cities had anciently belonged to Tissaphernes, having been given to him by the King, but at that time they all had revolted to Cyrus, except for Miletus. (7) In Miletus, Tissaphernes perceived in advance those who were planning to do the sameâto revolt to Cyrusâand he killed some of them and banished others. But Cyrus took up the exiles and brought an army together, and besieged Miletus by both land and sea, and he was trying to restore the exiles. And this, then, was another of his pretexts for assembling an army. (8) He sent to the King and claimed that, since he was his brother, these cities should be given to him rather than be ruled by Tissaphernes, and his mother assisted him on this. As a result, the King did not perceive the plot against himself but believed that Cyrus was spending on armies because he was at war with Tissaphernes. As a result, he was not the least bit vexed that they were at war, for Cyrus also sent to the King the tribute that arose from the cities of Tissaphernes that he happened to hold.
(9) Another army was being collected for him in the Chersonese, opposite Abydus, in the following manner.f Clearchus was a Lacedaemonian exile. After having associated with him, Cyrus came to admire him and gave him ten thousand darics.g Taking the gold, he collected an army with these funds and, setting out from the Chersonese, made war on the Thracians who dwelt above the Hellespont; and he was benefiting the Greeks. As a result, the cities on the Hellespont voluntarily contributed money to him for the maintenance of his soldiers. This army also was thus being nurtured for him without being detected.
(10) Aristippus the Thessalian happened to be a guest-friend of his;h and being hard-pressed by members of a rival faction at home, he went to Cyrus and asked him for two thousand foreign troops and for three monthsâ wages, on the grounds that in this way he would prevail over the rival faction. Cyrus gave him four thousand troops and six monthsâ wages and asked him not to come to terms with his rivals until he had again deliberated with him. Thus also this army in Thessaly was being nurtured for him without being detected.
(11) He bade Proxenus the Boeotian, who was a guest-friend of his, get as many men as possible and report to him, on the grounds that he wished to campaign against the Pisidians, since these Pisidians were making problems for his country. He bade Sophaenetus the Stymphalian and Socrates the Achaean, these also being guest-friends of his, get as many men as possible and to come, indicating that together with the Milesian exiles he would be making war on Tissaphernes. And these acted accordingly.
Chapter 2
When it seemed to him time to march upcountry, he used the pretext that he wished to expel the Pisidians from his land altogether, and it was ostensibly against them that he gathered together both his barbarian and his Greek force. He then also ordered both that Clearchus report there with whatever army he had and that Aristippus reconcile with those at home and send him the army he had. Xenias the Arcadian, who led the mercenary force in the cities for him, he ordered to come with all his troops, except a number sufficient to guard the acropolis of each city. (2) He summoned also those who were besieging Miletus, and he bade the exiles campaign with him, promising that if he accomplished nobly the object of his campaign, he would not cease until he restored them to their homes.i They obeyed with pleasure, for they trusted him; and they reported to Sardis with their weapons.j (3) Xenias arrived in Sardis with up to four thousand hoplites from the cities; Proxenus was present with one thousand five hundred hoplites and five hundred light-armed troops; Sophaenetus the Stymphalian with one thousand hoplites; Socrates the Achaean with about five hundred hoplites; and Pasion the Megarian arrived with three hundred hoplites and three hundred peltasts.k Both he and Socrates were among those who had been campaigning over Miletus.
