In　answer　to　this　question　they　said；　〃they　were　Macrones。〃　〃Well；　then；〃　said　he；　〃ask　them　why　they　are　drawn　up　in　battle　and　want　to　fight　with　us。〃　They　answered；　〃Because　you　are　invading　our　country。〃　The　generals　bade　him　say：　〃If　so；　it　is　with　not　intention　certainly　of　doing　it　or　you　any　harm：　but　we　have　been　at　war　with　the　king；　and　are　now　returning　to　Hellas；　and　all　we　want　is　to　reach　the　sea。〃　The　others　asked；　〃Were　they　willing　to　give　them　pledges　to　that　effect？〃　They　replied：　〃Yes；　they　were　ready　to　give　and　receive　pledges　to　that　effect。〃　Then　the　Macrones　gave　a　barbaric　lance　to　the　Hellenes；　and　the　Hellenes　a　Hellenic　lance　to　them：　〃for　these；〃　they　said；　〃would　serve　as　pledges；〃　and　both　sides　called　upon　the　gods　to　witness。
  After　the　pledges　were　exchanged；　the　Macrones　fell　to　vigorously　hewing　down　trees　and　constructing　a　road　to　help　them　across；　mingling　freely　with　the　Hellenes　and　fraternising　in　their　midst；　and　they　afforded　them　as　good　as　market　as　they　could；　and　for　three　days　conducted　them　on　their　march；　until　they　had　brought　them　safely　to　the　confines　of　the　Colchians。　At　this　point　they　were　confronted　by　a　great　mountain　chain；　which　however　was　accessible；　and　on　it　the　Colchians　were　drawn　up　for　battle。　In　the　first　instance；　the　Hellenes　drew　up　opposite　in　line　of　battle；　as　though　they　were　minded　to　assault　the　hill　in　that　order；　but　afterwards　the　generals　determined　to　hold　a　council　of　war；　and　consider　how　to　make　the　fairest　fight。
  Accordingly　Xenophon　said：　〃I　am　not　for　advancing　in　line；　but　advise　to　form　companies　by　columns。　To　begin　with；　the　line；〃　he　urged；　〃would　be　scattered　and　thrown　into　disorder　at　once；　for　we　shall　find　the　mountain　full　of　inequalities；　it　will　be　pathless　here　and　easy　to　traverse　there。　The　mere　fact　of　first　having　formed　in　line；　and　then　seeing　the　line　thrown　into　disorder；　must　exercise　a　disheartening　effect。　Again；　if　we　advance　several　deep；　the　enemy　will　none　the　less　overlap　us；　and　turn　their　superfluous　numbers　to　account　as　best　they　like；　while；　if　we　march　in　shallow　order；　we　may　fully　expect　our　line　to　be　cut　through　and　through　by　the　thick　rain　　　11　of　missiles　and　rush　of　men；　and　if　this　happen　anywhere　along　the　line；　the　whole　line　will　equally　suffer。　No；　my　notion　is　to　form　columns　by　companies；　covering　ground　sufficient　with　spaces　between　the　companies　to　allow　the　last　companies　of　each　flank　to　be　outside　the　enemy's　flanks。　Thus　we　shall　with　our　extreme　companies　be　outside　the　enemy's　line；　and　the　best　men　at　the　head　of　their　columns　will　lead　the　attack；　and　every　company　will　pick　its　way　where　the　ground　is　easy；　also　it　will　be　difficult　for　the　enemy　to　force　his　way　into　the　intervening　spaces；　when　there　are　companies　on　both　sides；　nor　will　it　be　easy　for　him　to　cut　in　twain　any　individual　company　marching　in　column。　If；　too；　any　particular　company　should　be　pressed；　the　neighbouring　company　will　come　to　the　rescue；　or　if　at　any　point　any　single　company　succeed　in　reaching　the　height；　from　that　moment　not　one　man　of　the　enemy　will　stand　his　ground。〃
