Book 7 · Chapter 3

After hearing what he had to say, they made promises to show they were trustworthy, and the group rode off. Before sunrise, they were back in camp, and each person reported what they’d found to the generals.

At daybreak, Aristarchus called the generals and officers together again, but the officers decided they were done with the visit to Aristarchus and wanted to call a meeting of the entire army. The soldiers gathered, except for Neon’s men, who stayed about a mile and a half away.

Then Xenophon stood up and announced: "Soldiers, Aristarchus and his warships are stopping us from sailing where we want to go; it’s even dangerous to get on a ship. But if he’s blocking us here, he’s actually pushing us towards our goal."

‘Head to the Chersonese,’ he says, ‘force your way through the Sacred Mountain. If we conquer it and make it to that place, he has something in store for us. He promises he won’t sell you out like he did at Byzantium; you won’t be cheated again; you’ll get paid; he won’t let you go hungry.

That’s his offer. But Seuthes says if you go to him, he’ll treat you well. So, what do you want to do? Do you want to argue about this now, or wait until we’re in a land with plenty of food? If you ask me, we should go up into these villages where we can take what we need - it’s basically ours now.

"There, without worrying about food, you can listen to what this guy and the other guy want and choose whichever sounds best. Let those who agree raise their hands. Everyone raised their hands. "Okay then," he said, "get your gear together, and when you hear the command, follow me."

After that, Xenophon took the lead, and the others followed. Neon and other representatives from Aristarchus tried to convince them to change their minds, but they ignored them. They hadn’t gone much more than three miles when they met Seuthes, and Xenophon told him to ride up.

"He wanted to tell him what he thought would be best for them, and in front of as many people as possible. As soon as Seuthes approached, Xenophon said: "We’re heading to a place where the troops will have enough to live on.

"When we get there, we’ll listen to you and to Aristarchus’s messengers, and choose whichever offer sounds best. So, if you lead us to a place with plenty of food, we’ll be grateful for your hospitality."

And Seuthes replied: "Actually, I know a lot of villages, packed with all kinds of food, just far enough away to make you really hungry in the morning." "Lead the way!" said Xenophon.

When they reached the villages in the afternoon, the soldiers gathered, and Seuthes gave a speech: "My request to you, soldiers, is that you join me in battle, and my promise to you is that I’ll give each of you a silver coin, and to the officers and generals, the usual amount."

"Plus, I’ll reward those who show courage. You can get food and drink from the land as you have been, but anything we capture, I’ll claim it myself, so I can distribute it and pay you. Let them run, let them hide - we’ll track them down; and if they resist, we’ll try to defeat them together."

Xenophon asked: "And how far from the sea will the army have to march?" "No more than a week’s journey," he answered, "and in many places, much less . "

"After that, everyone was given a chance to speak, and a lot did, but they all said pretty much the same thing: "What Seuthes said was spot on. It’s winter, and sailing home, even if you wanted to, is impossible.

"But staying in a friendly place, relying on buying what you need, isn't an option either. If we’re going to tough it out in a hostile place, it's safer with Seuthes than on our own - not to mention all the good stuff he’s got. Plus, getting paid on top of that? That’s a total lifesaver."

To wrap things up, Xenophon said: "If anyone’s against this, speak up now. If not, let the officer put it to a vote." Nobody disagreed, they voted, and it passed. Without wasting any time, he told Seuthes that they’d fight alongside him.

After this, the troops ate together in their own groups, but the generals and officers were invited to dinner by Seuthes at a nearby village he controlled. As they were about to go inside, a guy named Heracleides from Maronea approached them.

He went up to each guest, focusing especially on those who seemed like they could afford a gift for Seuthes. First, he spoke to some guys from Paros who were there to make friends with Medocus, the Odrysian king, and were carrying presents for him and his wife.

Heracleides reminded them: "Medocus is twelve days’ journey inland, but Seuthes, now that he’s got this army, will rule the coast. As your neighbor, he’s the one who can help you or hurt you. If you’re smart, you’ll give him whatever he asks for."

You’ll get a better return on your investment than if you gave it to Medocus, who’s so far away. That was his way of persuading them. Next, he went to Timasion the Dardanian, who someone had told him had some fancy goblets and oriental rugs."

He said: "It’s customary to bring a gift when you’re invited to dinner with Seuthes. And if he becomes a big deal around here, he can send you back home or make you rich. So, you should definitely show him your generosity. He spoke to each person he met like that.

Eventually, he came to Xenophon and said: "You’re a citizen of a major city, and your name is already well-known with Seuthes. Maybe you’re hoping to get a fort or some land around here, like other Greeks have. So, it’s only right to honor Seuthes in a big way."

I’m giving you this advice out of friendship, because the more generous you are, the better you’ll be treated. Xenophon was in a tough spot, because all he’d brought with him from Parium was one boy and just enough money to pay for his trip."

As soon as the crew - the most powerful Thracians around, along with the generals and captains of the Greeks, and any representatives from a city-state - arrived, they were seated in a circle, and dinner was served. Then, three-legged stools were brought over and put in front of everyone.

They were piled high with meat, and huge loaves of bread were stuck to the meat with long skewers. Usually, the tables were set next to the guests at intervals. That was the custom, and Seuthes started it.

He picked up the loaves beside him and broke them into little pieces, then tossed them to people here and there, as he felt was right. He did the same with the meat, leaving himself just a tiny taste. Then, everyone else started copying him, especially those with tables next to them.

Now, there was an Arcadian, Arystas, a total food fiend. He quickly got tired of tossing pieces around and grabbed a huge loaf with both hands, piled some meat on his lap, and started eating. Then, pitchers of wine were passed around, and everyone took a turn.

