Chapter 26 Volume Four II

It was already half an hour later, and they ordered the volunteers to eat something before setting off. They tied up the guides and handed them over to them. They agreed that if they seized the high ground, they would guard it all night and blow the trumpet at dawn as a signal.At that time, the people on the high ground will attack the Kadukya people guarding the way out, and at the same time, the main force of the army will go to support and move forward as soon as possible.After the agreement, about 2,000 volunteers set off.At this time, it was raining heavily.At the same time Xenophon led the rearguard and began to advance towards the obvious way out, in order to attract the attention of the enemy to this way, and make the detours of the troops ① as undetected as possible.But the rearguard had to pass through a gorge before advancing on this steep mountain, and at this time the foreigners began to roll down and throw round stones as big as a wagon-load, and there were also larger and smaller ones mixed in.The stones rolled down and hit the rocks, and the debris flew everywhere, making it impossible to get close to the way up the mountain.Some captains, unable to advance by this way, had to search for another way out, and so they stayed until dark, and did not go back to eat until they thought that the withdrawal would not be noticed-by which time they did not even have breakfast.From the sound, it can be concluded that the enemy continued to roll stones down the mountain all night.

At the same time, the party detouring with the guide found the guards on the hill sitting around the fire.Having killed some of them and driven the rest away, they left themselves in the position, thinking they had captured the high ground.But in fact, they did not occupy the high ground, because the high ground was still above them, which was a round mountain, and to pass this mountain, one had to pass through the narrow road where the guards were sitting just now.From the place they occupied, however, a road led to the ridge on the Ming Road, where the main body of the enemy was stationed.So they spent the night in this place.As soon as it was dawn, they silently set up their battle formations and continued to advance towards the enemy.Because of the fog, they came to the enemy without being noticed.When they could see each other, the trumpets sounded, and the Greeks rushed to the enemy with loud shouts.The Kadukyas did not fight, but abandoned their way and fled.Only a few were killed, for they were some nimble and swift figures.At this time, Cherisophus and his troops rushed forward from Minglu when they heard the sound of the trumpet.The other generals were at their respective locations and did not pass through any roads, pulling each other with guns to climb up as much as possible.

They were the first to join forces that had already taken the place. Xenophon set off with half the rearguard, taking the same road that the guide had taken, because it was the easiest way for the beasts of burden.Behind the beasts of burden he placed the other half of the rearguard.As they advanced, they came to a ridge on the road which the enemy had seized.At this time they could only either eliminate the enemy, or be completely cut off from the rest of the Greek army.As far as the procession itself is concerned, it is perfectly possible for them to take the path taken by the rest of the Greek army, but the beast of burden can only take the path taken by Xenophon.So they encouraged each other immediately, and each company lined up in a column and rushed to the mountain, not surrounding it, but leaving a retreat for the enemy so that they could choose.For a while the strangers fired arrows and other projectiles against the Greeks, as they each climbed up as they could find their way.But they would not let the Greeks approach, but abandoned the ground and fled.As soon as the Greeks had passed this mountain, they saw another mountain in front of them, which was also occupied by the enemy, and decided to attack it in the same way.But Xenophon was afraid that if he did not occupy the hill which he had just taken, the enemy might reoccupy it and attack him when the train of trains (which was stretched long because the road taken was narrow) passed by.He then remained on the mountain with three captains, Sephiethodorus the son of Sephithophon the Athenian, Amphicrates the son of Amphidemus the other Athenian, and Acargoras the exile from Aghais; And he himself and the rest of the team rushed to the second mountain and took it down like the first.

There was a third round hill, much steeper than the rest, overlooking the fireside post which the volunteers had seized that night.But when the Greek army approached the mountain, they abandoned the mountain without any attack.Everyone was amazed, imagining that they had abandoned the place out of fear that it would be surrounded and blocked.However, when they looked down from the high ground, they saw what was going on at a further distance, and they were all setting out to attack the rear guard of the Greek army.Now Xenophon led the youngest company up to the abandoned heights, ordering the rest to march slowly so that the last company could follow.Then they would advance along the road, stopping in uniform at the top of the pass.

At this time Achagothus the Aghaitian came running and reported that the Greeks had been driven from the first hill, and that Sephisodorus and Amphicrates and all the rest were slain, Only those who jumped off the rocks joined the rearguard.After completing this move, Boren came to a mountain opposite Yuanshan.Xenophon had a conversation with them through the translation palace, talked about a truce and asked them to return the Greek army who was killed Corpses.They replied that if the Greeks did not burn their houses, they would return the bodies.Xenophon agreed to this.But while the rest of the army was passing, and they were talking, all the enemies in the vicinity flocked to this spot.As soon as Xenophon and his men began to descend the Round Hill to join the rest of the Greek army where they were waiting in armor, the enemy took the opportunity to charge heavily and shout at them.When they reached the top of the hill Xenophon was descending, they rolled down and threw stones.Breaking a man's leg, the orderly carrying Xenophon's shield also fled from him.But one of the hoplites, Eurylochus the Lycian, ran up to him, and, covering them both with his shield, fell back with him, and the rest were able to retreat to the main line.

At this time the whole Greek army was united.There the troops lived in many fine houses and were well supplied with supplies.Because the residents have a lot of wine, most of them are stored in closed pools.Meanwhile Xenophon and Cherisophus arranged to recover the bodies of the dead and return them to the guides.To the fallen soldiers, they did what they could to bestow upon the warriors all the honors so often accorded to them. The next day they marched on without a guide, while the enemy fought in the narrowness of the road and seized strongholds in advance, trying to prevent their passage.Therefore, whenever they blocked the advance of the vanguard, Xenophon rushed up the hill from the rear, trying to reach the top of the blocking enemy, so as to break the blockade; Go forward, try to go to a higher place than the blocking army, and open the blocked road for the rear team.In this way, they continued to help and care for each other.Sometimes these strangers do cause great trouble to the party that has climbed up and down, because their men are so light and quick that they can escape you even if they run away from you, and besides, they have nothing to do but bow tendons and throw stones. There is nothing else to carry besides the container.They are excellent archers, their bows are nearly three arms long, and their arrows are more than two arms long.When archery, they use their left foot to help tighten the lower end of the arched back and then pull the string. After the arrow is shot, it can shoot through the shield and breastplate at once.Whenever the Greek army got these arrows, they wrapped them with leather strips and used them as throwing spears.In these places the Cretans were very active.They were commanded by a Cretan named Stratocris.