  This　proposal　was　carried；　and　they　formed　into　columns　by　companies＇1＇。　Then　Xenophon；　returning　from　the　right　wing　to　the　left；　addressed　the　soldiers。　〃Men；〃　he　said；　〃these　men　whom　you　see　in　front　of　you　are　the　sole　obstacles　still　interposed　between　us　and　the　haven　of　our　hopes　so　long　deferred。　We　will　swallow　them　up　whole；　without　cooking＇2＇；　if　we　can。〃
  ＇1＇　For　this　formation；　see　〃The　Retreat　of　the　Ten　Thousand；　a　　　　　military　study　for　all　time；〃　by　Lieut。…General　J。　L。　Vaughan；　　　　　C。B。
  ＇2＇　Or；　〃we　will　gobble　them　up　raw。〃　He　is　thinking　of　the　Homeric　　　　　line　（〃Iliad〃；　iv。　35）　〃Perchance　wert　thou　to　enter　within　the　　　　　gates　and　long　walls　and　devour　Priam　raw；　and　Priam's　sons　and　　　　　all　the　Trojans；　then　mightest　thou　assuage　thine　anger。〃Leaf。
  The　several　divisions　fell　into　position；　the　companies　were　formed　into　columns；　and　the　result　was　a　total　of　something　like　eighty　companies　of　heavy　infantry；　each　company　consisting　on　an　average　of　a　hundred　men。　The　light　infantry　and　bowmen　were　arranged　in　three　divisionstwo　outside　to　support　the　left　and　the　right　respectively；　and　the　third　in　the　centreeach　division　consisting　of　about　six　hundred　men＇3＇。
  ＇3＇　This　suggests　1800　as　the　total　of　the　peltasts；　8000　as　the　total　　　　　of　the　hoplites；　but　the　companies　were　probably　not　limited　to　　　　　100；　and　under　〃peltasts〃　were　probably　included　other　light　　　　　troops。
  Before　starting；　the　generals　passed　the　order　to　offer　prayer；　and　　　　　16　with　the　prayer　and　battle　hymn　rising　from　their　lips　they　commenced　their　advance。　Cheirisophus　and　Xenophon；　and　the　light　infantry　with　them；　advanced　outside　the　enemy's　line　to　right　and　left；　and　the　enemy；　seeing　their　advance；　made　an　effort　to　keep　parallel　and　confront　them；　but　in　order　to　do　so；　as　he　extended　partly　to　right　and　partly　to　left；　he　was　pulled　to　pieces；　and　there　was　a　large　space　or　hollow　left　in　the　centre　of　his　line。　Seeing　them　separate　thus；　the　light　infantry　attached　to　the　Arcadian　battalion；　under　command　of　Aeschines；　an　Arcarnanian；　mistook　the　movement　for　flight；　and　with　a　loud　shout　rushed　on；　and　these　were　the　first　to　scale　the　mountain　summit；　but　they　were　closely　followed　up　by　the　Arcadian　heavy　infantry；　under　command　of　Cleanor　of　Orchomenus。
  When　they　began　running　in　that　way；　the　enemy　stood　their　ground　no　longer；　but　betook　themselves　to　flight；　one　in　one　direction；　one　in　another；　and　the　Hellenes　scaled　the　hill　and　found　quarters　in　numerous　villages　which　contained　supplies　in　abundance。　Here；　generally　speaking；　there　was　nothing　to　excite　their　wonderment；　but　the　numbers　of　bee…hives　were　indeed　astonishing；　and　so　were　certain　properties　of　the　honey＇4＇。　The　effect　upon　the　soldiers　who　tasted　the　combs　was；　that　they　all　went　for　the　nonce　quite　off　their　heads；　and　suffered　from　vomiting　and　diarrhoea；　with　a　total　inability　to　stand　steady　on　their　legs。　A　small　dose　produced　a　condition　not　unlike　violent　drunkenness；　a　large　one　an　attack　very　like　a　fit　of　madness；　and　some　dropped　down；　apparently　at　death's　door。　So　they　lay；　hundreds　of　them；　as　if　there　had　been　a　great　defeat；　a　prey　to　the　cruellest　despondency。　But　the　next　day；　none　had　died；　and　almost　at　the　same　hour　of　the　day　at　which　they　had　eaten　they　recovered　their　senses；　and　on　the　third　or　fourth　day　got　on　their　legs　again　like　convalescents　after　a　severe　course　of　medical　treatment。
