Book 4 · Chapter 7

After that, they marched into Taochian territory - about five stages, or thirty parasangs - and they were running low on supplies. The Taochians were smart and had set up strong defenses, hauling all their food and stuff into fortified places.

When the army reached one of these spots - basically a fort, no city or houses, just a bunch of people, women and men, plus tons of sheep and cattle - Cheirisophus attacked right away. When the first group of soldiers got worn out and fell back, a second group moved up, and then a third.

It was impossible to surround the place completely because a river was all around it. Soon, Xenophon arrived with the rear guard, a mix of light and heavy infantry. Cheirisophus stopped him and said, "Perfect timing! We have to take this place, because the troops are starving if we don't."

They talked it over, and when Xenophon asked what was stopping them from just walking in, Cheirisophus pointed up, "There’s just this one narrow path you see, but when we try to pass, they shower us with rocks from that overhang. He gestured upwards.

"And that’s what you’ll find if you get caught," he added, pointing to some guys with crushed legs or ribs. "But when they run out of rocks," said Xenophon, "what’s stopping us then? "Besides that small group up there," Cheirisophus replied, "I don’t see anyone else."

"And of them, only two or three look armed. The distance we have to cover under fire is about one hundred and fifty feet, give or take, and the first hundred is filled with tall pine trees spaced out. We can hide under those - what harm can a few rocks do us?"

"So, only fifty feet left to run, during a break in the rocks," Xenophon finished. "Yeah," said Cheirisophus, "but as soon as we start toward those bushes, a storm of rocks starts flying. "That’s exactly what we need," Xenophon responded. "They’ll use up their ammo faster."

"But let’s pick a spot where we only have a short distance to run, and somewhere we can retreat to easily if we need to."

Then Cheirisophus and Xenophon headed out with Callimachus the Parrhasian, who was in charge of the officers guarding the rear that day. The other captains stayed out of harm's way.

After that, about seventy guys needed to sneak away under the trees, not all at once, but one by one, being super careful.

Agasis the Stymphalian and Aristonymous the Methydrian, also officers in the rear, were stationed near the trees for backup, because only a few could stand safely there at a time.

Callimachus came up with a clever idea - he's like, run a few steps out from the tree, and when the rocks started flying, he's just casually stepping back. Each time he did it, the enemy wasted like, more than ten wagonloads of rocks.

Agasias, seeing Callimachus having a good time and the whole army watching, started to worry he's going to miss his chance to dash through the enemy's fire and get to safety.

So, without even saying anything to his buddy, Aristonymous, or to Eurylochus of Lusia, or anyone else, he just took off on his own and zoomed past everyone. But Callimachus grabbed his shield rim, and meanwhile Aristonymous the Methydrian zipped past both of them, followed by Eurylochus of Lusia.

They were all trying to prove how brave they were, and they were seriously competing with each other. So, in this little contest, the three of them took the fortress, and once they were inside, the enemy stopped throwing rocks.

And things got really intense: the women started throwing their babies off the cliff, and then they jumped after them, and the men did too. In that awful scene, Aeneas the Stymphalian, an officer, saw a dude in fancy clothes about to jump, and he grabbed him to stop him.

But the other guy grabbed him back, and both of them were gone in an instant, tumbling down the rocks and dying. Only a handful of people were taken prisoner from that place, but there were tons of cattle, donkeys, and sheep.

From there, they marched through Chalybes territory for seven days, covering about fifty miles. These guys were the bravest they’d met on the whole journey, always eager for a fight.

They wore linen armor that went down to their hips, and instead of the usual decorative flaps, they had thick braids of cords hanging down.

They also had greaves and helmets, and a short sabre at their belts - about the same length as a Spartan dagger - which they used to slit the throats of anyone they captured. Then they’d cut off the head and carry it around, singing and dancing, whenever they got close to the enemy’s territory.

They also had a super-long spear, fifteen feet long, with a pointy end. These people lived in towns, and whenever the Greeks passed by, they’d follow close behind, always fighting.

They had supplies stored in their fortresses, so the Greeks couldn’t get anything from that area, and they had to live off the flocks and herds they'd stolen from the Taochians. After that, the Greeks reached the Harpasus River, which was about four hundred feet wide.

Then they marched through Scythenian territory for four days, about twenty miles, across a flat, open country to more villages. They stopped there for three days to restock their supplies.

They traveled for about four days, covering a lot of ground, and arrived at a big, thriving city called Gymnias. The governor of the region sent them a guide to lead them through territory that wasnn't exactly friendly to him.

This guide told them, "Within five days, I’ll get you to a spot where you can see the sea. And if I don’t, you’re free to end my life. So, he took the lead, but as soon as he crossed into the hostile area, he started urging them to burn and loot the land.

Seriously, his encouragement was so intense, it was obvious he was there for that - not because he cared about the Greeks. On the fifth day, they reached a mountain called Theches. The guys in front scrambled up and spotted the sea, and a huge cheer erupted!

Xenophon, bringing up the rear, heard the commotion and figured they must be fighting off another attack ahead. They were being followed by angry locals, and the land behind them was on fire.

The rearguard had already killed some and captured others, and they’d also grabbed about twenty shields made of woven reeds and covered with raw ox hides.

As the shouting got louder and closer, and those reaching the top started sprinting toward the source of the noise, and the cheers grew even more intense with each new arrival, Xenophon realized something major had happened.

He hopped on his horse, grabbed Lycius and the cavalry, and raced to see what was going on. Soon, they heard the soldiers yelling, "The sea! The sea! Everyone started running - rearguard, baggage animals, horses - everything was galloping forward.

But when they reached the top, they just started hugging each other - generals, officers, everyone - and tears streamed down their faces.

Then, someone gave the order, and the soldiers began piling up stones to build a huge pile, where they dedicated a bunch of raw animal skins, sticks, and those captured wicker shields. The guide himself chopped the shields to pieces, encouraging everyone else to do the same.

Afterward, the Greeks gave the guide a gift from their shared funds: a horse, a silver bowl, a Persian garment, and ten darics. But what he wanted most were their rings, and he managed to collect several from the soldiers.

Then, pointing out a nearby village where they could find a place to stay and the best route to the land of the Macrones, he disappeared into the night as darkness fell.