st　from　Tissaphernes；　and　in　return　he　undertook　to　deliver　up　the　Hellenes　to　Tissaphernes。　He　had　grown　contemptuous　since　his　late　attack；　when；　with　so　small　a　detachment；　he　had　done；　as　he　thought；　a　good　deal　of　mischief；　without　the　slightest　loss　to　himself。
  When　the　Hellenes　were　not　only　right　across；　but　had　got　about　a　mile　from　the　ravine；　Mithridates　also　crossed　with　his　forces。　An　order　had　been　passed　down　the　lines；　what　light　infantry　and　what　heavy　infantry　were　to　take　part　in　the　pursuit；　and　the　cavalry　were　instructed　to　follow　up　the　pursuit　with　confidence；　as　a　considerable　　3　support　was　in　their　rear。　So；　when　Mithridates　had　come　up　with　them；　and　they　were　well　within　arrow　and　sling　shot；　the　bugle　sounded　the　signal　to　the　Hellenes；　and　immediately　the　detachment　under　orders　rushed　to　close　quarters；　and　the　cavalry　charged。　There　the　enemy　preferred　not　to　wait；　but　fled　towards　the　ravine。　In　this　pursuit　the　Asiatics　lost　several　of　their　infantry　killed；　and　of　their　cavalry　as　many　as　eighteen　were　taken　prisoners　in　the　ravine。　As　to　those　who　were　slain　the　Hellenes；　acting　upon　impulse；　mutilated　their　bodies；　by　way　of　impressing　their　enemy　with　as　frightful　an　image　as　possible。
  So　fared　the　foe　and　so　fell　back；　but　the　Hellenes；　continuing　their　march　in　safety　for　the　rest　of　that　day；　reached　the　river　Tigris。　Here　they　came　upon　a　large　deserted　city；　the　name　of　which　was　Larissa＇1＇：　a　place　inhabited　by　the　Medes　in　days　of　old；　the　breadth　of　its　walls　was　twenty…five　feet；　and　the　height　of　them　a　hundred；　and　the　circuit　of　the　whole　two　parasangs。　It　was　built　of　clay…bricks；　supported　on　a　stone　basis　twenty　feet　high。　This　city　the　king　of　the　Persians＇2＇　besieged；　what　time　the　Persians　strove　to　snatch　their　empire　from　the　Medes；　but　he　could　in　no　wise　take　it；　then　a　cloud　hid　the　face　of　the　sun　and　blotted　out　the　light　thereof；　until　the　inhabitants　were　gone　out　of　the　city；　and　so　it　was　taken。　By　the　side　of　this　city　there　was　a　stone　pyramid　in　breadth　a　hundred　feet；　and　in　height　two　hundred　feet；　in　it　were　many　of　the　barbarians　who　had　fled　for　refuge　from　the　neighbouring　villages。
  ＇1＇　Larissa；　on　the　side　of　the　modern　Nimrud　（the　south…west　corner；　　　　　as　is　commonly　supposed；　of　Nineveh）。　The　name　is　said　to　mean　　　　　〃citadel；〃　and　is　given　to　various　Greek　cities　（of　which　several　　　　　occur　in　Xenophon）。
  ＇2＇　I。e。　Cyrus　the　Great。
  From　this　place　they　marched　one　stage　of　six　parasangs　to　a　great　deserted　fortress　＇which　lay　over　against　the　city＇；　and　the　name　of　that　city　was　Mespila＇3＇。　The　Medes　once　dwelt　in　it。　The　basement　was　　10　made　of　polished　stone　full　of　shells；　fifty　feet　was　the　breadth　of　it；　and　fifty　feet　the　height；　and　on　this　basement　was　reared　a　wall　of　brick；　the　breadth　whereof　was　fifty　feet　and　the　height　thereof　four　hundred；　and　the　circuit　of　the　wall　was　six　parasangs。　Hither；　as　the　story　goes；　Medea＇4＇；　the　king's　wife；　betook　herself　in　flight　what　time　the　Medes　lost　their　empire　at　the　hands　of　the　Persians。　To　this　city　also　the　king　of　the　Pesians　laid　siege；　but　could　not　take　it　either　by　length　of　days　or　strength　of　hand。　But　Zeus　sent　amazement　on　the　inhabitants　thereof；　and　so　it　was　taken。
