VI.]

ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BITHYNIANS.

219

he took to cure it, Neon the Asinaan was appointed to succeed him. Xenophon the Athenian makes no comment on the dissolution of his Lacedæmonian rival; but he appears now to have had in reality, if not nominally, the chief command. His superstition placed however at the outset insurmountable obstacles in the the way of rapid and effective movements. Provisions were beginning to fail, yet for three days they did not move, because the sacrifices were not favorable to their departure. This caused a murmur among the troops, who thought that Xenophon wished to detain them there and build a city, and from his careful and admiring description of Calpe this is not improbable. The next day it was announced that Cleander the Lacedæmonian, governor of Byzantium, was coming with transports and galleys, and the victims continuing unfavorable, they determined to wait for him.

Sacrifices were next made to see if they might make excursions in search of provisions, but they also proved unfavorable, till Xenophon was reduced to taking the oxen out of the carts for sacrifices. But Neon, who had succeeded Cheirisophus, wearied at these proceedings, tempted the troops to make a partial incursion, the consequence of which was that they were attacked by some horsemen belonging to Pharnabazus, satrap of Bithynia, who killed five hundred of the Greeks. Xenophon went out to their relief, and brought in the remainder, but the same night the advanced guard was surprised, and many Greeks were slain.

The next day the Greeks retired to the promontory, where they fortified themselves by digging a trench across the neck of land, and erecting a palisade, to which they left three gates. At the same time a ship arrived from Heraclea, laden with cattle, barley-meal, and wine. After this the sacrifices proving favorable, Xenophon led out the greater part of the army, when they buried the slain, and marched on till they met the enemy, who were posted on the opposite side of a narrow and deep ravine six miles

220

TUMULT OF DEXIPPUS.

[Βουκ

from the promontory; this however, after some demurring, they passed, and a sharp engagement took place, in which at first the targeteers were worsted, but the heavy-armed men coming up, the enemy were at length overthrown, and retreated to a ravine, where night prevented the Greeks pursuing them.

After this the Greeks enjoyed peace, and Xenophon went on with his favorite project of founding a colony. Provisions were plentiful, and the camp abounded in all things. People who sailed along the coast being informed that a city was going to be built with a haven, willingly put in there, and those of the enemy who lived in the neighbourhood sent to Xenophon, hearing he had the conduct of the intended settlement, to know what they should do to deserve his friendship.

But in the mean time, Cleander the governor of Byzantium arrived with two galleys, but no transports. It happened, that when he came the army was gone out to get provisions, and a party of stragglers, going up the mountain in search of plunder, took a great number of sheep; but being afraid they would be taken from them, they informed Dexippus (the same who ran away with the fifty-oar galley from Trebizond), and desired him to secure the sheep.

Immediately Dexippus drove away the soldiers who stood round them, and told them the sheep belonged to the public; he then went to Cleander, and informed him that they had endeavoured to take them away by force. Cleander ordered him to bring the man before him. Upon this Dexippus seized one of the men, and was carrying him away, when Agasias, meeting him, rescued the man; for he belonged to his company; and the rest of the soldiers who were present threw stones at Dexippus, calling him traitor. This put not only him, but many of the men also, who belonged to the galleys, in fear, and made them fly to the sea; and Cleander himself was amongst those who fled. Hereupon Xenophon, and the

VI.]

AGASIAS VINDICATES HIMSELF.

221

rest of the generals, endeavoured to suppress the tumult, and told Cleander that there was no danger, and that all this was occasioned by the standing orders of the army. But Cleander being inflamed by Dexippus, and himself nettled at having shewn so much fear, said he would sail away, and cause them to be proclaimed enemies, and that as such none of the Greek cities should receive them, for the Lacedæmonians were at that time the masters of all Greece.

The Greeks looked upon this as an affair of bad consequence, and begged of him not to do it; but he said it could not be otherwise, unless they delivered up the man who began throwing stones, together with the person who rescued him. This was Agasias, the constant friend of Xenophon. In this perplexity the army was called together, and Xenophon addressed them, recommending that the guilty should be given up to trial. Agasias then nobly offered himself up, and went to Cleander accompanied by Xenophon and the other generals, who offered submission to his judgment.

Agasias took this opportunity of explaining the circumstance, and of impugning the character of Dexippus, whom he proclaimed to be a traitor, both to the Greeks and to the inhabitants of Trebizond, and Know then,' he finished by saying, 'that if you put me to death, you will destroy a brave man, for the sake of a coward and a villain.'

Cleander hearing this was much struck, and could not approve of Dexippus' conduct, but he still required that Agasias should be left with him, and the soldier having also made his defence, was also ordered to stay. But after dinner, the generals having interfered again for the prisoners, they were liberated, and Cleander and Xenophon contracted an intercourse of hospitality; Cleander promising to conduct them to Greece, but after making sacrifices for three days, the victims not being favorable, he told them to go on by land to Byzantium, where they should be well received.

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CHRYSOPOLIS 'THE GOLDEN CITY. [Book VI.]

Upon this the soldiers made him a present of the sheep, which he accepted only to give them to the army again, after which he sailed away. The soldiers having sold the corn they had brought with them, and the rest of the booty they had taken, they marched on through Bithynia, and meeting nothing in the direct road to carry with them into the territories of their friends, they resolved to march back one day and a night: and having done so, they took great numbers both of slaves and cattle; and after six days' march arrived at Chrysopolis, a town of Chalcedony, and there they staid seven days, to sell their booty.

Chrysopolis, 'the Golden city,' was so called, according to Denis of Byzantium, because the Persians assembled there the tribute of the towns that were subject to them. Others relate that it derived its name from Chryses son of Agamemnon, and of Chryseis, who was buried there. From its position with regard to Byzantium and Constantinople, of which it may be considered as the Asiatic suburb, it has always been a place of importance, and as the modern 'Uskúdár or Scutari, with a population of from thirty to thirty-five thousand souls, it has been truly remarked, that it would be considered a large town but for the presence of Constantinople on the other side.

END OF BOOK SIXTH.

BOOK SEVENTH.

Inhospitable Reception of the Greeks by Anaxibius, Lacedæmonian Admiral, and Cleander, Lacedæmonian Governor of Byzantium. Tumult in Byzantium. Cyratades the Theban. Encamp in Thracian Villages. Xenophon sails away with Anaxibius. Anaxibius and Cleander superseded. Xenophon returns to the Greeks. Aristarchus opposes their Departure. Greeks enter the service of Seuthes. The Delta of the Thracians. Capture of Salmydessus. Envoys from Thimbron. Greeks cross the Propontis. Xenophon's Poverty. His expensive Sacrifices. March of the Greeks through Troas. Mount Ida. Antandrus. Plain of Thebes. Xenophon's Successes. Arrival of Thimbron. The Greeks join him in a War against Tissaphernes. Extent of Marches.