e　are　to　go　to　war；　we　shall　fight　better　with　them　than　without。〃　And　Phalinus　said：　〃That　answer　we　will　repeat；　but　the　king　bade　me　tell　you　this　besides；　'Whilst　you　remain　here　there　is　truce；　but　one　step　forward　or　one　step　back；　the　truce　ends；　there　is　war。'　Will　you　then　please　inform　us　as　to　that　point　also？　Are　you　minded　to　stop　and　keep　truce；　or　is　there　to　be　war？　What　answer　shall　I　take　from　you？〃　And　Clearchus　replied：　〃Pray　answer　that　we　hold　precisely　the　same　views　on　this　point　as　the　king。〃〃How　say　you　the　same　views？〃　asked　Phalinus。　Clearchus　made　answer：　〃As　long　as　we　stay　here　there　is　truce；　but　a　step　forward　or　a　step　backward；　the　truce　ends；　there　is　war。〃　The　other　again　asked：　〃Peace　or　war；　what　answer　shall　I　make？〃　Clearchus　returned　answer　once　again　in　the　same　words：　〃Truce　if　we　stop；　but　if　we　move　forwards　or　backwards　war。〃　But　what　he　was　minded　really　to　do；　that　he　refused　to　make　further　manifest。
  II
  Phalinus　and　those　that　were　with　him　turned　and　went。　But　the　　　　　　　　　　1　messengers　from　Ariaeus；　Procles　and　Cheirisophus　came　back。　As　to　Menon；　he　stayed　behind　with　Ariaeus；　They　brought　back　this　answer　from　Ariaeus：　〃'There　are　many　Persians；'　he　says；　'better　than　himself　who　will　not　suffer　him　to　sit　upon　the　king's　throne；　but　if　you　are　minded　to　go　back　with　him；　you　must　join　him　this　very　night；　otherwise　he　will　set　off　himself　to…morrow　on　the　homeward　route。'〃　And　Clearchus　said：　〃It　had　best　stand　thus　between　us　then。　If　we　come；　well　and　good；　be　it　as　you　propose；　but　if　we　do　not　come；　do　whatsoever　you　think　most　conducive　to　your　interests。〃　And　so　he　kept　these　also　in　the　dark　as　to　his　real　intention。
  After　this；　when　the　sun　was　already　sinking；　he　summoned　the　generals　and　officers；　and　made　the　following　statement：　〃Sirs；　I　sacrificed　and　found　the　victims　unfavourable　to　an　advance　against　the　king。　After　all；　it　is　not　so　surprising　perhaps；　for；　as　I　now　learn；　between　us　and　the　king　flows　the　river　Tigris；　navigable　for　big　　　　　　　3　vessels；　and　we　could　not　possibly　cross　it　without　boats；　and　boats　we　have　none。　On　the　other　hand；　to　stop　here　is　out　of　the　question；　for　there　is　no　possibility　of　getting　provisions。　However；　the　victims　were　quite　agreeable　to　us　joining　the　friends　of　Cyrus。　This　is　what　we　must　do　then。　Let　each　go　away　and　sup　on　whatever　he　has。　At　the　first　sound　of　the　bugle　to　turn　in；　get　kit　and　baggage　together；　at　the　second　signal；　place　them　on　the　baggage　animals；　and　at　the　third；　fall　in　and　follow　the　lead；　with　the　baggage　animals　on　the　inside　protected　by　the　river；　and　the　troops　outside。〃　After　hearing　the　orders；　the　generals　and　officers　retired；　and　did　as　they　were　bid；　and　for　the　future　Clearchus　led；　and　the　rest　followed　in　obedience　to　his　orders；　not　that　they　had　expressly　chosen　him；　but　they　saw　that　he　alone　had　the　sense　and　wisdom　requisite　in　a　general；　while　the　rest　were　inexperienced＇1＇。
