Transcript

021 - Bk 6 pt 2 · Anabasis

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Speaker 1: Book six, Part two of Xenophon's Anabasas. This is a
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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Speaker 1: Recording by B. G. Oxford. Anabasas by Xenophon, translated by H. G. Dakins,
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Speaker 1: Book six, Part two, number three. The Arcadians, disembarking under
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Speaker 1: cover of night at Kalpejaven, marched against the nearest villages
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Speaker 1: about thirty furlongs from the sea, and as soon as
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Speaker 1: it was light, each of the ten generals led his
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Speaker 1: company to attack one village, or, if the village were large,
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Speaker 1: a couple of companies advanced under their combined generals. They
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Speaker 1: further agreed upon a certain knoll where they were all
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Speaker 1: eventually to a symbol. So sudden was their attack that
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Speaker 1: they seized a number of captives and enclosed a multitude
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Speaker 1: of small cattle. But the Thracians who escaped began to
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Speaker 1: collect again. For being light armed troops, they had slipped
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Speaker 1: in large numbers through the hands of the heavy infantry,
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Speaker 1: and now that they were got together, they first attacked
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Speaker 1: the company of the Arcadian general Smkris, who had done
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Speaker 1: his work and was retiring to the appointed meeting place,
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Speaker 1: driving a long train of captives and cattle. For a
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Speaker 1: good while the Hellens maintained a running fight, but at
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Speaker 1: the passage of a gorge, the enemy routed them, slaying
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Speaker 1: Snekris himself and those with him to a man. The
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Speaker 1: fate of another company under command of Hegisander, another of
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Speaker 1: the ten, was nearly as bad. Only eight men escaped,
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Speaker 1: Hegisander being one of them. The remaining captains eventually met,
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Speaker 1: some with somewhat to show for their pains, others empty handed.
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Speaker 1: The Thracians, having achieved this success, kept up a continual
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Speaker 1: shouting and clatter of conversation to one another during the night,
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Speaker 1: but with day dawn they marshaled themselves right round the
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Speaker 1: knoll on which the Hellens were encamped, both cavalry in
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Speaker 1: large numbers and light armed troops, while every minute the
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Speaker 1: stream of newcomers grew greater. Then they commenced an attack
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Speaker 1: on the heavy infantry in all security, for the Hellens
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Speaker 1: had not a single bowman, javelin man, or mounted trooper
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Speaker 1: amongst them, While the enemy rushed forward on foot or
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Speaker 1: galloped up on horseback and let fly their javelins. It
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Speaker 1: was vain to attempt to retaliate, so lightly did they
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Speaker 1: spring back an escape. And ever the attack renewed itself
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Speaker 1: from every point, so that on one side, man after
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Speaker 1: man was wounded, and on the other not a soul
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Speaker 1: was touched, the result being that they could not stir
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Speaker 1: from their position, and the Thracians ended by cutting them
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Speaker 1: off even from their water. In their despair, they began
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Speaker 1: to parley about a truce, and finally various concessions were made,
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Speaker 1: and terms were agreed to between them, But the Thracians
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Speaker 1: would not hear of giving hostages in answer to the
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Speaker 1: demand of the Hellens. At that point the matter rested,
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Speaker 1: so fared it with the Arcadians as to Caisifus, that
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Speaker 1: general prosecuted his march along the sea board, and without
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Speaker 1: check reached Calpejaven. Xenophon advanced through the heart of the country,
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Speaker 1: and his cavalry, pushing on in front, came upon some
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Speaker 1: old men pursuing their roads, some whither who were brought
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Speaker 1: to him, and, in answer to his question whether they
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Speaker 1: had caught sight of another Hellenic army in a way
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Speaker 1: where told him all that had already taken place, adding
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Speaker 1: that at present they were being besieged upon a knoll,
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Speaker 1: with all the Thracians in close circle round them. Thereupon
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Speaker 1: he kept the old men under strict guard to serve
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Speaker 1: as guides in case of need. Next, having appointed outposts,
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Speaker 1: he called a meeting of the soldiers and addressed them, Soldiers,
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Speaker 1: some of the Arcadians are dead, and the rest are
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Speaker 1: being besieged upon a certain knoll. Now my own belief
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Speaker 1: is that if they are to perish with their deaths,
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Speaker 1: the seal is set to our own fate. Since we
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Speaker 1: must reckon with an enemy at once numerous and emboldened, clearly,
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Speaker 1: our best course is to hasten to their rescue, if
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Speaker 1: haply we may find them still alive and do battle
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Speaker 1: by their side, rather than suffer isolation confronting dangers single handed.
