no　other　reason；　the　majority　of　the　latter　were　not　well　pleased；　and　they　came　to　Clearchus　and　the　other　generals；　asking　what　they　were　waiting　for。　〃Do　we　not　know　full　well；〃　they　said；　〃that　the　king　would　give　a　great　deal　to　destroy　us；　so　that　other　Hellenes　may　take　warning　and　think　twice　before　they　march　against　the　king。　To…day　it　suits　his　purpose　to　induce　us　to　stop　here；　because　his　army　is　scattered；　but　as　soon　as　he　has　got　together　another　armament；　attack　us　most　certainly　he　will。　How　do　we　know　he　is　not　at　this　moment　digging　away　at　trenches；　or　running　up　walls；　to　make　our　path　impassable。　It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　he　will　desire　us　to　return　to　Hellas　with　a　tale　how　a　handful　of　men　like　ourselves　beat　the　king　at　his　own　gates；　laughed　him　to　scorn；　and　then　came　home　again。〃　Clearchus　replied：　〃I　too　am　keenly　aware　of　all　this；　but　I　reason　thus：　if　we　turn　our　backs　now；　they　will　say；　we　mean　war　and　are　acting　contrary　to　the　truce；　and　then　what　follows？　First　of　all；　no　one　will　furnish　us　with　a　market　or　means　of　providing　ourselves　with　food。　Next；　we　shall　have　no　one　to　guide　us；　moreover；　such　action　on　our　part　will　be　a　signal　to　Ariaeus　to　hold　aloof　from　us；　so　that　not　a　friend　will　be　left　to　us；　even　those　who　were　formerly　our　friends　will　now　be　numbered　with　our　enemies。　What　other　river；　or　rivers；　we　may　find　we　have　to　cross；　I　do　not　know；　but　this　we　know；　to　cross　the　Euphrates　in　face　of　resistance　is　impossible。　You　see；　in　the　event　of　being　driven　to　an　engagement；　we　have　no　cavalry　to　help　us；　but　with　the　enemy　it　is　the　reversenot　only　the　most；　but　the　best　of　his　troops　are　cavalry；　so　that　if　we　are　victorious；　we　shall　kill　no　one；　but　if　we　are　defeated；　not　a　man　of　us　can　escape。　For　my　part；　I　cannot　see　why　the　king；　who　has　so　many　advantages　on　his　side；　if　　　7　he　desires　to　destroy　us；　should　swear　oaths　and　tender　solemn　pledges　merely　in　order　to　perjure　himself　in　the　sight　of　heaven；　to　render　his　word　worthless　and　his　credit　discreditable　the　wide　world　over。〃　These　arguments　he　propounded　at　length。
  Meanwhile　Tissaphernes　came　back；　apparently　ready　to　return　home；　he　had　his　own　force　with　him；　and　so　had　Orontas；　who　was　also　present；　his。　The　latter　brought；　moreover；　his　bride　with　him；　the　king's　daughter；　whom　he　had　just　wedded。　The　journey　was　now　at　length　fairly　commenced。　Tissaphernes　led　the　way；　and　provided　a　market。　They　advanced；　and　Ariaeus　advanced　too；　at　the　head　of　Cyrus's　Asiatic　troops；　side　by　side　with　Tissaphernes　and　Orontas；　and　with　these　two　he　also　pitched　his　camp。　The　Hellenes；　holding　them　in　suspicion；　marched　separately　with　the　guides；　and　they　encamped　on　each　occasion　a　parasang　apart；　or　rather　less；　and　both　parties　kept　watch　upon　each　other　as　if　they　were　enemies；　which　hardly　tended　to　lull　suspicion；　and　sometimes；　whilst　foraging　for　wood　and　grass　and　so　forth　on　the　same　ground；　blows　were　exchanged；　which　occasioned　further　embitterments。　Three　stages　they　had　accomplished　ere　they　reached　the　wall　of　Media；　as　it　is　called；　and　passed　within　it。　It　was　built　of　baked　bricks　laid　upon　bitumen。　It　was　twenty　feet　broad　and　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　the　length　of　it　was　said　to　be　twenty　parasangs。　It　lies　at　no　great　distance　from　Babylon。
