Book 3 · Chapter 2

The new generals were picked just as the first hint of dawn started to peek through. They met in the middle of the camp and decided to send out an advance guard and call everyone together.

When all the soldiers were gathered, Cheirisophus from Lacedaemon stood up and spoke: "Guys, things aren't looking great right now. We're missing so many generals, captains, and soldiers. Plus, our former allies, Ariaeus and his crew, totally betrayed us."

But we gotta rise above this and prove we’re brave. We can’t give up - let’s try to save ourselves with a huge victory if we can. Or, if not, at least die with honor, and never, as long as we’re still breathing, fall into the hands of our enemies.

If that happens, I’m worried we’ll go through some seriously rough stuff - and I hope the gods only send that kind of thing to those we hate. Then Cleanor from Ochomenia stood up and spoke: "Look at what the king has done - the lies and the disrespect.

See how Tissaphernes isn’t trustworthy, pretending to be close to Greece and saying he'd do anything to save us. He even swore an oath to us and shook his hand in promise. Then, with a lie on his lips, he arrested our generals! He didn’t even respect Zeus, the god of strangers.

He treated Clearchus like a friend at his own table, then used that friendship to trick and trap him.

And Ariaeus, who we were going to make king and with whom we made promises not to betray each other, this guy too, without any fear of the gods or respect for Cyrus even though Cyrus valued him so much when he was alive, has turned against Cyrus's friends and is trying to hurt them.

"May the gods deal with them as they deserve! But we, knowing all this, won’t let them fool us anymore. We’re going to fight as hard as we can, and whatever the gods decide to send, we’ll accept it."

After him Xenophon stepped up; he was decked out in his best battle gear. Because, he thought, if the gods give us the win, the fanciest clothes will match the victory best.

"Or if I’m gonna die, then for someone who’s aimed for the highest honor, it's good there’s something to show it - some outward sign that matches what I hoped for."

He started speaking: "Cleanor talked about how the barbarians cheated and broke their promises, and you guys know that all too well, I bet. So, if we’re thinking about trusting them again after what our generals, who totally relied on them, went through, it’s only logical to feel really down."

"But, if we’re gonna grab our swords and punish them for what they did, and be at war with them from now on, then, with God’s help, we’ve got plenty of reasons to hope we’re safe. The words were barely out when someone sneezed, and everyone bowed in respect.

Xenophon continued: "I suggest, guys, since, even as we talked about safety, we got a sign from Zeus the Savior, we promise to sacrifice to the Savior to give thanks for being saved, wherever we reach a friendly place first."

"And let’s add another promise - that we’ll offer to the other gods ‘whatever we can.’ Everyone who’s for this, raise your hand." They all raised their hands, and right there, they made their promises and sang the battle song.

But as soon as the religious stuff was done, he started again: "I was saying that we have lots of reasons to hope for safety. First off, we’re the ones who keep our promises to the gods, but our enemies cheated and broke their truce, going back on their word."

So, it’s natural that the gods will be against our enemies, but on our side. The gods, who can make powerful people disappear quickly, and can easily save small people out of tough situations, whenever they want.

"Next, let me remind you about the dangers our ancestors faced, so you can see and know that bravery runs in your blood, and that with the gods’ help, brave people are rescued even from the worst situations. That’s what happened when the Persians came, along with their huge army, to destroy Athens.

The men of Athens had the guts to stand up to them and beat them. Then, they promised Artemis that for every enemy soldier they killed, they’d sacrifice a certain number of goats to the goddess. And when they couldn't find enough goats for all the dead, they decided to offer five hundred every year.

And they still do that today. And a little later, when Xerxes gathered his massive army and marched on Greece, our fathers also defeated the ancestors of our enemies, both on land and at sea.

"And you’re going to see the proof in the spoils - the trophies we take. But the biggest sign of all is the freedom of our cities - the liberty of the land where you were born and raised. You don’t call anyone your boss or lord; you only bow your heads to the gods."

That’s who your ancestors were, and that’s who you are. Don’t think I’m saying you’re letting your ancestors down - far from it.

Not long ago, you stood in battle, face to face with these guys who are true descendants of their families, and with the help of the gods, you beat them, even though they had way more people. Back then, you fought bravely to win a throne for Cyrus.

Now, when you’re fighting for your own survival, isn’t it natural to be even braver and more determined? Absolutely! It's totally right to be fearless today as you face the enemy.

Just the other day, you hadn’t even tested them, and you could see their huge army stretching out before you, but you still had the spirit of your fathers to go against them.

Now you’ve seen what they’ve got, and you know they don't care about facing you, no matter how outnumbered you are, so why be afraid? "And don't think there’s a problem because Cyrus’s soldiers, who were fighting alongside us, have now left us. They’re even bigger cowards than the ones we defeated."

They’re already with the enemy, looking for safety. Leaders of the escape route - it's better for them to be with the enemy than fighting beside us.

But if any of you is feeling down because we don’t have cavalry, while the enemy has tons of horsemen, listen to this: ten thousand horsemen are no more powerful than ten thousand soldiers on foot, neither more nor less. Has anyone ever died in battle from a horse biting or kicking them?

It’s the soldiers - the real fighters - who do everything in battles. Honestly, we’re better mounted than those cavalry guys! They’re clinging to their horses’ necks, terrified of falling off, not just from us, but from falling!

