anabasis-第43部分

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began　to　parley　about　a　truce；　and　finally　various　concessions　were　made　and　terms　agreed　to　between　them；　but　the　Thracians　would　not　hear　of　giving　hostages　in　answer　to　the　demand　of　the　Hellenes；　at　that　point　the　matter　rested。　So　fared　it　with　the　Arcadians。

As　to　Cheirisophus；　that　general　prosecuted　his　march　along　the　　　　　　　　　10　seaboard；　and　without　check　reached　Calpe　Haven。　Xenophon　advanced　through　the　heart　of　the　country；　and　his　cavalry　pushing　on　in　front；　came　upon　some　old　men　pursuing　their　road　somewither；　who　were　brought　to　him；　and　in　answer　to　his　question；　whether　they　had　caught　sight　of　another　Hellenic　army　anywhere；　told　him　all　that　had　already　taken　place；　adding　that　at　present　they　were　being　besieged　upon　a　knoll　with　all　the　Thracians　in　close　circle　round　them。　Thereupon　he　kept　the　old　men　under　strict　guard　to　serve　as　guides　in　case　of　need；　next；　having　appointed　outposts；　he　called　a　meeting　of　the　soldiers；　and　addressed　them：　〃Soldiers；　some　of　the　Arcadians　are　dead　and　the　rest　are　being　besieged　upon　a　certain　knoll。　Now　my　own　belief　is；　that　if　they　are　to　perish；　with　their　deaths　the　seal　is　set　to　our　own　fate：　since　we　must　reckon　with　an　enemy　at　once　numerous　and　emboldened。　Clearly　our　best　course　is　to　hasten　to　their　rescue；　if　haply　we　may　find　them　still　alive；　and　do　battle　by　their　side　rather　than　suffer　isolation；　confronting　danger　single…handed。

〃Let　us　then　at　once　push　forward　as　far　as　may　seem　opportune　till　supper…time；　and　then　encamp。　As　long　as　we　are　marching；　let　Timasion；　with　the　cavalry；　gallop　on　in　front；　but　without　losing　sight　of　us；　and　let　him　examine　all　closely　in　front；　so　that　nothing　may　escape　our　observation。〃　（At　the　same　time　too；　he　sent　out　some　nimble　fellows　of　the　light…armed　troops　to　the　flanks　and　to　the　high　tops；　who　were　to　give　a　signal　if　they　espied　anything　anywhere；　ordering　them　to　burn　everything　inflammable　which　lay　in　their　path。）　〃As　for　ourselves；〃　he　continued；　〃we　need　not　look　to　find　cover　in　any　direction；　for　it　is　a　long　step　back　to　Heraclea　and　a　long　leap　across　to　Chrysopolis；　and　the　enemy　is　at　the　door。　The　shortest　road　is　to　Calpe　Haven；　where　we　suppose　Cheirisophus；　if　safe；　to　be；　but　then；　when　we　get　there；　at　Calpe　Haven　there　are　no　vessels　for　us　to　sail　away　in；　and　if　we　stop　here；　we　have　not　provisions　for　a　single　day。　Suppose　the　beleaguered　Arcadians　left　to　their　fate；　we　shall　find　it　but　a　sorry　alternative　to　run　the　gauntlet　with　Cheirisophus's　detachment　alone；　better　to　save　them　if　we　can；　and　　　　　17　with　united　forces　work　out　our　deliverance　in　common。　But　if　so；　we　must　set　out　with　minds　prepared；　since　to…day　either　a　glorious　death　awaits　us　or　the　achievement　of　a　deed　of　noblest　emprise　in　the　rescue　of　so　many　Hellene　lives。　Maybe　it　is　God　who　leads　us　thus；　God　who　chooses　to　humble　the　proud　boaster；　boasting　as　though　he　were　exceedingly　wise；　but　for　us；　the　beginning　of　whose　every　act　is　by　heaven's　grace；　that　same　God　reserves　a　higher　grade　of　honour。　One　duty　I　would　recall　to　you；　to　apply　your　minds　to　the　execution　of　the　orders　with　promptitude。〃

With　these　words　he　led　the　way。　The　cavalry；　scattering　as　far　in　advance　as　was　prudent；　wherever　they　set　foot；　set　fire。　The　peltasts　moving　parallel　on　the　high　ground　were　similarly　employed；　burning　everything　combustible　they　could　discover。　While　the　main　army；　wherever　they　came　upon　anything　which　had　accidentally　escaped；　completed　the　work；　so　that　the　whole　country　looked　as　if　it　were　ablaze；　and　the　army　might　easily　pass　for　a　larger　one。　When　the　hour　had　come；　they　turned　aside　to　a　knoll　and　took　up　quarters；　and　there　they　espied　the　enemy's　watch…fires。　He　was　about　forty　furlongs　distant。　On　their　side　also　they　kindled　as　many　watch…fires　as　possible；　but　as　soon　as　they　had　dined　the　order　was　passed　to　quench　all　the　fires。　So　during　the　night　they　posted　guards　and　slept。　But　at　daybreak　they　offered　prayers　to　the　gods；　and　drawing　up　in　order　of　battle；　began　marching　with　what　speed　they　might。　Timasion　and　the　cavalry；　who　had　the　guides　with　them；　and　were　moving　on　briskly　in　front；　found　themselves　without　knowing　it　at　the　very　knoll　upon　which　the　Hellenes　had　been　beleaguered。　But　no　army　could　they　discover；　whether　of　friend　or　foe；　only　some　starveling　old　women　and　men；　with　a　few　sheep　and　oxen　which　had　been　left　behind。　This　news　they　reproted　to　Xenophon　and　the　main　body。　At　first　the　marvel　was　what　had　happened；　but　ere　long　they　found　out　by　inquiries　from　the　folk　who　had　been　left　behind；　that　the　Thracians　had　set　off　immediately　after　sundown；　and　were　gone；　the　Hellenes　had　waited　till　morning　before　they　made　off；　but　in　what　direction；　they　could　not　　　　　23　say。