  From　this　point　they　marched　two　stageseight　parasangsand　crossed　two　canals；　the　first　by　a　regular　bridge；　the　other　spanned　by　a　bridge　of　seven　boats。　These　canals　issued　from　the　Tigris；　and　from　them　a　whole　system　of　minor　trenches　was　cut；　leading　over　the　country；　large　ones　to　begin　with；　and　then　smaller　and　smaller；　till　at　last　they　become　the　merest　runnels；　like　those　in　Hellas　used　for　watering　millet　fields。　They　reached　the　river　Tigris。　At　this　point　there　was　a　large　and　thickly　populated　city　named　Sittace；　at　a　　　　　　　　13　distance　of　fifteen　furlongs　from　the　river。　The　Hellenes　accordingly　encamped　by　the　side　of　that　city；　near　a　large　and　beautiful　park；　which　was　thick　with　all　sorts　of　trees。
  The　Asiatics　had　crossed　the　Tigris；　but　somehow　were　entirely　hidden　from　view。　After　supper；　Proxenus　and　Xenophon　were　walking　in　front　of　the　place　d'armes；　when　a　man　came　up　and　demanded　of　the　advanced　guard　where　he　could　find　Proxenus　or　Clearchus。　He　did　not　ask　for　Menon；　and　that　too　though　he　came　from　Ariaeus；　who　was　Menon's　friend。　As　soon　as　Proxenus　had　said：　〃I　am　he；　whom　you　seek；〃　the　man　replied：　〃I　have　been　sent　by　Ariaeus　and　Artaozus；　who　have　been　trusty　friends　to　Cyrus　in　past　days；　and　are　your　well…wishers。　They　warn　you　to　be　on　your　guard；　in　case　the　barbarians　attack　you　in　the　night。　There　is　a　large　body　of　troops　in　the　neighbouring　park。　They　also　warn　you　to　send　and　occupy　the　bridge　over　the　Tigris；　since　Tissaphernes　is　minded　to　break　it　down　in　the　night；　if　he　can；　so　that　you　may　not　cross；　but　be　caught　between　the　river　and　the　canal。〃　On　hearing　this　they　took　the　man　to　Clearchus　and　acquainted　him　with　his　statement。　Clearchus；　on　his　side；　was　much　disturbed；　and　indeed　alarmed　at　the　news。　But　a　young　fellow　who　was　present＇1＇；　struck　with　an　idea；　suggested　that　the　two　statements　were　inconsistent；　as　to　the　contemplated　attack　and　the　proposed　destruction　of　the　bridge。　Clearly；　the　attacking　party　must　either　conquer　or　be　worsted：　if　they　conquer；　what　need　of　their　breaking　down　the　bridge？　〃Why！　if　there　were　half　a　dozen　bridges；〃　said　he；　〃we　should　not　be　any　the　more　able　to　save　ourselves　by　flightthere　would　be　no　place　to　flee　to；　but；　in　the　opposite　case；　suppose　we　win；　with　the　bridge　broken　down；　it　is　they　who　will　not　be　able　to　save　themselves　by　flight；　and；　what　is　worse　for　them；　not　a　single　soul　will　be　able　to　bring　them　succour　from　the　other　side；　for　all　their　numbers；　since　the　bridge　will　be　broken　down。〃
  ＇1＇　Possibly　Xenophon　himself。