  ＇1＇　The　MSS。　add　the　words；　〃The　total　distance　of　the　route；　taking　　　　　Ephesus　in　Ionia　as　the　starting　point　up　to　the　field　of　battle；　　　　　consisted　of　93　stages；　535　parasangs；　or　16；050　furlongs；　from　　　　　the　battle…field　to　Babylon　（reckoned　a　three　days'　journey）　would　　　　　have　been　another　360　stades；〃　which　may　well　be　an　editor's　or　　　　　commentator's　marginal　note。
  Here；　under　cover　of　the　darkness　which　descended；　the　Thracian　Miltocythes；　with　forty　horsemen　and　three　hundred　Thracian　infantry；　deserted　to　the　king；　but　the　rest　of　the　troopsClearchus　leading　and　the　rest　following　in　accordance　with　the　orders　promulgatedtook　their　departure；　and　about　midnight　reached　their　first　stage；　having　come　up　with　Ariaeus　and　his　army。　They　grounded　arms　just　as　they　stood　in　rank；　and　the　generals　and　officers　of　the　Hellenes　met　in　the　tent　of　Ariaeus。　There　they　exchanged　oathsthe　Hellenes　on　the　one　side　and　Ariaeus　with　his　principal　officers　on　the　othernot　to　betray　one　another；　but　to　be　true　to　each　other　as　allies。　The　Asiatics　further　solemnly　pledged　themselves　by　oath　to　lead　the　way　without　treachery。　The　oaths　were　ratified　by　the　sacrifice　of　a　bull；　a　wolf＇2＇；　a　boar；　and　a　ram　over　a　shield。　The　Hellenes　dipped　a　sword；　the　barbarians　a　lance；　into　the　blood　of　the　victims。
  ＇2＇　It　is　a　question　whether　the　words　〃a　wolf〃　ought　not　to　be　　　　　omitted。
  As　soon　as　the　pledge　was　taken；　Clearchus　spoke：　〃And　now；　Ariaeus；〃　he　said；　〃since　you　and　we　have　one　expedition　in　prospect；　will　you　　　　10　tell　us　what　you　think　about　the　route；　shall　we　return　the　way　we　came；　or　have　you　devised　a　better？〃　He　answered：　〃To　return　the　same　way　is　to　perish　to　a　man　by　hunger；　for　at　this　moment　we　have　no　provisions　whatsoever。　During　the　seventeen　last　stages；　even　on　our　way　hither；　we　could　extract　nothing　from　the　country；　or；　if　there　was　now　and　again　anything；　we　passed　over　and　utterly　consumed　it。　At　this　time　our　project　is　to　take　another　and　a　longer　journey　certainly；　but　we　shall　not　be　in　straits　for　provisions。　The　earliest　stages　must　be　very　long；　as　long　as　we　can　make　them；　the　object　is　to　put　as　large　a　space　as　possible　between　us　and　the　royal　army；　once　we　are　two　or　three　days'　journey　off；　the　danger　is　over。　The　king　will　never　overtake　us。　With　a　small　army　he　will　not　dare　to　dog　our　heels；　and　with　a　vast　equipment　he　will　lack　the　power　to　march　quickly。　Perhaps　he；　too；　may　even　find　a　scarcity　of　provisions。　There；〃　said　he；　〃you　asked　for　my　opinion；　see；　I　have　given　it。〃
  Here　was　a　plan　of　the　campaign；　which　was　equivalent　to　a　stampede：　helter…skelter　they　were　to　run　away；　or　get　into　hiding　somehow；　but　fortune　proved　a　better　general。　For　as　soon　as　it　was　day　they　recommenced　the　journey；　keeping　the　sun　on　their　right；　and　calculating　that　with　the　westering　rays　they　would　have　reached　villages　in　the　territory　of　Babylonia；　and　in　this　hope　they　were　not　deceived。　While　it　was　yet　afternoon；　they　thought　they　caught　sight　of　some　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　and　those　of　the　Hellenes　who　were　not　in　rank　ran　to　their　ranks；　and　Ariaeus；　who　was　riding　in　a　wagon　to　nurse　a　wound；　got　down　and　donned　his　cuirass；　the　rest　of　his　party　following　his　example。　