On　hearing　this；　Xenophon's　troops　first　breakfasted；　and　then　getting　their　kit　together　began　their　march；　desiring　to　unite　with　the　rest　at　Calpe's　Haven　without　loss　of　time。　As　they　continued　their　march；　they　came　across　the　track　of　the　Arcadians　and　Achaeans　along　the　road　to　Calpe；　and　both　divisions　arriving　eventually　at　the　same　place；　were　overjoyed　to　see　one　another　again；　and　they　embraced　each　other　like　brothers。　Then　the　Arcadians　inquired　of　Xenophon's　officerswhy　they　had　quenched　the　watch…fires？　〃At　first；〃　said　they；　〃when　we　lost　sight　of　your　watch…fires；　we　expected　you　to　attack　the　enemy　in　the　night；　and　the　enemy；　so　at　least　we　imagined；　must　have　been　afraid　of　that　and　so　set　off。　The　time　at　any　rate　at　which　they　set　off　would　correspond。　But　when　the　requisite　time　had　elapsed　and　you　did　not　come；　we　concluded　that　you　must　have　learnt　what　was　happening　to　us；　and　in　terror　had　made　a　bolt　for　it　to　the　seaboard。　We　resolved　not　to　be　left　behind　by　you；　and　that　is　how　we　also　came　to　march　hither。〃



IV

During　this　day　they　contented　themselves　with　bivouacking　there　on　　　　　1　the　beach　at　the　harbour。　The　place　which　goes　by　the　name　of　Calpe　Haven　is　in　Asiatic　Thrace；　the　name　given　to　a　region　extending　from　the　mouth　of　the　Euxine　all　the　way　to　Heraclea；　which　lies　on　the　right　hand　as　you　sail　into　the　Euxine。　It　is　a　long　day's　voyage　for　a　war…ship；　using　her　three　banks　of　oars；　from　Byzantium　to　Heraclea；　and　between　these　two　there　is　not　a　single　Hellenic　or　friendly　city；　but　only　these　Bithynian　Thracians；　who　have　a　bad　reputation　for　the　savagery　with　which　they　treat　any　Hellenes　cast　ashore　by　shipwreck　or　otherwise　thrown　into　their　power。

Now　the　haven　of　Calpe　lies　exactly　midway；　halving　the　voyage　between　Byzantium　and　Heraclea。　It　is　a　long　promontory　running　out　into　the　sea；　the　seaward　portion　being　a　rocky　precipice；　at　no　point　less　than　twenty　fathons　high；　but　on　the　landward　side　there　is　a　neck　　　　　　3　about　four　hundred　feet　wide；　and　the　space　inside　the　neck　is　capable　of　accommodating　ten　thousand　inhabitants；　and　there　is　a　haven　immediately　under　the　crag　with　a　beach　facing　the　west。　Then　there　is　a　copious　spring　of　fresh　water　flowing　on　the　very　marge　of　the　sea　commanded　by　the　stronghold。　Again；　there　is　plenty　of　wood　of　various　sorts；　but　most　plentiful　of　all；　fine　shipbuilding　timber　down　to　the　very　edge　of　the　sea。　The　upland　stretches　into　the　heart　of　the　country　for　twenty　furlongs　at　least。　It　is　good　loamy　soil；　free　from　stones。　For　a　still　greater　distance　the　seaboard　is　thickly　grown　with　large　timber　trees　of　every　description。　The　surrounding　country　is　beautiful　and　spacious；　containing　numerous　well　populated　villages。　The　soil　produces　barley　and　wheat；　and　pulse　of　all　sorts；　millet　and　sesame；　figs　in　ample　supply；　with　numerous　vines　producing　sweet　wines；　and　indeed　everything　else　except　olives。　Such　is　the　character　of　the　country。

The　tents　were　pitched　on　the　seaward…facing　beach；　the　soldiers　being　altogether　averse　to　camping　on　ground　which　might　so　easily　be　converted　into　a　city。　Indeed；　their　arrival　at　the　place　at　all　seemed　very　like　the　crafty　design　of　some　persons　who　were　minded　to　form　a　city。　The　aversion　was　not　unnatural；　since　the　majority　of　the　soldiers　had　not　left　their　homes　on　so　long　a　voyage　from　scantiness　or　subsistence；　but　attracted　by　the　fame　of　Cyrus's　virtues；　some　of　them　bringing　followers；　while　others　had　expended　money　on　the　expedition。　And　amongst　them　was　a　third　set　who　had　run　away　from　fathers　and　mothers；　while　a　different　class　had　left　children　behind；　hoping　to　return　to　them　with　money　or　other　gains。　Other　people　with　Cyrus　won　great　success；　they　were　told＇1＇；　why　should　it　not　be　so　with　them？　Being　persons　then　of　this　description；　the　one　longing　of　their　hearts　was　to　reach　Hellas　safely。

＇1＇　I。e。　〃his　society　was　itself　a　passport　to　good　fortune。〃

It　was　on　the　day　after　their　meeting　that　Xenophon　sacrificed　as　a　preliminary　to　a　military　expedition；　for　it　was　needful　to　march　out　in　search　of　provisions；　besides　which　he　designed　burying　the　dead。　　　　9　As　soon　as　the　victims　proved　favourable　they　all　setout；　the　Arcadians　following　with　the　rest。　The　majority　of　the　dead；　who　had　lain　already　five　days；　they　buried　just　where　they　had　fallen；　in　groups；　to　remove　their　bodies　now　would　have　been　imposs