(4) So these arrived in Sardis for Cyrus. But observing this and holding the preparation to be too great for one against the Pisidians, Tissaphernes went to the King as quickly as he could with about five hundred cavalry troops.l (5) And when the King heard from Tissaphernes of Cyrusâs expedition, he began making counterpreparations. Cyrus set out from Sardis with those I mentioned, and he marched three stages, twenty-two parasangs, through Lydia to the Maeander River. Its width was two plethra, and over it was a bridge of seven boats bound together.m (6) Crossing this, he marched through Phrygia, one stage, eight parasangs, to Colossae, a city inhabited, prosperous, and large.n Here he remained seven days. And Menon the Thessalian arrived with one thousand hoplites and five hundred peltasts, Dolopians, Aenianians, and Olynthians.8
(7) From here he marched three stages, twenty parasangs, into Celaenae, a city of Phrygia, inhabited, large, and prosperous. Here Cyrus had a royal residence and hunting ground stocked with wild animals, which he would hunt on horseback whenever he wished to exercise both himself and his horses.o Through the middle of the park flows the Maeander River, whose sources were under the palace. It flows also through the city of Celaenae. (8) There is also a palace of the Great King in Celaenae, fortified, at the foot of the acropolis, at the springs that are the sources of the Marsyas River. It too flows through the city, and it empties into the Maeander. The width of the Marsyas River is twenty-five feet. Here Apollo is said to have flayed Marsyas, having defeated him after he had challenged his wisdom, and to have hung his skin in the cave where the sources [of the river] are.9 On account of this, the river is called the Marsyas. (9) Here Xerxes is said to have built both this palace and the acropolis of Celaenae, when he was retreating from Greece after his defeat in the battle.10 Here Cyrus remained thirty days, and Clearchus the Lacedaemonian exile arrived with one thousand hoplites, eight hundred Thracian peltasts, and two hundred Cretan archers. At the same time Sosis the Syracusan also reported with three hundred hoplites, as did Sophaenetus the Arcadian with one thousand hoplites.11 Here Cyrus held a review in the park and counted the Greeks; and there were eleven thousand Greek hoplites, five hundred peltasts, and five hundred light-armed troops, two hundred Cretans, eight hundred Thracians. In all, they numbered thirteen thousand.
(10) From here he marched two stages, ten parasangs, to Peltae, an inhabited city. He remained there three days. During this time Xenias the Arcadian celebrated the Lycaea with sacrificesp and held an [athletic] contest, and the prizes were golden strigils.12 Even Cyrus watched the [athletic] contest.
From here he marched two stages, twelve parasangs, to Ceramon Agora, an inhabited city, the farthest in the direction of the territory of Mysia. (11) From here he marched three stages, thirty parasangs, to Pedion Cayster, an inhabited city. He remained there five days. He owed his soldiers more than three monthsâ wages, and they often went to his headquarters and demanded it. He continually expressed his hopes, and he was clearly distressed; for it was not in keeping with the character of Cyrus not to give them their pay, if he had it. (12) Here Epyaxa, the wife of Syennesis, King of the Cilicians, came to Cyrus; and it was said that she gave Cyrus a great deal of money. In any case, Cyrus did then pay four monthsâ wages to the army. The Cilician queen had a bodyguard of Cilicians and Aspendians, and it was said that Cyrus had intercourse with the Cilician [queen].
(13) From here he marched two stages, ten parasangs, to Thymbrium, an inhabited city. Here beside the road was the so-called spring of Midas, king of the Phrygians, at which it is said that Midas hunted the satyr, mixing the springâs water with wine.13
(14) From here he marched two stages, ten parasangs, to Tyriaeum, an inhabited city. There he remained three days. And the Cilician queen is said to have asked Cyrus to display his army to her. So he, wishing to display it, held a review of Greeks and barbarians on the plain. (15) He bade the Greeks deploy themselves and take their places for battle, following their own custom, and bade each put his own troops in order.q So they deployed at four deep. Menon and those with him had the right side, Clearchus and those with him the left, and the other generals the center. (16) Cyrus first reviewed the barbarians, who were passing by deployed in troops and companies.14 Then, passing by in a chariot with the Cilician in her carriage, he reviewed the Greeks. They all had bronze helmets, purple tunics, greaves, and shields that had had their covers removed. (17) When he had passed by all of them, he stopped his chariot in front of the middle of the phalanx,r sent Pigres the interpreter to the Greek generals, and ordered them to advance the entire phalanx with weapons facing forward; and they passed this order to their soldiers. When the trumpet sounded, they advanced with weapons forward. After this, advancing faster and faster of their own accord and with a shout, the soldiers began to run toward the camp; (18) and there was great fear among the barbarians, as both the Cilician [queen] fled in her carriage and those in the market fled, leaving their wares behind. The Greeks arrived at the camp in laughter; the Cilician [queen] was filled with wonder, having seen the splendor and order of the army; and Cyrus was pleased, having seen such fear in the barbarians provoked by the Greeks.
