Book 6 · Chapter 4

They just chilled out, setting up camp on the beach at the harbor that day. The place is called Calpe Haven and it’s in Asiatic Thrace - that’s a region that stretches from the mouth of the Black Sea all the way to Heraclea, which you’ll see on your right as you sail into the Black Sea.

It’s a pretty long trip for a warship, rowing with all three rows of oars, from Byzantium to Heraclea.

And between those two places, there isn't a single Greek or friendly town, just these Bithynian Thracians, who have a reputation for being brutal to any Greeks who wash ashore after a shipwreck or get caught in their power.

Now, Calpe Haven is right in the middle, splitting the trip between Byzantium and Heraclea in half. It’s a long point of land jutting out into the sea; the side facing the ocean is a steep, rocky cliff, at least twenty fathoms high everywhere you look.

But on the landward side, it's only about four hundred feet wide; and the area inside the neck could hold ten thousand people, and there's a harbor right under the cliff with a beach facing west. Plus, there’s a good spring of fresh water right at the edge of the sea, protected by the stronghold.

And there's plenty of wood of all kinds; especially fine shipbuilding timber right down to the water's edge. The land stretches inland for at least twenty furlongs. It’s good, loamy soil, clear of stones. For an even greater distance, the coastline is thick with large timber trees of every type.

The surrounding country is beautiful and spacious, with lots of well-populated villages. The soil grows barley and wheat, plus all kinds of pulses, millet, and sesame, with plenty of figs and numerous vines producing sweet wines - pretty much everything except olives. That ’s what the place is like.

They set up their tents on the beach facing the ocean, because the soldiers really didn’t want to camp somewhere that could easily become a city. Their arrival there seemed like a sneaky plan by someone who wanted to build a city, honestly.

It wasn’t totally crazy to feel that way, since most of the soldiers didn’t leave their homes on a long journey because they were starving, but because of Cyrus’s good reputation; some brought followers, while others had spent money on the expedition.

And there was a third group who ran away from their parents; and a fourth group who left their kids behind, hoping to return with money or other gains. They heard that people who went with Cyrus had amazing success - why couldn't they? So, these guys were really hoping to get back to Greece safely.

The day after they met, Xenophon made sacrifices to prepare for a military expedition; it was important to march out and find food, and also to bury the dead. As soon as the animal sacrifices looked good, they all set out, with the Arcadians following along.

Most of the dead, who had been lying there for five days, they buried right where they fell, in groups. Trying to move their bodies now would have been impossible. A few who were off the road, they gathered and buried with as much respect as they could, considering what they had.

Others they couldn’t find, so they built a large memorial and covered it with wreaths. When everything was done, they headed back to camp. They ate dinner and got some rest.

The next day, everyone gathered for a big meeting. Agasias from Stymphalos, a captain, and Hieronymus from Eleia, also a captain, along with other leaders from Arcadia, were there. They decided that anyone who even mentioned breaking up the army would be punished by death.

"The army would go back to its old positions under their former commanders. Cheirisophus had already died from a fever, but Neon from Asinaea had taken his place. After that, Xenophon stood up and said, "Soldiers, it looks like we're going to have to walk the rest of the way.

We don't have any ships, and we're out of food if we stop, so we have to start moving now. He continued, Let's sacrifice to the gods, and get ready to fight - the enemy’s got a serious boost of energy again. The generals then sacrificed, with the Arcadian seer, Arexion, watching.

Silanus from Ambracia had already managed to charter a ship at Heraclea and escape. The sacrifices didn't look good for departure. So they waited that day. Some people even started saying that Xenophon wanted to settle the area, so he’d convinced the seer to say the sacrifices were bad for leaving.

The next morning, Xenophon announced that anyone who wanted could come to the sacrifice, and if they were seers, they should come help check the animals.

They sacrificed again, and a lot of people showed up, but even after repeating the sacrifice about departure three times, the animals still didn't look promising. The soldiers were furious because they were almost out of food and there was nowhere to buy more.

So, there was another meeting, and Xenophon spoke again: Men, you can see for yourselves that the animals aren’t giving us a good sign. But I can also see that you’re running low on food, so we need to focus our sacrifices. Someone spoke up and said, No wonder the animals are bad!

"I heard from someone who arrived here on a ship yesterday that Cleander, the governor at Byzantium, is coming with ships and soldiers. Everyone wanted to stop, but they still needed to find food, so he sacrificed three more times, but the animals still weren't giving a good sign.

Things were so bad that the soldiers actually went to Xenophon’s tent to tell him they had no food. His only response was that he wouldn't lead them out until the animals gave a good sign. So, the next day, he sacrificed again.

Almost the entire army gathered around to watch the animals - it was that much of a big deal. But even the animals themselves seemed to fail them. So, instead of leading the army out, the generals called everyone together.

Xenophon, as he had to, spoke up: "It’s possible the enemy is gathered, and we’re going to have to fight. If we left our supplies in that secure place" (pointing overhead) "and went out ready for battle, the animals might favor us."

But when the soldiers heard this, they shouted, "No need to take us inside that place! Let’s sacrifice quickly!" There were no sheep left, so they bought oxen from under a wagon and sacrificed.

Xenophon asked Cleanor from Arcadia to supervise the sacrifice on his behalf, just in case things would change now. But even so, there was no improvement.

Neon was now in charge instead of Cheirisophus, and seeing the men were really struggling, he wanted to help them out.

So, he found some Heracleot or someone who claimed to know of nearby villages where they could get food, and he announced by messenger: "If anyone wants to go out and get supplies, know that I, Neon, will be their leader."

So, the men came out - two thousand of them - with spears, wine skins, and sacks, basically anything they could carry. But when they reached the villages and started spreading out to find food, Pharnabazus’s cavalry showed up first.

They were helping the Bithynians, trying to stop the Greeks from getting into Phrygia. Those riders took down at least five hundred of the men; the rest bolted for the hills. Word of what happened got back to camp quickly, and Xenophon saw that things hadn’t gone well.

He grabbed a wagon bullock - it was the best he could find - and offered it up as a sacrifice. Then, he and everyone under thirty years old headed out to rescue the others. They managed to gather up what was left of Neon's group and returned to camp.

It was almost sunset, and the Greeks were eating a depressing dinner when suddenly, Bithynians burst out of the bushes and attacked the guards, cutting some down and chasing the rest into camp. Amidst the screams and shouts, the Greeks grabbed their weapons.

But chasing the Bithynians or moving the camp at night seemed too risky, with all the thick brush around. So, they just reinforced the outposts and kept watch, armed, all night long.