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Speaker 1: Let us then at once push forward as far as
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Speaker 1: may seem opportune, till supper time. And then in camp,
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Speaker 1: as long as we are marching, let Timasion with the
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Speaker 1: cavalry gallop on in front, but without losing sight of us,
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Speaker 1: and let him examine all closely in front, so that
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Speaker 1: nothing may escape our observation. At the same time, too.
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Speaker 1: He sent out some nimble fellows of the light armed
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Speaker 1: troops to the flanks and to the high tops, who
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Speaker 1: were to give a signal if they espied anything anywhere,
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Speaker 1: ordering them to burn everything inflammable which lay in their path.
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Speaker 1: As for ourselves, he continued, we need not look to
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Speaker 1: find cover in any direction, for it is a long
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Speaker 1: step back to Heraclea, and a long leap across to Chrysopolis,
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Speaker 1: and the enemy is at the door. The shortest road
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Speaker 1: is to Calpejaven, where we suppose Cayrisophus, if safe to be.
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Speaker 1: But then when we get there. At Calpehaven there are
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Speaker 1: no vessels for us to sail away in. And if
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Speaker 1: we stop here we have not provisions for a single day.
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Speaker 1: Suppose the beleaguered Arcadians left to their fate, we shall
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Speaker 1: find it but a sorry alternative to run the gauntlet
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Speaker 1: with Chyrisulphus detachment alone. Better to save them if we can,
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Speaker 1: and with united forces work out our deliverance in common.
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Speaker 1: But if so, we must set out with minds prepared,
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Speaker 1: since to day, either a glorious death awaits us or
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Speaker 1: the achievement of a deed of noblest imprise in the
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Speaker 1: rescue of so many helen lives. Maybe it is God
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Speaker 1: who leads us. Thus, God who chooses to humble the
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Speaker 1: proud boaster, boasting as though he were exceedingly wise. But
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Speaker 1: for us, the beginning of whose every act is by
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Speaker 1: Heaven's grace, the same God reserves a higher grade of honor,
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Speaker 1: one duty. I would recall to you to apply your
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Speaker 1: minds to the execution of the orders with promptitude. With
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Speaker 1: these words, he led the way, the cavalry, scattering as
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Speaker 1: far in advance as was prudent, wherever they set foot
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Speaker 1: set fire. The pell tasks, moving parallel on the high ground,
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Speaker 1: were similarly employed, burning everything combustible they could discover, while
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Speaker 1: the main army, wherever they came upon anything which had
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Speaker 1: accidentally escaped, completed the work, so that the whole country
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Speaker 1: looked as if it were a blaze, and the army
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Speaker 1: might easily pass for a larger one. When the hour
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Speaker 1: had come, they turned aside to a knoll and took
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Speaker 1: up quarters, and there they espied the enemy's watch fires.
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Speaker 1: He was about forty furlongs distant. On their side. Also,
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Speaker 1: they kindled as many watch fires as possible, But as
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Speaker 1: soon as they had dined the order was passed to
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Speaker 1: quench all the fires. So during the night they posted
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Speaker 1: guards and slept, But at daybreak they offered prayers to
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Speaker 1: the gods, and, drawing up in order of battle, began
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Speaker 1: marching with what speed they might temasion. And the cavalry,
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Speaker 1: who had the guides with them and were moving on
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Speaker 1: briskly in front, found themselves, without knowing it, at the
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Speaker 1: very knoll upon which the Hellens had been beleaguered. But
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Speaker 1: no army could they discover, whether friend or foe, only
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Speaker 1: some starveling old women and men, with a few sheep
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Speaker 1: and oxen, which had been left behind. This news there
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Speaker 1: reported to Xenophon and the main body. At first the
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Speaker 1: marvel was what had happened, But ere long they found
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Speaker 1: out by inquiries from the folk who had been left behind,
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Speaker 1: that the Thracians had set off immediately after sundown and
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Speaker 1: were gone. The Helens had waited till morning before they
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Speaker 1: made off, but in what direction they could not say.