(19) From here he marched three stages, twenty parasangs, to Iconium, the last city of Phrygia. There he remained three days. From here he marched five stages, thirty parasangs, through Lycaonia. He turned this country over to the Greeks to be plundered, on the grounds that it was hostile. (20) From here Cyrus sent the Cilician [queen] off to Cilicia by the quickest road, and along with her he sent soldiers that Menon had, as well as Menon himself. Cyrus marched with the others through Cappadocia, four stages, twenty-five parasangs, to Dana, a city inhabited, large, and prosperous. There he remained three days. At this time Cyrus executed Megaphernes, a Persian man, a wearer of the royal purple, and a certain other of his subordinates, a powerful one, charging them with plotting against him.15
(21) From here he attempted to invade Cilicia. The approach was a wagon road, exceedingly steep and, if anyone opposed, impossible for an army to enter on. Syennesis was said to be on the heights, guarding the approach, so Cyrus remained a day on the plain. On the next day a messenger arrived saying that Syennesis had left the heights because he had perceived that the army of Menon was already in Cilicia, beyond the mountains, and because he had heard that Tamos was sailing from Ionia to Cilicia with triremes of the Lacedaemonians and of Cyrus himself.s (22) So Cyrus then ascended the mountains, since no one opposed it, and he saw the tents where the Cilicians were on guard. From here he went down onto the plain, which was vast and beautiful, well watered, and full of all sorts of trees and vines. It brought forth a great deal of sesame, millet, panicum, wheat, and barley; and a high and protecting mountain range surrounded it on all sides, from sea to sea. (23) Going down across this plain, he marched four stages, twenty-five parasangs, to Tarsus, a large and prosperous city of Cilicia, where Syennesis, the king of the Cilicians, had his palace. Through the middle of the city flowed a river named the Cydnus, two plethra in width. (24) The inhabitants of this city, except those with shops, left with Syennesis for a fortified place in the mountains; those inhabiting the seacoast, in Soli and Issus, also remained. (25) Epyaxa, the wife of Syennesis, arrived in Tarsus five days before Cyrus.
During the crossing of the mountains to the plain, two companies of Menonâs army perished. Some said that they had been cut down by the Cilicians while taking some plunder; others said that they had perished while wandering about, having been left behind and not being able to find either the rest of the army or the roads. They were one hundred hoplites. (26) When the others arrived, angry over the loss of their fellow soldiers, they plundered Tarsus, both the city and the palace that was in it.
Now Cyrus, when he marched into the city, sent for Syennesis to come to him, but the latter said that he had never before put himself in the hands of anyone stronger than himself, nor was he then willing to come to Cyrusâuntil his wife persuaded him, and he received pledges.t (27) After this, when they were together with each other, Syennesis gave Cyrus a great deal of money for his army, while Cyrus gave him gifts which are believed to be honors from a king: a horse with a golden bridle, a golden necklace, bracelets, a golden dagger, a Persian robe; and Cyrus said that his land would no longer be plundered and that he could take back the captives that had been taken as plunder, if they anywhere chanced upon them.
Chapter 3
Here Cyrus and his army remained twenty days, for the soldiers said that they would go no farther, for they now suspected that they were going against the King. They said that they were not paid for this. At first clearchus tried to use force to get his own soldiers to go on, but they threw stones at both him and his pack animals, whenever they began to go forward. (2) Clearchus at this point narrowly escaped being stoned to death. Later, when he realized that he would not be able to use force, he summoned an assembly of his own troops. First he stood and wept for a long time, and when they saw him, they were filled with wonder and fell silent.
Then he spoke as follows: (3) âMen and soldiers, do not wonder that I am troubled b...