Artax. tion, carry the war from far against his brother and Mnemon. sovereign, and go to attack him almost in his own palace, with the view of depriving him at once of his crown and life. We see him, I say, fall dead in the battle at the feet of that brother, and terminate by so unhappy a fate, an enterprize equally glaring and criminal. On the other hand, the Greeks who fol low him*, destitute of all succour, after the loss of their chiefs, without allics, provisions, money, horse, or archers, reduced to less than ten thousand men, 'with no resource but in their own persons and valour, supported only by the warm desire of preserving their liberty, and of returning to their native countries; these Greeks, with bold and intrepid resolution, make their retreat before a victorious army of a million of men, traverse five or six hundred leagues, notwithstanding vast rivers and innumerable passes, and arrive at last in their own country through a thousand fierce and barbarous nations, victorious over all obstacles in their way, and over all the dangers which either conccaled fraud or open force reduce them to undergo. This retreat, in the opinion of the best judges and most experienced in the art of war, is the boldest and best conducted exploit to be found in ancient history, and is deemed a perfect model in its kind. Happily for us it is described to the most minute circumstance by an historian, who was not only eye-witness of the facts he relates, but the first mover, the soul of this great enterprize. I shall only abridge it and abstract its most material circumstances; but I cannot omit advising young persons, who make arms their profession, to consult the original, of which there is a good translation extant in French, though far short of the admirable beauties of the text. It is very dif Post mortem Curi, neque armis à tanto exercitu vinci, neque dola capi potuerunt; revertentesque inter tot indomitas nationes et barbaras gentes per tanta itineris spatia, virtule se usque terminos patriæ defenJustin. 1. v. c. 11. runt. ficult to meet with a more able master than Xeno- Artax. Mnemon. phon in the art of war, to whom may be well applied here what Homer says of Phoenix the governor of Achilles," That he was equally capable of forming his pupil for eloquence or arms. Μύθων τε ρητῆρ ̓ ἔμεναι, πρηκτηρά τε ἔργων.. SECT. I. Cyrus raises troops secretly against his brother Artaxerxes. Thirteen thousand Greeks join him. He sets out for Sardis, and arrives in Babylonia after a march of six months. X WE have already said, that young Cyrus, son of A. M. Darius Nothus and Parysatis, saw with pain his elder brother Artaxerxes upon the throne, and that at the very time the latter was taking possession of it, he had attempted to deprive him of his crown and life 'together. Artaxerxes was not insensible of what he had to fear from a brother of his enterprizing and ambitious spirit, but could not refuse pardoning him to the prayers and tears of his mother Parysatis, who doated upon this youngest son. He removed him therefore into Asia to his government; confiding to him, contrary to all the rules of policy, an absolute authority over the provinces left him by the will of the king his father. 3600. Ant. J.C. 404. 403. As soon as he arrived there, his thoughts were A. M. solely intent upon revenging the supposed affront he 3601. had received from his brother, and to dethrone him. Ant J.C. He received all that came from the court with great favour and affability, to induce them insensibly to quit the king's party and adhere to him. He gained also the hearts of the Barbarians under his government; familiarizing himself with them, and mingling with the common soidiery, though without forgetting the dignity of their general; these he formed by various exercises for the trade of war. He ap "Iliad. x. ver. 413. * Diod. 1. xiv. p. 243-249, & 252. Justin. 1. v. c. 11. Xenoph. de Cyri Exped. 1. i. p. 213–248. Artax. A. M. 3602. 402. plied particularly in secret to raise from several parts, Mnemon. and upon different pretexts, a body of Grecian troops, upon whom he relied much more than upon those of the Barbarians. Clearchus retired to his court after having been banished from Sparta, and was of great service to him, being an able, experienced, and valiant captain. captain. At the same time several cities in the provinces of Tissaphernes revolted from their Ant. J.C. obedience in favour of Cyrus. This incident, which was not an effect of chance, but of the secret practices of that prince, gave birth to a war between them. Cyrus, under the pretence of arming against Tissaphernes, assembled troops openly; and to amuse the court the more speciously, sent grievous complaints to the king against that governor, demanding his protection and aid in the most submissive manner. Artaxerxes was deceived by these appearances, and believed, that