Chapter 36 Volume Five IV

Leaving Celasus, those who were transported by sea continued on; the rest continued their journey by land. When they came to the frontiers of the Mesynocians, they sent their official agent in Trapezus, Timexitus (who was a Trapezus), to inquire; Whether troops will be considered friendly or hostile when they cross the border.The Mesunocians replied that no crossing was allowed, because they believed that their castle was safe and secure.Timemesiteus told the Greeks that the Mesynocians who lived farther away were at odds with these people.It was then decided to call them in and see if they were willing to make a deal.They sent Timetheus; and returned with their chief.After arriving, these Mesynocian leaders held a meeting with the general of the Greek army. Xenophon preached through the translator of Timexitus: "Men of Mesynocia, we want to return to Greece safely by land, because we have no ships. But These, it is said, are your enemies, and want to block our passage. Therefore, if you will, form an alliance with us, and avenge them for any injury you have suffered in the past, and make them yours from now on. If you refuse, think about it, can you still find such a strong force to help you fight?" The leader of Mesunocia accepted the proposal of this alliance, expressing his willingness to this arrangement.Xenophon said, "Well, then, what will you ask us to do in this alliance, and how will you help us in our crossing?" territory, and sent you not only ships but also people to help you fight and guide your journey."

Having confirmed these agreements, the parties exchanged assurances, and they departed.The next day they came back again, bringing three hundred canoes.Light boats are made of canoes and can take three people.Two of them disembarked and stood by as a whole team, while the third stayed in the boat.The latter steered the boat away, and those who remained lined up as follows.They stood in a line of about a hundred people each, facing each other like a chorus and song and dance team.They all held vine-leaf-shaped vine shields stretched out of thick white cowhide, and each of them held a six-armed spear in their right hand, with a pointed end at one end of the spear body and a ball at the bottom.They wore short robes, which did not reach their knees, and were as thick as sackcloth; on their heads were leather helmets like Pafragonian helmets, with a tuft in the center, shaped like a triple crown; and in their hands were iron battle-axes.After the team is lined up, one person leads the start, and the rest follow. Everyone begins to march and sing rhythmically.Passing through the battalions and the Greek garrisons, they headed straight for the enemy, and advanced towards a castle which seemed very easy to capture.

This fort was in front of the city they called their capital, and within it was the acropolis of the Mesynokians.In fact the battle was for the capture of this acropolis, for whoever possessed it at any one time was considered the master of all the other Mesunocia.It is said that the current occupant is not legal, it is publicly owned. Their seizure is for personal gain. This party of attackers was followed by some Greek troops, not by order of the general, but for the purpose of plunder.When they came forward, the enemy at first stood still; but when they had approached the castle, the enemy rushed out, forced them to flee, killed a large number of foreigners and some Greeks who went up the mountain at the same time, and killed the rest. Pursue.At this time, the enemy saw the Greek army coming to rescue, so they turned and retreated.They beheaded the dead and showed them to the Greek army and their own enemies, while dancing to a tune.The Greeks were therefore annoyed, not only because the enemy had emboldened, but because the Greeks, who had gone to attack with the foreigners, fled, though in numbers—unprecedented in the course of the Long March.

At this moment Xenophon called the Greek army together and said: "Brothers, do not be discouraged by what has happened, because a good thing has indeed happened, and it is as important as the bad thing. First, you know, for We who are guides are really the enemies of those, and we are compelled to be; Again, as to our own men, those who thought so little of our formations that they could achieve with foreigners the same results as with us, have been punished—they are unlikely to do so next time. Out of our formation.But you must be prepared to show our friends among the Gentiles that you are superior to them, and to show the enemy that they have to fight against a different mob than they have ever met. "

So the Greek army passed the day.The next day, after the gods had received a good omen, they had breakfast, organized their companies into columns, and started marching.The foreigners were on the left according to the original formation, and the archers were assigned to the gaps between the companies, and the spearhead of the heavy infantry was slightly behind, because the enemy's agile troops always came running down the mountain to throw stones at the Greek army. They can be stopped.The rest of the Greek army marched forward, first to the castle from which the strangers and those who accompanied them had been routed the day before and had fled.Because now the enemy has set up an attack there.The strangers did meet the light armored assaults, but they fled when the hoplites approached.The light armored soldiers immediately chased up the mountain and rushed to the city, and the heavy armored soldiers followed, still maintaining their formation.When they reached the top and approached the capital houses, all the enemy forces were now assembled to fight.They threw down their long, thick spears, which no man could carry, and all their other guns, and fought hand-to-hand for defense.But as the Greeks did not retreat but advanced, the foreigners also fled from that spot, and all evacuated from the fort.Their monarch, who lives in the wooden tower above the acropolis and is protected by all the people, together with the command palace of the castle they captured before, cannot refuse to come out.So they burned its towers with the people.

While sacking the castle, the Greeks found in the houses what the Mesynokians said was an ancestral store. The bread is piled up, and the new grain is stored together with Cao Kai, most of which is fine wheat.They also found dolphin fillets marinated in vats.In other vessels there is dolphin fat.The Mesunocians used it the same way the Greeks used olive oil. On the upper floors of the premises there are large quantities of dried fruit without core.They boiled and roasted the dried fruit into large pieces, which they used to make their bread, which was often eaten.The Greek army also found wine.Because of the spicy taste, this wine seems to be very strong when drunk purely, but it is delicious when drunk with water.

After breakfast here the Greeks continued on their way, handing over the fort to the Meshnogians who had aided them in the battle.As for the other castles that were on the enemy's side that the march passed, some of them have recently been evacuated, and some have surrendered voluntarily.The situation in most of these places is as follows: the towns are eighty stadias apart from each other, some are farther, some are nearer.Residents called out to neighboring towns to hear about each other.Highlands and valleys are everywhere. When the Greeks marched among the friendly Meshnogians, they showed the Greeks the fat babies of the rich.

They rely on boiled dried fruit for nutrition, their skin color is extremely soft and clear, their height and body circumference are almost equal, their backs are decorated with five colors, and their fronts are all tattooed with patterns.These Mesynocians also followed the Hellenic women in open intercourse, because that was their custom.They were all very clear, male and female alike.The Greeks who served during the Long March thought they were the most uncivilized people in the land they passed, and the people who were the farthest from Greek customs.They often do in public what others only do in private.When alone, they behave as if they were in a crowd, talking to themselves, laughing at themselves, dancing everywhere, as if performing to others.