We’re planted firmly on the ground and can hit harder, aiming more accurately. There’s one thing, I’m going to admit, where their cavalry has an advantage: it’s safer for them to run away than it is for us.

"Maybe you’re feeling good about the fight, but worried that Tissaphernes won’t guide us anymore, and the king won’t give us supplies."

Now, think about it: is it better to have a guide like Tissaphernes, who we know is plotting against us, or to find random people we can force to guide us, who will know that leading us wrong will mean a quick death for them?

Also, is it better to buy food from their market, getting small amounts at high prices, and not even having the money to pay for it anymore, or to take what we need through conquest, getting as much as we want?

"Or maybe you’re thinking that our situation isn't all bad, but you’re worried about the rivers, like you got totally tricked when you crossed them before? If that's the case, think about this: maybe the barbarians made the dumbest move ever."

No river is impossible to cross; even if it's tough further down, just head upstream to the source, and you can probably wade across without even getting your ankles wet. But, okay, let's say the rivers really are a problem, and we can't find any guides - so what? We don't need to freak out.

We're talking about the Mysians, and let's be real, they're not better than us. Yet, they live in tons of big, thriving cities right in the king’s territory without even asking permission. Same with the Pisidians, or the Lycaonians.

We’ve seen how they roll: grabbing fortresses in the lowlands and taking what they want from these other guys' land. Honestly, I think we should have pretended we weren’t in a rush to go home.

We should have started setting up camp, stocking up on supplies, like we were planning to settle down here for good. I'm sure the king would be happy to give the Mysians all the guides they want, or as many hostages as they need, just to get them out of his country safely.

He’d even build roads for them, and if they wanted to leave in fancy carriages, he wouldn't say no. I’m pretty sure he’d do the same for us if he saw us getting ready to settle in.

But maybe it’s good we didn't stick around, because I’m worried that if we start living the easy life, hanging out with these gorgeous Median and Persian women and girls, we’ll end up like the Lotus-eaters, and forget all about getting home.

"It seems right to me to try and get back to Greece, to see our homes and families again, just to show other Greeks that it's their own fault if they're broke and struggling. They could easily give those back home a way out, and turn them into successful people right here."

So, guys, isn’t it obvious that everything good goes to whoever’s strong enough to take it? "Let's talk about something else. How do we march safely? And when we need to fight, how do we fight best? That’s the question. "First, I suggest we burn the wagons we have.

That way, we can move wherever the army needs us, instead of letting the baggage train dictate where we go. And next, let’s toss the tents into the fire too. They’re just a pain to carry, and they don’t help us fight or find food.

Plus, let’s ditch all the extra stuff, except for what we need for war or to eat and drink. That way, as many of us as possible can be armed, and as few as possible carrying stuff. I don't have to remind you that if we lose, our stuff isn't ours anymore.

But if we beat our enemies, they're going to be carrying our baggage.

"Okay, so here’s the main thing I want to talk about. You see, the enemy didn’t even try to attack us until they got our leaders - our generals - in their sights. They figured as long as we had those guys in charge, and we listened to them, they didn't stand a chance against us in a fight."

But once they grabbed them, they totally expected that the confusion and chaos that would follow would be our downfall. So, here's what we need: Our officers need to be even more careful than ever before. And the rest of us need to be even more organized and follow orders now than we did before.

We should vote that anyone who sees someone messing with an officer needs to help him deal with it. That way, the enemy will be completely thrown off. Because when they show up, they’re going to see ten thousand Clearchuses instead of one - nobody’s going to back down.

"Alright, I'll wrap it up now, because they could be here any minute. Everyone who’s for these ideas, let’s vote for them now so we can make them happen. If you have a better idea, speak up, even if you’re just a regular soldier - our safety depends on it. After that, Cheirisophus spoke.

He said: "If there’s anything else we need to do, we’ll figure it out soon enough. But about what Xenophon’s already suggested, I think we should vote on it right away. Everyone who’s for Xenophon’s ideas, raise your hand. Everyone raised their hands.

Xenophon spoke again and said: "Listen, guys, here's what else I think we need. We have to march where we can find food. I’m hearing there are some really good villages only about two and a half miles away."

So, I wouldn’t be surprised if the enemy tries to follow us, like scared dogs that jump out and bite people passing by, but run away if you fight back. That’s probably what they’ll do. Maybe it’s safer to march in a square, with the pack animals and the merchants in the center, for extra protection.

Let's decide now who will lead the square and the front lines, who will take charge of the sides, and who will guard the back. That way, when the enemy shows up, we won't have to waste time figuring things out - we can just jump into action.

"If anyone has a better plan, we don’t have to do it my way. But if not, how about Cheirisophus leads, since he’s a Lacedaemonian? And the two most experienced generals can take charge of the sides, while Timasion and I, the two youngest, will guard the rear for now."

We can always try this out and change things up later if we see something that could work better. If anyone has a better idea, speak up. ... Nobody objected. So he said: Everyone who’s for this plan, raise your hand. The plan was approved.

"And now," he said, "let’s split up and put this into action. If you’re eager to see your friends again, remember to prove you’re a man - that’s the only way to get what you want. Or if just staying alive is your goal, fight to win. If victory means killing your enemies, then defeat means dying."

"Or maybe you want money and riches - then fight for control, because conquerors get to keep what’s theirs and take what the losers have."