Whilst　they　were　arming　themselves；　the　scouts；　who　had　been　sent　forward；　came　back　with　the　information　that　they　were　not　cavalry　but　baggage　animals　grazing。　It　was　at　once　clear　to　all　that　they　must　be　somewhere　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　king's　encampment。　Smoke　could　actually　be　seen　rising；　evidently　from　villages　not　far　ahead。　Clearchus　hesitated　to　advance　upon　the　enemy；　knowing　that　the　troops　were　tired　and　hungry；　and　indeed　it　was　already　late。　On　the　other　hand　he　had　no　mind　either　to　swerve　from　his　routeguarding　against　any　appearance　of　flight。　Accordingly　he　　　　16　marched　straight　as　an　arrow；　and　with　sunset　entered　the　nearest　villages　with　his　vanguard　and　took　up　quarters。
  These　villages　had　been　thoroughly　sacked　and　dismantled　by　the　royal　armydown　to　the　very　woodwork　and　furniture　of　the　houses。　Still；　the　vanguard　contrived　to　take　up　their　quarters　in　some　sort　of　fashion；　but　the　rear　division；　coming　up　in　the　dark；　had　to　bivouac　as　best　they　could；　one　detachment　after　another；　and　a　great　noise　they　made；　with　hue　and　cry　to　one　another；　so　that　the　enemy　could　hear　them；　and　those　in　their　immediate　proximity　actually　took　to　their　heels；　left　their　quarters；　and　decamped；　as　was　plain　enough　next　morning；　when　not　a　beast　was　to　be　seen；　nor　sign　of　camp　or　wreath　of　smoke　anywhere　in　the　neighbourhood。　The　king；　as　it　would　appear；　was　himself　quite　taken　aback　by　the　advent　of　the　army；　as　he　fully　showed　by　his　proceedings　next　day。
  During　the　progress　of　this　night　the　Hellenes　had　their　turn　of　scarea　panic　seized　them；　and　there　was　a　noise　and　clatter；　hardly　to　be　explained　except　by　the　visitation　of　some　sudden　terror。　But　Clearchus　had　with　him　the　Eleian　Tolmides；　the　best　herald　of　his　time；　him　he　ordered　to　proclaim　silence；　and　then　to　give　out　this　proclamation　of　the　generals：　〃Whoever　will　give　any　information　as　to　who　let　an　ass　into　the　camp　shall　receive　a　talent　of　silver　in　reward。〃　On　hearing　this　proclamation　the　soldiers　made　up　their　minds　that　their　fear　was　baseless；　and　their　generals　safe　and　sound。　At　break　of　day　Clearchus　gave　the　order　to　the　Hellenes　to　get　under　arms　in　line　of　battle；　and　take　up　exactly　the　same　position　as　they　held　on　the　day　of　the　battle。
  III
  And　now　comes　the　proof　of　what　I　stated　abovethat　the　king　was　　　　　　　1　utterly　taken　aback　by　the　sudden　apparition　of　the　army；　only　the　day　before；　he　had　sent　and　demanded　the　surrender　of　their　armsand　now；　with　the　rising　sun；　came　heralds　sent　by　him　to　arrange　a　truce。　These；　having　reached　the　advanced　guard；　asked　for　the　generals。　The　guard　reported　their　arrival；　and　Clearchus；　who　was　busy　inspecting　the　ranks；　sent　back　word　to　the　heralds　that　they　must　await　his　leisure。　Having　carefully　arranged　the　troops　so　that　from　every　side　they　might　present　the　appearance　of　a　compact　battle　line　without　a　　　　3　single　unarmed　man　in　sight；　he　summoned　the　ambassadors；　and　himself　went　forward　to　meet　them　with　the　sold