But when the cupbearer got to Arystas and handed him the bowl, he looked up and saw that Xenophon had finished eating: "Give it to him," he said. "He’s got more time. I’m busy right now."

Seuthes, hearing this, asked the cupbearer what was said, and the cupbearer, who knew how to speak Greek, explained. A wave of laughter erupted. As the drinking went on, a Thracian rode in with a white horse and grabbed the overflowing bowl. "Here’s a toast to you, Seuthes!" he shouted.

"Let me give you this horse. Ride him, and you’ll capture whoever you want to chase, and you won’t fear the enemy when you retreat. Another person followed, bringing in a boy and presenting him properly: "Here’s a toast to you, Seuthes! A third brought "clothes for his wife."

Timasion, the Dardanian, toasted Seuthes and presented a silver bowl and a carpet worth ten minae.

Gnesippus, an Athenian, stood up and said: "It was a good old custom, and a great one too, that those who had something, should give to the king for honor’s sake, but the king should give to those who didn’t."

That way, my lord," he added, "I too might one day have the means to give you gifts and honor. Meanwhile, Xenophon was racking his brain, wondering what to do. He wasn't feeling any better, even though he was seated next to Seuthes as a mark of honor."

"Heracleides told the cupbearer to hand him the bowl. The wine had maybe gotten to his head a little. He stood up, took a deep breath, and grabbed the cup: "I also, Seuthes, want to give you myself and my friends to be your loyal companions. None of them will go against you.

They’re even more ready than I am to be your friends. Here they are! They don’t want anything from you in return; they’re eager to work for you. They’re ready to take the brunt of battle in voluntary service. With them, God willing, you’ll gain vast territory.

"You’ll reclaim what belonged to your ancestors. You’ll win new lands - and not just land, but lots of horses and a huge number of men, and many beautiful women too. You won’t have to steal them; my friends here will take them and bring them to you, laying them at your feet as gifts."

Seuthes stood up and drained the cup with him, then sprinkled the last drops fraternally.

Musicians came in, blowing on horns used for signals and playing tunes on trumpets made from raw oxhide - like a really fancy harp. Seuthes himself jumped up and started shouting, leading a war song, then he bounced around like he was dodging something, super agile.

Then a bunch of clowns and jesters showed up. But when the sun started to set, the Hellenes got up. It was time, they said, to set up night guards and pass the password.

They also asked Seuthes to tell the Thracians not to enter the Hellenic camp at night, "because there could be confusion between your Thracian enemies and our Thracian friends." As they headed out, Seuthes stood up, acting serious.

When they were outside, he called the generals aside and said, "Guys, our enemies donn't even know we’re allies yet. If we attack before they’re ready or have a plan, we’ll get a ton of prisoners and loot. The generals totally agreed, and told him to lead the way.

He replied, "Get ready and wait; I’ll be with you as soon as the time’s right. I’ll grab the light infantry and you all, and with the gods’ help, I’ll lead the charge. Xenophon chimed in, "But, what about marching at night? Shouldn’t we do it the Hellenic way?"

"During the day, we pick the best troops for the terrain - heavy infantry, light troops, or cavalry. But at night, the slowest troops should lead. That way, we don’t get separated and people don’t wander off accidentally, causing trouble."

Seuthes responded, "You make a good point, and I’ll do it your way. I’ll give you guides who know the area really well, and I’ll bring up the cavalry in the rear. I can get to the front fast if I need to. For security, they chose "Athenaia" as their password.

Then everyone went to find a place to rest. Around midnight, Seuthes showed up with his cavalry troopers wearing armor and his light infantry ready to go.

After handing over the promised guides, the heavy infantry took the lead, followed by the light troops in the middle, and the cavalry bringing up the rear. At sunrise, Seuthes rode to the front.

He complimented them on their strategy, saying he’s been separated from his infantry before while marching at night with just a few men. "But now," he said, "we’re all together at dawn, which is how it should be. Wait for me here and get some rest. I’ll scout around and rejoin you."

"With that, he took a path over the hills and rode off. When he reached deep snow, he checked for footprints, going forward or backward. After making sure the road was clear, he rode back, exclaiming, "God willing, guys, it’s going to be great!

"We’ll surprise those guys before they even know what’s happening. I’ll lead with the cavalry, so if anyone gets spotted, they won’t escape to warn the enemy. Follow the trail of the horses if you get left behind. Once we’re over the mountains, we’ll find ourselves in lots of thriving villages."

By midday, he’d already reached the top of the pass and looked down at the villages below. He rode back to the heavy infantry and said, "I’ll send the cavalry and the peltasts into the plain below to attack the villages. Follow as fast as you can, so you can help us if we run into trouble."

Hearing this, Xenophon hopped off his horse, and the other guy asked, "Why are you getting off just when we need to go fast? Xenophon answered, "But you don’t want me alone, do you? The hoplites will run even faster and be more pumped if I lead them on foot."

Then Seuthes and Timasion headed off, taking a Hellene group of around forty troopers. Xenophon gave the order: the younger, active guys - up to thirty years old - from the different groups to the front. Then he and Cleanor took off with them, moving pretty quickly.

When they got to the villages, Seuthes, with about thirty troopers, rode up, saying, "Hey, Xenophon, just like you said! They’re caught, but look here. My cavalry went off without backup; they’re scattered, chasing after people, all over the place."

"Honestly, I’m pretty worried the enemy will gather somewhere and mess with them. Some of us need to stay in the villages - they’re packed with people."

"Okay," said Xenophon, "I’ll take the high ground with the guys I have here, and you tell Cleanor to spread out along the flat land beside the villages."

They did as he said, and they found themselves surrounded by - one thousand captives for the slave market, two thousand head of cattle, and ten thousand smaller animals. They set up camp there for the time being.