all Cyrus's preparations regarded only Tissaphernes, and continued quiet, from the assurance of having nothing to apprehend for himself. a Cyrus knew well how to improve the imprudent security and indolence of his brother, which some people conceived the effect of his goodness and humanity. And indeed in the beginning of his reign he seemed to imitate the virtues of the first Artaxerxes, whose name he bore. For he demeaned himself with great mildness and affability to such as approached him; he honoured and rewarded magnificently all those whose services had merited favour; when he passed sentence to punish, it was without either outrage or insult; and when he made presents, it was with a gracious air, and such obliging circumstances, as infinitely exalted their value, and implied, that he was never better pleased than when he had an opportunity of doing good to his subjects. To all these excellent qualities it had been very neces sary for him to have added one no less royal, and a Plut. in Artax. p. 1013. which would have put him upon his guard against Artax. the enterprizes of a brother, whose character he Mnemon. ought to have known; I mean a wise foresight, that penetrates the future, and renders a prince attentive to prevent or frustrate whatever may disturb the tranquillity of the state. The emissaries of Cyrus at the court were perpetually dispersing reports and opinions amongst the people, to prepare their minds for the intended change and revolt. They talked that the state required a king of Cyrus's character; a king, magnificent, liberal, who loved war, and showered his favours upon those that served him; and that it was necessary for the grandeur of the empire to have a prince upon the throne, fired with ambition and valour for the support and augmentation of its glory. 3603. Ant. J. C. 401. The young prince lost no time on his side, and A. M. hastened the execution of his great design. He was then twenty-three years old at most. After the important services he had done the Lacedæmonians, without which they had never obtained the victories that had made them masters of Greece, he thought he might safely open himself to them. He therefore imparted to them the present situation of his affairs, and the end he had in view; convinced that such a confidence could not but incline them the more in his favour. In the letter he wrote them, he spoke of himself in very magnificent terms. He told them he had a greater and more royal heart than his brother; that he was better versed in philosophy and the * knowledge of the Magi, and that he could drink more wine without being disordered in his senses, a very meritorious quality amongst the Barbarians, but not so proper to recommend him to the opinion of those he wrote to. The Lacedæmonians sent orders to By the knowledge of the Magi, amongst the Persians, was meant the science of religion and government. Artax. their fleet to join that of the prince immediately, and to obey the commands of Tamos his admiral in all things, but without the least mention of Artaxerxes, or seeming in any manner privy to his design. They thought that precaution * necessary for their justification with Artaxerxes, in case affairs should happen to terminate in his favour. The troops of Cyrus, according to the review afterwards made, consisted of thirteen thousand Greeks, which were the flower and chief force of his army, and of an hundred thousand regular men of the barbarous nations. Clearchus, the Lacedæmonian, commanded all the Peloponnesian troops, except the Achæans, who had Socrates of Achaia for their leader. The Boeotians were under Proxenes the Theban, and the Thessalians under Menon. The Barbarians had Persian generals, of whom the chief was Ariæus. The fleet consisted of thirty-five ships under Pythagoras the Lacedæmonian, and twenty-five commanded by Tamos the Ægyptian, admiral of the whole fleet. It followed the land-army, coasting along near the shore. Cyrus had opened his design only to Clearchus of all the Grecks, foresceing aright that the length and boldness of the enterprize could not fail of discouraging and disgusting the officers, as well as soldiers. He made it his sole application to gain their affections during the march, by treating them with kindness and humanity, conversing freely with them, and giving effectual orders that they should want for nothing. Proxenes, between whose family and Xenophon's an ancient friendship subsisted, presented that young Athenian to Cyrus, who received him very favourably, and gave him an employment in his army amongst the Greeks. He set out for Sardis at length, and marched towards the upper provinces of C d Xenoph. Cyri Exped. 1. i. p. 252. Xenoph. 1. ii. p. 294. * Quærentes apud Cyrum gratiam; et apud Artaxerxem, si vicisset, renia patrocinia, cum nihil adversus cum aperte decrecissent. Justin. 1. v. c. 11. |