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Speaker 1: On hearing this, Xenophon's troops first breakfasted, and then getting
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Speaker 1: their kit together, began their march, desiring to unite with
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Speaker 1: the rest at calpe Hoven without loss of time. As
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Speaker 1: they continued their march, they came across the track of
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Speaker 1: the Arcadians and the Achaeans along the road to Kalpe,
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Speaker 1: and both the visions, arriving eventually at the same place,
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Speaker 1: were overjoyed to see one another again, and they embraced
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Speaker 1: each other like brothers. Then the Arcadians inquired of Xenophon's
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Speaker 1: officers why they had quenched the watch fires. At first,
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Speaker 1: said they, when we lost sight of your watch fires,
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Speaker 1: we expected you to attack the enemy in the night,
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Speaker 1: and the enemy, so at least, we imagined, must have
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Speaker 1: been afraid of that, and so set off the time
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Speaker 1: at any rate at which they set off would correspond.
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Speaker 1: But when the requisite time had elapsed and you did
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Speaker 1: not come, we concluded that you must have learnt what
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Speaker 1: was happening to us, and in terror, had made a
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Speaker 1: bolt for it to the sea board. We resolved not
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Speaker 1: to be left behind by you, and that is how
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Speaker 1: we also came to march hither number four. During this
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Speaker 1: day they contented themselves with biff whacking there on the
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Speaker 1: beach at the harbor. The place which goes by the
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Speaker 1: name of kalpejaven is in Asiatic Thrace, the name given
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Speaker 1: to a region extending from the mouth of the Eusine
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Speaker 1: all the way to Heraclea, which lies on the right hand.
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Speaker 1: As you sail into the Eusine. It is a long
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Speaker 1: day's voyage for a warship using her three banks of oars,
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Speaker 1: from Byzantium to Heraclea, and between these two there is
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Speaker 1: not a single Hellenic or friendly city, but only these
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Speaker 1: Bithian Thracians, who have a bad reputation for the savagery
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Speaker 1: with which they treat any Hellens cast ashore by shipwreck
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Speaker 1: or otherwise thrown into their power. Now, the haven of
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Speaker 1: Calpe lies exactly midway having the voyage between Byzantium and Heraclia.
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Speaker 1: It is a long promontory running out into the sea,
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Speaker 1: the seaward portion being a rocky precipice at no point
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Speaker 1: less than twenty fathoms high. But on the landward side
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Speaker 1: there is a neck about four hundred feet wide, and
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Speaker 1: the space inside the neck is capable of accommodating ten
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Speaker 1: thousand inhabitants. And there is a haven immediately under the
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Speaker 1: crag with a beach facing the west. Then there is
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Speaker 1: a copious spring of fresh water flowing on the very
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Speaker 1: march of the sea, commanded by the stronghold. Again, there
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Speaker 1: is plenty of wood of various sorts, but most plentiful
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Speaker 1: of all fine shipbuilding timber. Down to the very edge
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Speaker 1: of the sea, the upland stretches into the heart of
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Speaker 1: the country. For twenty furlongs at least. It is good
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Speaker 1: loamy soil free from stones. For a still greater distance,
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Speaker 1: the sea board is thickly grown with large timber trees
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Speaker 1: of every description. The surrounding country is beautiful and spacious,
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Speaker 1: containing numerous well populated villages. The soil produces barley and wheat,
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Speaker 1: and pulse of all sorts, millet and sesame figs in
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Speaker 1: ample supply, with numerous vines producing sweet wines, and indeed
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Speaker 1: everything else except olives. Such as the character of the country,
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Speaker 1: the tents were pitched on the seaward facing beach, the
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Speaker 1: soldiers being altogether averse to camping on ground which might
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Speaker 1: so easily be converted into a city. Indeed, their arrival
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Speaker 1: at that place at all seemed very like the crafty
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Speaker 1: design of some persons who were minded to form a city.
