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anabasis-第61章

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 take yourself off。〃 〃Well then;〃 said Xenophon; 〃we will go and arrange all this with Anaxibius。〃 They went and stated the case to the admiral; who insisted that they must do as he had said; and march out; bag and baggage; by the quickest road; and as an appendix to the former edict; he added; 〃Any one absenting himself from the review and the muster will have himself to blame for the consequences。〃 This was peremptory。 So out marched; the generals first; and then the rest; and now; with the exception of here a man and there; they were all outside; it was a 〃clean sweep〃; and Eteonicus stood posted near the gates; ready to close them; as soon as the men were fairly out; and to thrust in the bolt pin。

Then Anaxibius summoned the generals and captains; and addressed them: 〃Provisions you had better get from the Thracian villages; you will     13 find plenty of barley; wheat; and other necessaries in them; and when you have got them; off with you to the Chersonese; where Cyniscus will take you into his service。〃 Some of the soldiers overheard what was said; or possibly one of the officers was the medium of communication; however it was; the news was handed on to the army。 As to the generals; their immediate concern was to try and gain some information as to Seuthes: 〃Was he hostile or friendly? also; would they have to march through the Sacred mountain'1'; or round about through the middle of Thrace?〃

'1' So the mountain…range is named which runs parallel to the     Propontis (Sea of Marmora) from lat。 41 degress N。 circa to lat。     40 degrees 30'; from Bisanthe (Rhodosto) to the neck of the     Chersonese (Gallipoli)。

While they were discussing these points; the soldiers snatched up their arms and made a rush full speed at the gates; with the intention of getting inside the fortification again。 But Eteonicus and his men; seeing the heavy infantry coming up at a run promptly closed the gates and thrust in the bolt pin。 Then the soldiers fell to battering the gates; exclaiming that it was iniquitous to thrust them forth in this fashion into the jaws of their enemies。 〃If you do not of your own accord open the gates;〃 they cried; 〃we will split them in half〃; and another set rushed down to the sea; and so along the break…water and over the wall into the city; while a third set; consisting of those few who were still inside; having never left the city; seeing the affair at the gates; severed the bars with axes and flung the portals wide open; and the rest came pouring in。

Xenophon; seeing what was happening; was seized with alarm lest the army betake itself to pillage; and ills incurable be wrought to the city; to himself; and to the soldiers。 Then he set off; and; plunging into the throng; was swept through the gates with the crowd。 The Byzantines no sooner saw the soldiers forcibly rushing in than they left the open square; and fled; some to the shipping; others to their homes; while those already indoors came racing out; and some fell to dragging down their ships of war; hoping possibly to be safe on board these; while there was not a soul who doubted but that the city was     19 taken; and that they were all undone。 Eteonicus made a swift retreat to the citadel。 Anaxibius ran down to the sea; and; getting on board a fisherman's smack; sailed round to the acropolis; and at once sent off to fetch over the garrison troops from Chalcedon; since those already in the acropolis seemed hardly sufficient to keep the men in check。

The soldiers; catching sight of Xenophon; threw themselves upon him; crying: 〃Now; Xenophon; is the time to prove yourself a man。 You have got a city; you have got triremes; you have got money; you have got men; to…day; if you only chose; you can do us a good turn; and we will make you a great man。〃 He replied: 〃Nay; I like what you say; and I will do it all; but if that is what you have set your hearts on; fall into rank and take up position at once。〃 This he said; wishing to quiet them; and so passed the order along the lines himself; while bidding the rest to do the same: 〃Take up position; stand easy。〃 But the men themselves; by a species of self…marshalling; fell into rank; and were soon formed; the heavy infantry eight deep; while the light infantry had run up to cover either wing。 The Thracian Square; as it is called; is a fine site for manouvering; being bare of buildings and level。 As soon as the arms were stacked and the men's tempers cooled; Xenophon called a general meeting of the soldiers; and made the following speech:

〃Soldiers; I am not surprised at your wrath; or that you deem it monstrous treatment so to be cheated; but consider what will be the consequences if we gratify our indignation; and in return for such deception; avenge ourselves on the Lacedaemonians here present; and plunder an innocent city。 We shall be declared enemies of the Lacedaemonians and their allies; and what sort of war that will be; we need not go far to conjecture。 I take it; you have not forgotten some quite recent occurrences。 We Athenians entered into war against the Lacedaemonians and their allies with a fleet consisting of not less than three hundred line…of…battle ships; including those in dock as well as those afloat。 We had vast treasures stored up in the city; and a yearly income which; derived from home or foreign sources; amounted to no less than a thousand talents。 Our empire included all the         27 islands; and we were possessed of numerous cities both in Asia and in Europe。 Amongst others; this very Byzantium; where we are now; was ours; and yet in the end we were vanquished; as you all very well know。

〃What; must we anticipate; will now be our fate? The Lacedaemonians have not only their old allies; but the Athenians and those who were at that time allies of Athens are added to them。 Tissaphernes and all the rest of the Asiatics on the seaboard are our foes; not to speak of our arch…enemy; the king himself; up yonder; whom we came to deprive of his empire; and to kill; if possible。 I ask then; with all these banded together against us; is there any one so insensate as to imagine that we can survive the contest? For heaven's sake; let us not go mad or loosely throw away our lives in war with our own native citiesnay; our own friends; our kith and our kin; for in one or other of the cities they are all included。 Every city will march against us; and not unjustly; if; after refusing to hold one single barbarian city by right of conquest; we seize the first Hellenic city that we come to and make it a ruinous heap。 For my part; my prayer is that before I see such things wrought by you; I; at any rate; may lie ten thousand fathoms under ground! My counsel to you; as Hellenes; is to try and obtain your just rights; through obedience to those who stand at the head of Hellas; and if so be that you fail in those demands; why; being more sinned against than sinning; need we rob ourselves of Hellas too? At present; I propose that we should send to Anaxibius and tell him that we have made an entrance into the city; not meditating violence; but merely to discover if he and his will show us any good; for if so; it is well; but of otherwise; at least we will let him see that he does not shut the doo
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