  ＇3＇　Opposite　Mosul；　the　north…west　portion　of　the　ancient　Nineveh；　　　　　about　eighteen　miles　above　Larissa。　The　circuit　of　Nineveh　is　said　　　　　to　have　been　about　fifty…six　miles。　It　was　overthrown　by　Cyrus　in　　　　　B。C。　558。
  ＇4＇　The　wife　of　Astyages；　the　last　king　of　Media。　Some　think　〃the　wall　　　　　of　Media〃　should　be　〃Medea's　wall；〃　constructed　in　the　period　of　　　　　Queen　Nitocris；　B。C。　560。
  From　this　place　they　marched　one　stagefour　parasangs。　But；　while　still　on　this　stage；　Tissaphernes　made　his　appearance。　He　had　with　him　his　own　cavalry　and　a　force　belonging　to　Orontas；　who　had　the　king's　daughter　to　wife；　and　there　were；　moreover；　with　them　the　Asiatics　whom　Cyrus　had　taken　with　him　on　his　march　up；　together　with　those　whom　the　king's　brother　had　brought　as　a　reinforcement　to　the　king；　besides　those　whom　Tissaphernes　himself　had　received　as　a　gift　from　the　king；　so　that　the　armament　appeared　to　be　very　great。　When　they　were　close；　he　halted　some　of　his　regiments　at　the　rear　and　wheeled　others　into　position　on　either　flank；　but　hesitated　to　attack；　having　no　mind　apparently　to　run　any　risks；　and　contenting　himself　with　an　order　to　his　slingers　to　sling　and　his　archers　to　shoot。　But　when　the　Rhodian　slingers　and　the　bowmen＇5＇；　posted　at　intervals；　retaliated；　and　every　shot　told　（for　with　the　utmost　pains　to　miss　it　would　have　been　hard　to　do　so　under　the　circumstanecs）；　then　Tissaphernes　with　all　speed　retired　out　of　range；　the　other　regiments　following　suit；　and　for　the　rest　of　the　day　the　one　party　advanced　and　the　other　followed。　But　now　the　Asiatics　had　ceased　to　be　dangerous　with　their　sharpshooting。　For　the　Rhodians　could　reach　further　than　the　Persian　　　　16　slingers；　or；　indeed；　than　most　of　the　bowmen。　The　Persian　bows　are　of　great　size；　so　that　the　Cretans　found　the　arrows　which　were　picked　up　serviceable；　and　persevered　in　using　their　enemies'　arrows；　and　practised　shooting　with　them；　letting　them　fly　upwards　to　a　great　height＇6＇。　There　were　also　plenty　of　bowstrings　found　in　the　villagesand　lead；　which　they　turned　to　account　for　their　slings。　As　a　result　of　this　day；　then；　the　Hellenes　chancing　upon　some　villages　had　no　sooner　encamped　than　the　barbarians　fell　back；　having　had　distinctly　the　worst　of　it　in　the　skirmishing。
  ＇5＇　The　best　MSS　read　｛Skuthai｝；　Scythians；　if　this　is　correct；　it　is　　　　　only　the　technical　name　for　〃archers。〃　Cf。　Arrian；　〃Tact。〃　ii。　13。　　　　　The　police　at　Athens　were　technically　so　called；　as　being　composed　　　　　of　Scythian　slaves。　Cf。　Aristoph。　〃Thesm。〃　1017。
  ＇6＇　I。e。；　in　practising；　in　order　to　get　the　maximum　range　they　let　　　　　fly　the　arrows；　not　horizontally；　but　up　into　the　air。　Sir　W。　　　　　Raleigh　（Hist。　of　the　World；　III。　x。　8）　says　that　Xenophon　　　　　〃trained　his　archers　to　short　compass；　who　had　been　accustomed　to　　　　　the　point　blank；〃　but　this　is　surely　not　Xenophon's　meaning。
