Anabasis, Book 2, Ch. 5 - second part at politburo diktat 2.0

Anabasis, Book 2, Ch. 5 - second part

[16] ἀλλ’ ἥδομαι μέν, ὦ Κλέαρχε, ἀκούων σου φρονίμους λόγους: ταῦτα γὰρ γιγνώσκων εἴ τι ἐμοὶ κακὸν βουλεύοις, ἅμα ἄν μοι δοκεῖς καὶ σαυτῷ κακόνους εἶναι. ὡς δ’ ἂν μάθῃς ὅτι οὐδ’ ἂν ὑμεῖς δικαίως οὔτε βασιλεῖ οὔτ’ ἐμοὶ ἀπιστοίητε, ἀντάκουσον. [17] εἰ γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἐβουλόμεθα ἀπολέσαι, πότερά σοι δοκοῦμεν ἱππέων πλήθους ἀπορεῖν ἢ πεζῶν ἢ ὁπλίσεως ἐν ᾗ ὑμᾶς μὲν βλάπτειν ἱκανοὶ εἴημεν ἄν, ἀντιπάσχειν δὲ οὐδεὶς κίνδυνος; [18] ἀλλὰ χωρίων ἐπιτηδείων ὑμῖν ἐπιτίθεσθαι ἀπορεῖν ἄν σοι δοκοῦμεν; οὐ τοσαῦτα μὲν πεδία ἃ ὑμεῖς φίλια ὄντα σὺν πολλῷ πόνῳ διαπορεύεσθε, τοσαῦτα δὲ ὄρη ὁρᾶτε ὑμῖν ὄντα πορευτέα, ἃ ἡμῖν ἔξεστι προκαταλαβοῦσιν ἄπορα ὑμῖν παρέχειν, τοσοῦτοι δ’ εἰσὶ ποταμοὶ ἐφ’ ὧν ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν ταμιεύεσθαι ὁπόσοις ἂν ὑμῶν βουλώμεθα μάχεσθαι; εἰσὶ δ’ αὐτῶν οὓς οὐδ’ ἂν παντάπασι διαβαίητε, εἰ μὴ ἡμεῖς ὑμᾶς διαπορεύοιμεν.

Tissaphernes replies: “I am pleased, Clearchus, to hear such sensible words from you. For recognizing this, if you might be planning to do me ill, then at the same time, you would be hostile to yourself. In order that you might learn that you have no basis to distrust neither me nor the King, .. listen to what I say in turn.

“For if we wanted to wipe you out, do you think we would not have numbers of cavalry or infantry or equipment sufficient to defeat you and not expose ourselves to corresponding danger? But do you think we lack suitable places to attack you? Are there not such great plains that even with our assistance, you traveled through with much difficulty? Such mountains that you see which you must traverse? Which would be possible for us to seize ahead of you and confront you with obstacles? So many rivers upon whose banks it would be possible for us to parcel out as many as we might want to fight? Some of which you could not cross at all, unless we transported you.

[19] εἰ δ’ ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ἡττῴμεθα, ἀλλὰ τό γέ τοι πῦρ κρεῖττον τοῦ καρποῦ ἐστιν: ὃν ἡμεῖς δυναίμεθ’ ἂν κατακαύσαντες λιμὸν ὑμῖν ἀντιτάξαι, ᾧ ὑμεῖς οὐδ’ εἰ πάνυ ἀγαθοὶ εἴητε μάχεσθαι ἂν δύναισθε. [20] πῶς ἂν οὖν ἔχοντες τοσούτους πόρους πρὸς τὸ ὑμῖν πολεμεῖν, καὶ τούτων μηδένα ἡμῖν ἐπικίνδυνον, ἔπειτα ἐκ τούτων πάντων τοῦτον ἂν τὸν τρόπον ἐξελοίμεθα ὃς μόνος μὲν πρὸς θεῶν ἀσεβής, μόνος δὲ πρὸς ἀνθρώπων αἰσχρός; [21] παντάπασι δὲ ἀπόρων ἐστὶ καὶ ἀμηχάνων καὶ ἐν ἀνάγκῃ ἐχομένων, καὶ τούτων πονηρῶν, οἵτινες ἐθέλουσι δι’ ἐπιορκίας τε πρὸς θεοὺς καὶ ἀπιστίας πρὸς ἀνθρώπους πράττειν τι. οὐχ οὕτως ἡμεῖς, ὦ Κλέαρχε, οὔτε ἀλόγιστοι οὔτε ἠλίθιοί ἐσμεν.

“And if, despite all these, we suffered a defeat, still, as you know, fire is stronger than fruit, which by burning-down, we could confront you with famine, which even if you were all-powerful, you would not be able to fight. Thus, somehow, having such means to wage war against you, and none of them perilous to us, then, from all of them, would we select the only way impious before gods, as well as despicable to men? It is altogether characteristic of the helpless, the destitute, the captives, and the worthless, to want to accomplish something by perjury before the gods and treachery before men. And we are not such, Clearchus, we are neither so unreasonable nor foolish.

