Book 2 · Chapter 6

The generals got grabbed and hauled up to the king, where they were beheaded. First up was Clearchus - a serious soldier, totally into fighting. Everyone who really knew him would tell you that. While the war between the Spartans and Athenians was happening, he had plenty to do at home.

But after the peace treaty, he convinced his city that the Thracians were messing with the Greeks. He got permission from the Spartan leaders to go attack the Thracians north of the Chersonese and Perinthus.

But he hadn't even really started when, for some reason, the Spartan leaders changed their minds and tried to call him back from the isthmus. He flat-out refused and sailed off toward the Hellespont. Because of that, the Spartans sentenced him to death for ignoring orders.

Now an exile, he ended up with Cyrus. He worked on Cyrus’s feelings - as described later - and got a gift of ten thousand darics. He didn't just chill with all that money; he gathered an army, fought the Thracians, and totally crushed them.

From then on, he kept raiding and plundering them until Cyrus needed his army. Then he jumped right in, hoping to find more fighting with Cyrus. That, I think, was just how a guy wired for war acted. When he could have peace with honor, no shame, no harm - he still wanted war.

When he could relax at home, he insisted on working, as long as it ended in a fight. When he could keep his money safe, he’d rather risk it all in battle.

Basically, war was his thing - like another guy would spend his money on a girlfriend, or to get a thrill, he chose to blow his cash on soldiering.

He was totally obsessed with being a soldier, and it showed - he was born for it. Danger? Bring it on! He’s the kind of guy who’s attacking the enemy, day or night, and never panics, even when things get crazy. Everyone who ever fought alongside him would agree. A seriously good soldier!

But the question is, was he a good leader too? Honestly, he was pretty solid as a commander, considering his personality. He was amazing at figuring out how to get supplies for his army, and actually getting them.

Plus, he made sure everyone knew Clearchus was in charge - he just had this naturally tough vibe. He’s scowl and voice could be intense, and he’s punishments were sometimes pretty harsh, even making him feel bad later. But he believed a disciplined army was a good army.

He once said that the soldier who’s supposed to guard his friends, and be ready to charge into battle without hesitation, had to fear his commander more than the enemy. So, when things got tough, everyone wanted him leading.

His face would light up, and his sternness would turn into this incredible energy - you could feel he was ready to take on anything. But once the danger passed, and they could go under a different officer, a lot of people ditched him. He wasnn't exactly the most charming guy

; he was rough around the edges, kind of like how school kids feel about a strict teacher. Basically, he didn't have followers who were just fans, but anyone assigned to him, whether by the government or just because they needed a job, followed his orders without question.

From the moment he led them to victory, there were tons of things that made his soldiers effective. They felt confident facing the enemy, and they were scared of getting in trouble with him, so they stayed in line. That’s how he knew how to lead.

He wasn't really into playing second fiddle, at least according to what people said. When he died, he was probably around fifty years old.

Proxenus, from Boeotia, was a different kind of guy. Ever since he was a kid, he’s dreamed of becoming someone who could achieve big things. That's why he paid to study with Gorgias of Leontini. After hanging out with that teacher and his group, he thought he was totally ready to be in charge.

While he got along with the important people of the time, he made sure to return every favor. With that attitude, he jumped on board with Cyrus’s plans, hoping to earn a reputation, power, and wealth. But even with such high hopes, he refused to achieve his goals through dishonest means.

He wanted to get what he wanted fairly and honorably, or not at all. As a leader, he could connect with other leaders, but he couldn't inspire his soldiers - they didn't respect him or fear him.

He actually cared more about his soldiers' feelings than his subordinates did about his, and he was way more worried about making them hate him than them being disloyal. He thought the key to being a respected general was to praise the good people and not praise the bad ones.

So, people who knew him liked him - the good and noble ones, anyway. But he also made himself a target for the shady types, who saw him as someone they could take advantage of. He died when he was only thirty years old. As for Menon from Thessaly, his motivation was pretty clear: he wanted money.

He only wanted to rule to get more loot. Honors and status were just ways to expand his gains. And if he got along with powerful people, it was so he could get away with doing wrong. He thought the fastest way to get what he wanted was through lying, cheating, and scamming.

In his world, honesty and simplicity were signs of being a fool. He didn't care about anyone. If he called someone his friend, you could bet he was trying to trick them. He thought making fun of enemies was pointless, but he constantly made fun of his friends.

He didn’t bother trying to steal from people who were on their guard, but he's figured out how easy it was to rob a friend when they felt safe. He feared dishonest and criminal people because they were well-prepared, but he tried to take advantage of honest and truthful people, seeing them as weak.

Instead of pride in being pious, truthful, and righteous, Menon was proud of his ability to cheat, lie, and mock his friends. He thought anyone who wasn’t a con artist was only half educated. If he wanted to be someone’s best friend, he’s trash-talked the people closest to them.

He got his soldiers to obey him by helping them do bad things, and they respected and sought him out because he bragged about how guilty he was. Or if someone kept their distance, he thought it was a generous act that he hadn't robbed them of their life.

Look, there were some pretty shady rumors floating around about his character, but those were probably just made up. I’m just gonna stick to the facts, stuff everyone already knows. He was young and hot when he got Aristippus to give him command of his mercenary soldiers.

He was still looking good when he got super close with Ariaeus, a foreign guy who was really into younger men - that’s what it all boiled down to. And before he even grew a beard himself, he hooked up with a bearded favorite named Tharypas.

When his fellow generals got killed for marching with Cyrus against the king, he was the only one who got a pass, even though he's done the same thing. But then, the king decided to get revenge, and he was put to death.

It wasn’t a quick decapitation like they did to Clearchus and the others - the story goes he suffered for a whole year, living in pain and disgrace, and died like a criminal. Agias the Arcadian and Socrates the Achaean were also among those who were killed.

Seriously, you gotta give them both props - nobody ever called them cowards in battle, and nobody ever questioned their loyalty to their friends. They were both around thirty-five years old.