  Clearchus　listened　to　the　reasoning；　and　then　he　asked　the　messenger；　〃How　large　the　country　between　the　Tigris　and　the　canal　might　be？〃　〃A　　　21　large　district；〃　he　replied；　〃and　in　it　are　villages　and　cities　numerous　and　large。〃　Then　it　dawned　upon　them：　the　barbarians　had　sent　the　man　with　subtlety；　in　fear　lest　the　Hellenes　should　cut　the　bridge　and　occupy　the　island　territory；　with　the　strong　defences　of　the　Tigris　on　the　one　side　and　of　the　canal　on　the　other；　supplying　themselves　with　provisions　from　the　country　so　included；　large　and　rich　as　it　was；　with　no　lack　of　hands　to　till　it；　in　addition　to　which；　a　harbour　of　refuge　and　asylum　would　be　found　for　any　one；　who　was　minded　to　do　the　king　a　mischief。
  After　this　they　retired　to　rest　in　peace；　not；　however；　neglecting　to　send　a　guard　to　occupy　the　bridge　in　spite　of　all；　and　there　was　no　attack　from　any　quarter　whatsoever；　nor　did　any　of　the　enemy's　people　approach　the　bridges：　so　the　guards　were　able　to　report　next　morning。　But　as　soon　as　it　was　morning；　they　proceeded　to　cross　the　bridge；　which　consisted　of　thirty…seven　vessels；　and　in　so　doing　they　used　the　utmost　precaution　possible；　for　reports　were　brought　by　some　of　the　Hellenes　with　Tissaphernes　that　an　attempt　was　to　be　made　to　attack　them　while　crossing。　All　this　turned　out　to　be　false；　though　it　is　true　that　while　crossing　they　did　catch　sight　of　Glus　watching；　with　some　others；　to　see　if　they　crossed　the　river；　but　as　soon　as　he　had　satisfied　himself　on　that　point；　he　rode　off　and　was　gone。
  From　the　river　Tigris　they　advanced　four　stagestwenty　parasangsto　the　river　Physcus；　which　is　a　hundred　feet　broad　and　spanned　by　a　bridge。　Here　lay　a　large　and　populous　city　named　Opis；　close　to　which　the　Hellenes　were　encountered　by　the　natural　brother　of　Cyrus　and　Artaxerxes；　who　was　leading　a　large　army　from　Susa　and　Ecbatana　to　assist　the　king。　He　halted　his　troops　and　watched　the　Helleens　march　past。　Clearchus　led　them　in　column　two　abreast：　and　from　time　to　time　the　vanguard　came　to　a　standstill；　just　so　often　and　just　so　long　the　effect　repeated　itself　down　to　the　hindmost　man：　halt！　halt！　halt！　along　the　whole　line：　so　that　even　to　the　Hellenes　themselves　their　army　seemed　enormous；　and　the　Persian　was　fairly　astonished　at　the　spectacle。
  From　this　place　they　marched　through　Media　six　desert　stagesthirty　　　　27　parasangsto　the　villages　of　Parysatis；　Cyrus's　and　the　king's　mother。　These　Tissaphernes；　in　mockery　of　Cyrus；　delivered　over　to　the　Hellenes　to　plunder；　except　that　the　folk　in　them　were　not　to　be　made　slaves。　They　contained　much　corn；　cattle；　and　other　property。　From　this　place　they　advanced　four　desert　stagestwenty　parasangskeeping　the　Tigris　on　the　left。　On　the　first　of　these　stages；　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　lay　a　large　city；　it　was　a　well…to…do　place　named　Caenae；　from　which　the　natives　used　to　carry　across　loaves　and　cheeses　and　wine　on　rafts　made　of　skins。
  V
  After　this　they　reached　the　river　Zapatas＇1＇；　which　is　four　hundred　　　　　1　feet　broad；　and　here　they　halted　three　days。　During　the　interval　suspicions　were　rife；　though　no　act　of　treachery　displayed　itself。　Clearchus　accordingly　resolved　to　bring　to　an　end　these　feelings　of　mistrust；　before　they　led　to　war。　Consequently；　he　sent　a　messenger　to　the　Persian　to　say　that　he　desired　an　interview　with　him；　to　which　the