Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/192

170 HISTORY OF GREECE. two months all that he desired, had become only anxious to send them off without pay, had they not been extricated by a change of interest and policy on the part of all-powerful Sparta. The Lacedaemonians had just declared war against Tissaphernes and Pharnabazus, sending Thimbron into Asia to commence military operations. They then became extremely anxious to transport the Cyreians across to Asia, which their harmost, Aristarchus had hitherto prohibited, and to take them into permanent pay ; for which purpose two Lacedaemonians, Charminus and Polynikus were commissioned by Thimbron to offer to the army the same pay as had been promised, though not paid, by Seuthes ; and as had been originally paid by Cyrus. Seuthes and Herakleides, eager to hasten the departure of the soldiers, endeavored to take credit with the Lacedaemonians for assisting their views. 1 Joyfully did the army accept this offer, though complaining loudly of the fraud prac- tised upon them by Seuthes ; which Charminus, at the instance of Xenophon, vainly pressed the Thracian prince to redress. 2 He even sent Xenophon to demand the arrear of pay in the name of the Lacedaemonians, which afforded to the Athenian an oppor- tunity of administering a severe lecture to Seuthes. 3 But the latter was found less accessible to the workings of eloquence than the Cyreian assembled soldiers ; nor did Xenophon obtain anything beyond a miserable dividend upon the sum due ; together with civil expressions towards himself personally, an invitation to re- main in his service with one thousand hoplites instead of going to Asia with the army, and renewed promises, not likely now to find much credit, of a fort and grant of lands. When the army, now reduced by losses and dispersions to six thousand men, 4 was prepared to cross into Asia, Xenophon was desirous of going back to Athens, but was persuaded to remain with them until the junction with Thimbron. He was at this time so poor, having scarcely enough to pay for his journey home, that he was obliged to sell his horse at Lampsakus, the Asiatic town 1 Xen. Anab. vii, 6, 1-7. 2 Xen. Anab. vii, 7, 15. 3 Xen. Anab. vii, 7, 21-47. The lecture is of unsuitable prolixity, when we cons ider the person t whom, and the circumstances under which, it purports to have been spo kfln. 4 Xen. Anab, vii, 7, 83.