  ＇4＇　〃Modern　travellers　attest　the　existence；　in　these　regions；　of　　　　　honey　intoxicating　and　poisonous。　。　。　。　They　point　out　the　Azalea　　　　　Pontica　as　the　flower　from　which　the　bees　imbibe　this　peculiar　　　　　quality。〃Grote；　〃Hist。　of　Greece；〃　vol。　ix。　p。　155。
  From　this　place　they　marched　on　two　stagesseven　parasangsand　　　　　　　　22　reached　the　sea　at　Trapezus＇5＇；　a　populous　Hellenic　city　on　the　Euxine　Sea；　a　colony　of　the　Sinopeans；　in　the　territory　of　the　Colchians。　Here　they　halted　about　thirty　days　in　the　villages　of　the　Colchians；　which　they　used　as　a　base　of　operations　to　ravage　the　whole　territory　of　Colchis。　The　men　of　Trapezus　supplied　the　army　with　a　market；　entertained　them；　and　gave　them；　as　gifts　of　hospitality；　oxen　and　wheat　and　wine。　Further；　they　negotiated　with　them　in　behalf　of　their　neighbours　the　Colchians；　who　dwelt　in　the　plain　for　the　most　part；　and　from　this　folk　also　came　gifts　of　hospitality　in　the　shape　of　cattle。　And　now　the　Hellenes　made　preparation　for　the　sacrifice　which　they　had　vowed；　and　a　sufficient　number　of　cattle　came　in　for　them　to　offer　thank…offerings　for　safe　guidance　to　Zeus　the　Saviour；　and　to　Heracles＇6＇；　and　to　the　other　gods；　according　to　their　vows。　They　instituted　also　a　gymnastic　contest　on　the　mountain　side；　just　where　they　were　quartered；　and　chose　Dracontius；　a　Spartan　（who　had　been　banished　from　home　when　a　lad；　having　unintentionally　slain　another　boy　with　a　blow　of　his　dagger）；　to　superintend　the　course；　and　be　president　of　the　games
  ＇5＇　Trebizond。
  ＇6＇　Or；　〃to　sacrifice　to　Zeus　the　Preserver；　and　to　Heracles　　　　　thank…offerings　for　safe　guidance；〃　Heracles　〃the　conductor〃　　　　　having　special　sympathy　with　wanderers。
  As　soon　as　the　sacrifices　were　over；　they　handed　over　the　hides　of　the　beasts　to　Dracontius；　and　bade　him　lead　the　way　to　his　racecourse。　He　merely　waved　his　hand　and　pointed　to　where　they　were　standing；　and　said；　〃There；　this　ridge　is　just　the　place　for　running；　anywhere；　everywhere。〃　〃But　how；〃　it　was　asked；　〃will　they　manage　to　wrestle　on　the　hard　scrubby　ground？〃　〃Oh！　worse　knocks　for　those　who　are　thrown；〃　the　president　replied。　There　was　a　mile　race　for　boys；　the　majority　being　captive　lads；　and　for　the　long　race　more　than　sixty　Cretans　competed；　there　was　wrestling；　boxing；　and　the　pankration＇7＇。　Altogether　it　was　a　beautiful　spectacle。　There　was　a　large　number　of　entries；　and　the　emulation；　with　their　companions；　male　and　female；　　　　　27　standing　as　spectators；　was　immense。　There　was　horse…racing　also；　the　riders　had　to　gallop　down　a　steep　incline　to　the　sea；　and　then　turn　and　come　up　again　to　the　altar；　and　on　the　descent　more　than　half　ro