Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/114

92 HISTORY OF GREECE. to retire ; for they were always hi the habit of talcing up their night-post at a distance of near seven miles from the Grecian position ; being very apprehensive of nocturnal attack in their camp, when then: horses were tied by the leg and without either saddle or bridle. 1 As soon as they had departed, the Greeks resumed their march, and made so much advance during tha night, that the Persians did not overtake them either on the next day or the day after. On the ensuing day, however, the Persians, having made a forced march by night, were seen not only hi advance of the Greeks, but hi occupation of a spur of high and precipitous ground overhanging immediately the road whereby the Greeks were to descend into the plain. When Cheirisophus approached, he at once saw that descent was impracticable hi the face of an enemy thus posted. He therefore halted, sent for Xenophon from the rear, and desired him to bring forward the peltasts to the van. But Xenophon, though he obeyed the summons in person and galloped his horse to the front, did not think it prudent to move the peltasts from the rear, because he saw Tissaphernes, with another portion of the army, just coming up ; so that the Grecian army was at once impeded in front, and threatened by the enemy closing upon them behind. The Persians on the high ground in front could not be directly assailed. But Xenophon observed, that on the right of the Grecian army, there was an accessible mountain-summit yet higher, from whence a descent might be made for a flank attack upon the Persian position. Pointing out this summit to Cheirisophus, as affording the only means of dis- lodging the troops hi front, he urged that one of them should immediately hasten with a detachment to take possession of it, and offered to Cheirisophus the choice either of going, or staying with the army. " Choose yourself," said Cheirisophus. " Well, then, .(said Xenophon), I will go ; since I am the 1 Xen. Anab. iii, 4, 35 ; see also Cyropaedia, iii, 3, 37. The Thracian priice Seuthes was so apprehensive of night attack, thai he and his troops kept their horses bridled all night (Xen. Anab. vis, 2, 21.) Mr. Kiuneir (Travels in Asia Minor, etc., p. 481) states that the horses of Oriental cavalry, and even of the English cavalry in Hindostan, are still kept tied and shackled at night, in the same way as Xetophcn describes t have been practised by the Persians.