[22] ἀλλὰ τί δὴ ὑμᾶς ἐξὸν ἀπολέσαι οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἤλθομεν; εὖ ἴσθι ὅτι ὁ ἐμὸς ἔρως τούτου αἴτιος τὸ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐμὲ πιστὸν γενέσθαι, καὶ ᾧ Κῦρος ἀνέβη ξενικῷ διὰ μισθοδοσίας πιστεύων τούτῳ ἐμὲ καταβῆναι δι’ εὐεργεσίαν ἰσχυρόν. [23] ὅσα δ’ ἐμοὶ χρήσιμοι ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὰ μὲν καὶ σὺ εἶπας, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον ἐγὼ οἶδα: τὴν μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ τιάραν βασιλεῖ μόνῳ ἔξεστιν ὀρθὴν ἔχειν, τὴν δ’ ἐπὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἴσως ἂν ὑμῶν παρόντων καὶ ἕτερος εὐπετῶς ἔχοι.

“But indeed, we had the chance to destroy you, why didn’t we come to that? You well know that the reason that I wanted to hold off was to become a friend to the Greeks. While Cyrus went forth with a mercenary force loyal to him because he paid them, I will return with that same force on account of my very good service. You can be useful to me in so many ways: not only those that even you mentioned, but also the greatest one that I know: For while only the King may wear his tiara upright on his head, nevertheless, perhaps, with your help, someone else might do so in his heart.” ¹

[24] ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἔδοξε τῷ Κλεάρχῳ ἀληθῆ λέγειν: καὶ εἶπεν: οὐκοῦν, ἔφη, οἵτινες τοιούτων ἡμῖν εἰς φιλίαν ὑπαρχόντων πειρῶνται διαβάλλοντες ποιῆσαι πολεμίους ἡμᾶς ἄξιοί εἰσι τὰ ἔσχατα παθεῖν; [25] καὶ ἐγὼ μέν γε, ἔφη ὁ Τισσαφέρνης, εἰ βούλεσθέ μοι οἵ τε στρατηγοὶ καὶ οἱ λοχαγοὶ ἐλθεῖν, ἐν τῷ ἐμφανεῖ λέξω τοὺς πρὸς ἐμὲ λέγοντας ὡς σὺ ἐμοὶ ἐπιβουλεύεις καὶ τῇ σὺν ἐμοὶ στρατιᾷ. [26] ἐγὼ δέ, ἔφη ὁ Κλέαρχος, ἄξω πάντας, καὶ σοὶ αὖ δηλώσω ὅθεν ἐγὼ περὶ σοῦ ἀκούω.

These things he said seemed to Clearchus to be the truth, and he replied:

“Well, considering our friendship, is not whoever might try by slanders, to make us enemies, worthy to suffer the final punishment?”

“Certainly,” said Tissaphernes, “if you want to come to me with the officers, I, openly, will identify those² telling me that you are plotting against me and my army.”

“And I,” said Clearchus, “will bring all of them, and for my part will show you from which of them I am hearing about you.”³

[27] ἐκ τούτων δὴ τῶν λόγων ὁ Τισσαφέρνης φιλοφρονούμενος τότε μὲν μένειν τε αὐτὸν ἐκέλευε καὶ σύνδειπνον ἐποιήσατο. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ ὁ Κλέαρχος ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον δῆλός τ’ ἦν πάνυ φιλικῶς οἰόμενος διακεῖσθαι τῷ Τισσαφέρνει καὶ ἃ ἔλεγεν ἐκεῖνος ἀπήγγελλεν, ἔφη τε χρῆναι ἰέναι παρὰ Τισσαφέρνην οὓς ἐκέλευεν, καὶ οἳ ἂν ἐλεγχθῶσι διαβάλλοντες τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ὡς προδότας αὐτοὺς καὶ κακόνους τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ὄντας τιμωρηθῆναι. [28] ὑπώπτευε δὲ εἶναι τὸν διαβάλλοντα Μένωνα, εἰδὼς αὐτὸν καὶ συγγεγενημένον Τισσαφέρνει μετ’ Ἀριαίου καὶ στασιάζοντα αὐτῷ καὶ ἐπιβουλεύοντα, ὅπως τὸ στράτευμα ἅπαν πρὸς αὑτὸν λαβὼν φίλος ᾖ Τισσαφέρνει.

After this discussion, Tissaphernes, then in a very friendly manner, asked him to stay and made him an honored dinner guest. The next day, Clearchus coming to the Greek camp, clearly believing to be on wholly friendly terms with Tissaphernes, and Clearchus was telling things which he (Tissaphernes) had answered. He said that those invited must go to Tissaphernes, and whoever of the Greeks who might be convicted of slandering would be considered traitors and enemies to the Greeks and be punished. He suspected Menon to be one of the slanderers, thinking that he had conspired with Tissaphernes and Ariaeus, forming a cabal against him, and plotted to take the entire army from him, as a friend of Tissaphernes.⁴

Tissaphernes is broadly hinting that the Greeks might help him overthrow the King. The Greek word ‘tiara’ might be translated ‘turban,’ or ‘headdress,’ not a glittery little metal circlet. As shown in ancient illustrations, in ancient Persia, only the Great King could wear his raised upright. [↩]
I think Tissaphernes means here “those Persians.” [↩]
The agreement is that each general will publicly identify those of his own men who are sowing dissension. [↩]
I don’t understand that last phrase, “as a friend of Tissaphernes.” In any case, this sentence only describes Clearchus’ ill-founded suspicions of Menon. So that last detail is not critical. [↩]