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Speaker 1: The aversion was not unnatural, since the majority of the
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Speaker 1: soldiers had not left their homes on so long a
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Speaker 1: voyage from scantiness or subsistence, but attracted by the fame
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Speaker 1: of cyrus virtues, some of them bringing followers, while others
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Speaker 1: had expended money on the expedition, And amongst them was
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Speaker 1: a third set who had run away from fathers and mothers,
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Speaker 1: while a different class had left children behind, hoping to
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Speaker 1: return to them with money or other gains. Other people
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Speaker 1: with Cyrus won great success. They were told, why should
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Speaker 1: it not be so? With them being persons? Then, of
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Speaker 1: this description, the one longing of their hearts was to
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Speaker 1: reach hellas safely. It was on the day after their
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Speaker 1: meeting that Xenophon sacrificed as a preliminary to a military expedition,
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Speaker 1: for it was needful to march out in search of provisions,
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Speaker 1: besides which he designed burying the dead. As soon as
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Speaker 1: the victims proved favorable, they all set out, the Arcadians
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Speaker 1: following with the rest. The majority of the dead, who
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Speaker 1: had lain already five days, they buried just where they
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Speaker 1: had fallen in groups. To remove their bodies now would
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Speaker 1: have been impossible. Some few, who lay off the roads,
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Speaker 1: they got together and buried with what splendor they could,
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Speaker 1: considering the means and their power others they could not find,
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Speaker 1: and for these they erected a great cenotaph and covered
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Speaker 1: it with wreaths. When it was all done, they returned
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Speaker 1: home to camp, and that time they supped and went
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Speaker 1: to rest. Next day there was a general meeting of
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Speaker 1: the soldiers, collected chiefly by Agassius the Stimiphalion, a captain,
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Speaker 1: an Hieronymus, an Elian, also a captain, and other seniors
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Speaker 1: of the Arcadians, and they passed a resolution that for
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Speaker 1: the future, whoever revived the idea of breaking up the
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Speaker 1: army should be punished by death, and the army, it
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Speaker 1: was decided, would now resume its old position under the
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Speaker 1: command of its former generals, though Chirisophus indeed had already
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Speaker 1: died under medical treatment for fever, and Naon the Asenian
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Speaker 1: had taken his place. After these resolutions, Xenophon got up
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Speaker 1: and said, soldiers, the journey must, now, I presume, be
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Speaker 1: conducted on foot. Indeed, this is clear, since we have
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Speaker 1: no vessels, and we are driven to commence it at once,
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Speaker 1: for we have no provisions. If we stop, we then,
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Speaker 1: he continued, will sacrifice, and you must prepare yourselves to
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Speaker 1: fight now if ever, for the spirit of the enemy
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Speaker 1: has revived. Thereupon, the general sacrificed in the presence of
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Speaker 1: the Arcadian seer Arexion for Silanus, the Ambraciot had chartered
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Speaker 1: a vessel at Heraclia and made his escape ere This sacrificing,
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Speaker 1: with a view to departure the victims proved unfavorable to them. Accordingly,
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Speaker 1: they waited that day. Certain people were bold enough to
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Speaker 1: say that Xenophon, out of his desire to colonize the place,
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Speaker 1: had persuaded the seer to say that the victims were
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Speaker 1: unfavorable to departure. Consequently, he proclaimed by Harold next morning
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Speaker 1: that any one who liked should be present at the sacrifice,
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Speaker 1: or if he were a seer, he was bidden to
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Speaker 1: be present, and helped to inspect the victims. Then he sacrificed,
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Speaker 1: and there were numbers present. But though the sacrifice on
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Speaker 1: the question of departure was repeated as many as three times,
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Speaker 1: the victims were persistently unfavorable thereat. The soldiers were in
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Speaker 1: high dudgeon, for the provisions they had brought with them
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Speaker 1: had reached the lowest ebb and there was no market
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Speaker 1: to be had. Consequently, there was another meeting and Xenophon
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Speaker 1: spoke again. Men, He said, the victims are, as you
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Speaker 1: may see for yourselves, not yet favorable to the march.