  The　next　day　was　a　day　of　inaction：　they　halted　and　took　in　supplies；　as　there　was　much　corn　in　the　villages；　but　on　the　day　following；　the　march　was　continued　through　the　plain　（of　the　Tigris）；　and　Tissaphernes　still　hung　on　their　skirts　with　his　skirmishers。　And　now　it　was　that　the　Hellenes　discovered　the　defect　of　marching　in　a　square　with　an　enemy　following。　As　a　matter　of　necessity；　whenever　the　wings　of　an　army　so　disposed　draw　together；　either　where　a　road　narrows；　or　hills　close　in；　or　a　bridge　has　to　be　crossed；　the　heavy　infantry　cannot　help　being　squeezed　out　of　their　ranks；　and　march　with　difficulty；　partly　from　actual　pressure；　and　partly　from　the　general　confusion　that　ensues。　Or；　supposing　the　wings　are　again　extended；　the　troops　have　hardly　recovered　from　their　former　distress　before　they　are　pulled　asunder；　and　there　is　a　wide　space　between　the　wings；　and　the　men　concerned　lose　confidence　in　themselves；　especially　with　an　enemy　close　behind。　What　happened；　when　a　bridge　had　to　be　crossed　or　other　passage　effected；　was；　that　each　unit　of　the　force　pressed　on　in　anxiety　to　get　over　first；　and　at　these　moments　it　was　easy　for　the　enemy　to　make　an　attack。　The　generals　accordingly；　having　recognsied　the　defect；　set　about　curing　it。　To　do　so；　they　made　six　lochi；　or　divisions　of　a　hundred　men　apiece；　each　of　which　had　its　own　set　of　captains　and　under…officers　in　command　of　half　and　quarter　companies。　　　21　It　was　the　duty　of　these　new　companies；　during　a　march；　whenever　the　flanks　needed　to　close　in；　to　fall　back　to　the　rear；　so　as　to　disencumber　the　wings。　This　they　did　by　wheeling　clear　of　them。　When　the　sides　of　the　oblong　again　extended；　they　filled　up　the　interstices；　if　the　gap　were　narrow；　by　columns　of　companies；　if　broader；　by　columns　of　half…companies；　or；　if　broader　still；　by　columns　of　quarter…companies；　so　that　the　space　between　was　always　filled　up。　If　again　it　were　necessary　to　effect　a　passage　by　bridge　or　otherwise；　there　was　no　confusion；　the　several　companies　crossing　in　turns；　or；　if　the　occasion　arose　to　form　in　line　of　battle；　these　companies　came　up　to　the　front　and　fell　in＇7＇。
  ＇7＇　In　the　passage　above　I　have　translated　｛lokhoi｝　companies；　and；　as　　　　　usual；　｛lokhagoi｝　captains。　The　half　company　is　technically　called　　　　　a　pentecostys；　and　a　quarter　company　an　enomoty；　and　the　officers　　　　　in　charge　of　them　respectively　penteconter　and　enomotarch。　These　　　　　would　be　equivalent　nearly　to　our　subalterns　and　sergeants；　and　in　　　　　the　evolutions　described　would　act　as　guides　and　markers　in　charge　　　　　of　their　sections。　Grote　thinks　there　were　six　companies　formed　on　　　　　each　flanktwelve　in　all。　See　〃Hist。　of　Greece；〃　vol。　ix。　p。　123；　　　　　note　（1st　ed。）
  In　this　way　they　advanced　four　stages；　but　ere　the　fifth　was　completed；　they　came　in　sight　of　a　palace　of　some　sort；　with　villages　clustered　round　it；　they　could　further　see　that　the　road　leading　to　this　place　pursued　its　course　over　high　undulating　hillocks；　the　spur　of　the　mountain　range；　under　which　lay　the　village。　These　knolls　were　a　welcome　sight　to　the　Hellenes；　naturally　enough；　as　the　en