politburo diktat 2.0

Each “Book” of the Anabasis includes a short introduction, as summary of the narrative so far. The division of the work in Books and the introductions as well are certainly the work of later editors, and not Xenophon. The introduction is presented here [in brackets].

[The foregoing narrative has described what happened on the journey until the battle at Cunaxa, since the battle during the truce between the King and Cyrus’ Greek mercenaries, after the breaking of the truce by the King and Tissaphernes, and how they attacked the Greeks. When they reached the Tigris River, it was wholly impassable because of it depth and breadth. And there was no passage (no road running alongside the river) but the Carduchian¹ mountains towered over it. So the generals decided to the go through the mountains. Their prisoners reported that they could go through the Carduchian mountains to the source of the Tigris in Armenia, and if they wished, to cross it there. Or, if they so desired, to go around it. The source of the Euphrates were in that region too. They began their march into the Carduchian country, attempting to do so secretly, so that they could occupy the heights before the enemy.]

When it was the last watch of the night, and enough darkness remained for them to cross the plain, the order was given to get up and march, and they arrived at the mountain at daybreak. Cheirisophus was leading the van of the army with his own troops and all the peltasts, while Xenophon followed in the rearguard with hoplites, without any light troops at all, because no one thought there was any danger of being attacked while making their way up. And Cheirisophus led the army to the heights without being spotted by the enemy. Each division followed along the summit, with the villages in the hollows and nooks of the mountains below.

At this point, the Carduchians abandoned their villages, taking their women and children, and fled into the mountains. They left behind many supplies for the taking: bronze implements in their houses, which the Greeks did not carry off. Nor did the Greeks pursue the people, for they hoped to pass through the Carduchian territory peacefully, especially since they both were enemies of the King of Persia. However, they did take such provisions that they found, out of sheer necessity. But the Carduchians did not reply to their calls, nor make any other friendly sign. When the last of the Greeks made their way down into the villages from the mountain, it was already dark. Because of the narrow road, they had spent all day going up the mountain and then down into the villages. Just then some of the Carduchians assembled and attacked the last Greeks, killing and injuring some of them with stones and arrows. As the Greek army had come upon them unexpectedly, they were quite few in number. However, if they had gathered a larger force, they might have endangered much more of the army. So they spent the night in the villages, sleeping in the open. The Carduchians built bonfires around them up in the mountains, and and kept an eye on each other.

In the morning the assembled officers decided to proceed with only the most needed and powerful pack animals, leaving behind the rest. And also to send away all of the most recently captured prisoners. For the large number of pack animals and prisoners slowed down the march, and those watching over them could not fight, and twice as many provisions had to be collected and carried, so numerous were they. This decision once reached, they published the order to carry it into effect.

1. The “Carduchians” that figure prominently in this chapter are the modern Kurds, who clearly have maintained their distinct identity up in the mountains for thousands of years. [↩]