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Speaker 1: But meanwhile I can see for myself that you are
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Speaker 1: in need of provisions. Accordingly we must narrow the sacrifice
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Speaker 1: to the particular point. Someone got up and said, naturally enough,
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Speaker 1: the victims are unfavorable, for, as I learnt from some
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Speaker 1: one on a vessel which arrived here yesterday by accident, Cleander,
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Speaker 1: the governor at Byzantium, intends coming here with ships and
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Speaker 1: men of war. Thereat they were all in favor of stopping,
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Speaker 1: but they must needs go out for provisions. And with
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Speaker 1: this object he again sacrificed three times, and the victims
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Speaker 1: remained adverse. Things had now reached such a pass that
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Speaker 1: the men actually came to Xenophon's tent to proclaim that
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Speaker 1: they had no provisions. His sole answer was that he
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Speaker 1: would not lead them out till the victims were favorable.
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Speaker 1: So again the next day he sacrificed, and nearly the
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Speaker 1: whole army so strong was the general anxiety flocked round
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Speaker 1: the victims, and now the very victims themselves failed. So
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Speaker 1: the generals, instead of leading out the army called the
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Speaker 1: men together. Xenophon, as was incumbent on him, spoke, it
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Speaker 1: is quite possible that the enemy are collected in a body,
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Speaker 1: and we shall have to fight. If we were to
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Speaker 1: leave our baggage in the strong place, pointing overhead and
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Speaker 1: sally forth prepared for battle, the victims might favor us.
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Speaker 1: But the soldiers, on hearing this propoosel cried out, no
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Speaker 1: need to take us inside that place. Better sacrifice with
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Speaker 1: all speed now sheep there were none any longer. So
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Speaker 1: they purchased oxen from under a wagon and sacrificed, and
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Speaker 1: Xenophon begged cleanor the Arcadian, to superintend the sacrifice on
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Speaker 1: his behalf, in case there might be some change now.
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Speaker 1: But even so there was no improvement. Now Naon was
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Speaker 1: general in place of Chirisophus, and seeing the men suffering
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Speaker 1: so cruelly from want, he was willing to do them
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Speaker 1: a good turn. So he got hold of some heracleot
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Speaker 1: or other who said he knew of villages close by
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Speaker 1: from which they could get provisions, and proclaimed by Harold,
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Speaker 1: if any one liked to come out and get provisions,
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Speaker 1: be it known that he Naon would be their leader.
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Speaker 1: So out came the men with spears and wine, skins
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Speaker 1: and sacks, and other vessels, to thousand strong in all.
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Speaker 1: But when they had reached the villages and began to
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Speaker 1: scatter for the purpose of foraging for Nabaza's cavalry were
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Speaker 1: the first to fall upon them. They had come to
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Speaker 1: the aid of the Bythians, wishing, if possible, in conjunction
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Speaker 1: with the latter, to hinder the Hellens from entering Phrygia.
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Speaker 1: These troopers killed no less than five hundred men. The
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Speaker 1: rest fled for the lives up into the hill country.
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Speaker 1: News of the catastrophe was presently brought into camp by
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Speaker 1: one of those who had escaped, and Xenophon, seeing that
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Speaker 1: the victims had not been favorable on that day, took
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Speaker 1: a wagon bullock in the absence of other sacrificial beasts,
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Speaker 1: offered it up and started for the rescue. He and
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Speaker 1: the rest under thirty years of age to the last man.
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Speaker 1: Thus they picked up the remnant of Naon's party and
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Speaker 1: returned to camp. It was now about sunset, and the Helens,
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Speaker 1: in deep despondency, were making their evening meal, when all
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Speaker 1: of a sudden, through bush and brake a party of
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Speaker 1: Bithians fell upon the pickets, cutting down some and chasing
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Speaker 1: the rest into camp. In the midst of screams and shouts.
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Speaker 1: The Helens ran to their arms, one and all, yet
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Speaker 1: to pursue or move. The camp in the night seemed
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Speaker 1: hardly safe, for the ground was thickly grown with bush.
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Speaker 1: All they could do was strengthen the outposts and keep
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Speaker 1: watch under arms. The Livelong Night, End of Book six,
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Speaker 1: Part two recording by B. G. Oxford