Chapter 31 Volume Four VII

Thereafter, they marched into the Taukiya land, five stations, thirty parasangs.At this time their provisions were running low, for the Taukians lived in castles, and in these castles they stored all their provisions.When the Greeks came to a castle, Cherisophus attacked it.There are no towns or houses in this castle, just a gathering place for men, women and a lot of livestock.When the soldiers of the first battalion were tired, another battalion advanced to attack, and then another battalion followed, because they could not surround the place in one line, the edge was too steep. As soon as Xenophon arrived with a rear team composed of light and heavy troops, Celesonans said to him: "You have come at the right time. You must capture this place, otherwise the army will have no supplies." They discussed together.

Xenophon asked what prevented them from entering the castle.Cherisophus replied: "You see, there is only this way, but when we try to advance from this, they roll stones down the cliff, and whoever comes across it becomes like this." It was pointed out that some people had broken legs and ribs.Xenophon said: "If they run out of stones, is there any obstacle to the passage? We see only a few people on that side, and only two or three of them are armed. Besides, you can see for yourself, we must go through The distance at which the danger of being attacked is about one and a half platrons. This distance is one platron long and is covered by scattered tall pine trees. If a person stands behind a tree, what harm will he receive from flying or rolling stones? ? Well, the remaining distance is about half a platter, and we have to run as soon as the stones stop." Chrysophus said: "But when we started rushing towards the tree, there were a lot of flying stones. attack." Xenophon said: "That is better, for they will use up the stones more quickly. But let us go to a place where the distance to run is the shortest, and where it is easy to fall back when we want to return."

So Cherisophus and Xenophon set out, and with them a captain, Callimachus the Palasian, for he was the officer on duty that day commanding the captains of the rearguard.The other captains stayed in a safe place.Under their leadership, about seventy people came out from the shelter of the trees, not all together, but one by one, each trying to protect himself as much as possible.But Agathia the Stenphalian, and Aristonimus the Methidrian, who were also captains of the guard, and the others stood without shelter, for that one company alone was safe in the trees. The time is covered ①.Then Callimachus had an idea: he ran two or three steps forward from the tree where he was, and retreated lightly when the stones began to fly.

He used up ten loads of stones for every forward charge.Acacia saw Callimachus doing this, and the whole army looked on, fearing that others would be the first to storm the castle; so Aristonimus or Eurylochus the Lycian (though the former nearby, and both are his friends) or whoever else does it together, he single-handedly rushes forward to get past them.But Callimachus caught him by the side of his shield, seeing him rush by.Now Aristonimus of Methidrian ran past them both, followed by Eurylochus of Lycia.These four warriors are all incomparably braver than each other, and they are constantly competing with each other.

In such an atmosphere of scrambling for the first place they broke the castle, for once they had entered there was no stone to fall from it. Then there was a horrible sight: the women threw their babies off the rocks and jumped after themselves; the men did the same.In this scene one of the captains, Aeneas of Stenphalia, saw a man in rich robes running towards him and fell, and seized him to stop him.But this man dragged Aeneas down as well, and both fell from the cliff to their deaths.Not many people were captured in this castle, but they got a lot of livestock and donkeys and sheep. From here they traveled through the land of the Kalubians seven stations and fifty parasangs.The most valiant people will be found wherever they go, and they will fight hand to hand.They wore close-fitting linen armor reaching down to the midriff, with braided rims without brims; also hydrocarbon armor and helmets.At the waist is a precious sword like a Laconian dagger, which is used to kill those who can subdue, and cut off their heads and carry it on the march.They always sing and dance when the enemy can see them.They also carried spears about five cubits long, with a point at only one end.

These people generally live in the streets and towns; when the Greek army passed, they followed, ready to fight at any time. Their lodgings were in the castle, where all their supplies were stored, so that the Greeks could get nothing in this country, but were sustained only by cattle they got from the Taugians.Leaving this region, the Greeks came to the Harpasus River, which is four plathrons wide.From this they traveled through the land of the Sythenians, a plain, four stations, twenty parasangs, and reached some villages.There they stayed for three days, collecting supplies. From there they traveled four stops and twenty parasangs to a large, prosperous and relatively populated city called Guineas.From this city the local governor sent a guide to the Greeks to lead them through a territory hostile to the city.When the guide came, he said that he would lead them to a place where they could see the sea within five days; if they could not, they would be sentenced to death.So the guide led the way, and once brought into the territory of the enemy, he was always prompting the Greeks to set fire and destroy.Therefore, it became clear that the original intention of the guide was not out of goodwill towards the Greek army.On the fifth day they actually arrived at the mountain ①, which was called Dikes.The vanguard shouted as soon as they reached the top of the mountain.Xenophon and the rearguard heard this and thought there were other enemies ahead

attacking.Because at this time the enemy from the burned area behind was chasing up, the rearguard formed an ambush, killed some of them, captured some, and seized about twenty rattan shields stretched out of raw cowhide.But at this time, the shouting became louder and closer; because all the teams coming up were rushing to the front line soldiers at high speed, and they joined up and shouted one by one; the more people gathered, the louder the shouting.At this moment Xenophon knew that something very important must have happened.He mounted a horse, led Lycius and the cavalry, and rushed forward for reinforcements.In a moment they heard soldiers shouting, "Sea! Sea!" and shouting along the line.

At this moment the whole rearguard was at a gallop, and the pack animals and horses began to gallop forward.When the whole army reached the top of the mountain, they were so excited that tears filled their eyes and hugged each other, even the generals and captains.Suddenly, at the suggestion of some people, soldiers began to move stones and set up a large stone altar.Put some raw hides, walking sticks and captured vine shields on it as sacrifices.The guide not only chopped up the shields himself, but urged others to do the same.Afterwards, the Greek army sent the guide away and gave him a horse, a silver cup, a set of Persian clothes and ten Dalics from the public property.But it was their rings that he specifically asked the soldiers to give him.

He gets a lot.Then he showed them a village in which to camp, and the road they were to take to the land of Macronia.At dusk he took his leave.