Chapter 29 Volume 4 Ⅴ

The next day it seemed that they must continue their journey at full speed, lest the enemy should be able to regroup again and occupy the passes. So they packed their bags and set off immediately, following many guides in the deep snow.Before nightfall they passed the top of the hill on which Tiribazus intended to attack them, and camped.From here they traveled through the wilderness for three stations, fifteen parasangs, and ran to and crossed the Euphrates River.The river is wet to the navel, and it is said that it is not too far from the source of the river. From there they traveled through the plains through the deep snow, three stops, thirteen parasangs.The third leg was quite difficult.The north wind blew in the face and froze everything and people.At this time, a fortune teller asked them to offer sacrifices to the god of wind.After the sacrifice, the wind visibly weakened.But the snow was a foot deep, and many pack animals and slaves died, along with about thirty soldiers.They passed the night warming themselves by fire, for there was plenty of wood in the army quarters; but those who followed had none.As a result, those who came earlier to the fire kept those who came later from near the fire unless they gave them a share of all the wheat or any other edible thing.So they shared with each other what they had.Wherever there was a fire, the snow melted, and the result was a large hole in the ground, and here, of course, the depth of the snow could be measured.

From here they marched through the snow all day next day, and many fell ill and fainted with hunger.Xenophon and the rear guard saw the soldier fell ill halfway, and they didn't know what happened.A person familiar with this condition told him that it was obviously fainting from hunger, and he could get up if he was given some food.He ran at once to the pack animals, and whenever he saw anything edible, he distributed it to the sick, or sent someone who had the strength to run along the line to bring food to them.After eating something they got up and continued on the march. As the army marched, Cherisophus reached a village about dusk.It was found that women and girls from the village came to fetch water from the spring outside the wall.They asked who the Greeks were, and the interpreter replied in Polish that they were on their way from the king to see the governor.The woman said that the governor was not there, but a parasang away.At this time, because it was getting late, Xijun followed the water collector into the village to meet the village chief.The result was that Chrysophus and all who had reached the village with sufficient strength settled there, while those who could not make the journey had to sleep in the open in the open, without food or fire; and thus some of the soldiers died.

At the same time, there are enemies following them.Some of them were already ganging up to snatch the weary beasts of burden, and fighting with each other.Some of the soldiers couldn't keep up either—some had eyes dazzled by the snow, some had toes rotten from the cold.When walking alone, something dark in front of you can protect your eyes from being damaged by the snow; you can protect your feet if you are always walking without stopping, or you can take off your shoes at night. Men sleep in shoes, and the straps get caught in the flesh, and the shoes froze on the feet, for their old shoes are worn out, and they wear rough shoes made of new flayed cowhide.

It was the hardships and hardships that made some soldiers fall behind.Seeing a dark spot ahead (for there was no snow there), they surmised that the snow had melted.Indeed the snow had melted, for a nearby spring was steaming in the glen.Here they turned, sat down, and refused to go any further.But when Xenophon saw them with some soldiers in the rear, he tried every means to beg them not to fall behind, and told them that a large army of enemies had assembled and was pursuing them.Finally he lost his temper.But these people told him to kill them, because they couldn't go on.In this case, it seems best to intimidate the pursuing enemies, if possible, in case they pick up the sick.By this time it was already dark, and the enemy came up, shouting and quarreling over the spoils.The soldiers of the rear guard, since they were safe, mobilized and charged at the enemy; while the sick shouted as loud as they could, clanging their spears on their shields.The enemy was terrified at the sound, and fled across the snow into the valley, and they were never heard from them again.

So Xenophon and his soldiers told the sick that someone would come back to see them the next day, and they continued on their way.But they hadn't gone four stadia before they came to their comrades lying in the snow on the road, wrapped in battle robes, not even a sentry post was posted.They wanted to get everyone up, but these people said that the front line would not give way.Then Xenophon went and sent out his strongest light soldiers, ordering them to see what was in the way. The light soldiers reported that the whole army was resting in this way.At this time, Xenophon and his troops camped out without fire or food after sending out all the sentries they could.At dawn Xenophon sent his youngest contingent to the sick, ordering them to rise, and forcing them onward.

Meanwhile Cherisophus sent some detachments living in the village to see how the rearguard was doing.Xenophon's troops were glad to see them, and handed over the sick to them to take to the camp, while they themselves continued their journey, and in less than twenty stadia they reached the village where Chrysophus lived.When everyone was assembled, the generals decided that it would be safer for each part of the army to live in several villages.So Cherisophus stayed where he was, while the other generals were assigned by lot to some nearby villages, and each led his troops there.At this time, Polycrates, an Athenian captain, asked to be separated from his part of the army.He took a group of active soldiers to the village that Xenophon had drawn, and arrested all the villagers and the village chief, together with the seventeen horses raised for tribute to the Persian king, and the village chief's daughter who had just been married for eight days.Her husband went out to hunt rabbits and was not caught in the village.

The houses here are underground, with a hole like the mouth of a well, but the bottom is very spacious.The beasts of pack had access through passages, and the inhabitants had access by ladders.There are big and small goats, sheep, livestock and poultry in the house.All of these animals are raised and fed on premises.There is also wheat, barley and pulses and large bowls of ale.There are large grains of barley floating on this drink; there are stalks in it, some larger and some smaller, without knots.When a person is thirsty, he puts straw in his mouth and sucks it.This is a very strong drink, which can be diluted with water, and is very good when you get used to it.

Xenophon invited the headman of the village to dine, and bade him not to be troubled, telling him that his children would not be taken away, and that, if the army were well guided, they would not go away until they reached another tribe. will repay him by filling his house with provisions.The village head promised to do this, and told them kindly where the wine was buried.That night, all Xenophon's soldiers who lived separately in this village went to rest.Everything is abundant.Watching the village head, his children are all in front of him. The next day Xenophon set off with the village chief to meet Cherisophus.Every time he passed a village, he turned to visit the procession that lived there, and saw that they lived in luxury and in good spirits everywhere.There was no place where they did not leave them to eat, no place where lambs, kids, veal, and poultry were not served, with plentiful loaves of barley and wheat bread.Whenever someone wants to toast another person out of friendship, he is pulled to the place where the big bowl is placed, and he bends down to drink like a cow.They give the village head special privileges, and they can take whatever they want.Many times he refused to accept anything, but whenever he saw a relative he always drew him to his side.When they came to Chrysophus, they found their procession also feasting in the dwelling, wearing straw garlands, and served by Armenian children in strange attire.They tell the children what to do by gesturing, as if they were deaf.

After Cherisophus and Xenophon greeted them warmly, they asked the village chief through the Persian interpreter what region this was.He replied Armenia.They asked him again who the horses were bred for.He replied that it was a tribute to the king of Persia.He also said that the surrounding country was the country of the Kalubians, and told them where the road was.At this time Xenophon took the village chief back to his own home for a while, and gave the village chief an old horse he had acquired to fatten and sacrifice, because he knew that it was a sacred object of the sun god.He did this because he was afraid the horse would die because it had been injured on the way.He asked for a colt himself, and gave one to each of his captains as well.The horses here are smaller than the Persian horses, but much more vigorous.Here the village head also taught them to wrap a bag around the feet of horses and pack animals when crossing the snow, otherwise they would sink into the snow

up to the belly.