Artaxerxes   

of himself, he said he had the stronger soul; was more a philosopher
and a better Magian; and could drink and bear more wine than his brother,
who, as he averred, was such a coward and so little like a man, that
he could neither sit his horse in hunting nor his throne in time of
danger. The Lacedaemonians, his letter being read, sent a staff to
Clearchus, commanding him to obey Cyrus in all things. So Cyrus marched
towards the king, having under his conduct a numerous host of barbarians,
and but little less than thirteen thousand stipendiary Grecians; alleging
first one cause, then another, for his expedition. Yet the true reason
lay not long concealed, but Tisaphernes went to the king in person
to declare it. Thereupon, the court was all in an uproar and tumult,
the queen-mother bearing almost the whole blame of the enterprise,
and her retainers being suspected and accused. Above all, Statira
angered her by bewailing the war and passionately demanding where
were now the pledges and the intercession which saved the life of
him that conspired against his brother; "to the end," she said, "that
he might plunge us all into war and trouble." For which words Parysatis
hating Statira, and being naturally implacable and savage in her anger
and revenge, consulted how she might destroy her. But since Dinon
tells us that her purpose took effect in the time of the war, and
Ctesias says it was after it, I shall keep the story for the place
to which the latter assigns it, as it is very unlikely that he, who
was actually present, should not know the time when it happened, and
there was no motive to induce him designedly to misplace its date
in his narrative of it, though it is not infrequent with him in his
history to make excursions from truth into mere fiction and romance.
As Cyrus was upon the march, rumours and reports were brought him,
as though the king still deliberated, and were not minded to fight
and presently to join battle with him; but to wait in the heart of
his kingdom until his forces should have come in thither from all
parts of his dominions. He had cut a trench through the plain ten
fathoms in breadth, and as many in depth the length of it being no
less than four hundred furlongs, he be allowed Cyrus to pass across
it, and to advance almost to the city of Babylon. Then Teribazus,
as the report goes, was the first that had the boldness to tell the
king that he ought not to avoid the conflict, nor to abandon Media,
Babylon, and even Susa, and hide himself in Persis, when all the while
he had an army many times over more numerous than his enemies, and
an infinite company of governors and captains that were better soldiers
and politicians than Cyrus. So at last he resolved to fight, as soon
as it was possible for him. Making, therefore, his first appearance,
all on a sudden, at the head of nine hundred thousand well-marshalled
men, he so startled and surprised the enemy, who with the confidence
of contempt were marching on their way in no order, and with their
arms not ready for use, that Cyrus, in the midst of such noise and
tumult, was scarcely able to form them for battle. Moreover, the very
manner in which he led on his men, silently and slowly, made the Grecians
stand amazed at his good discipline; who had expected irregular shouting
and leaping, much confusion and separation between one body of men
and another, in so vast a multitude of troops. He also placed the
choicest of his armed chariots in the front of his own phalanx over
against the Grecian troops, that a violent charge with these might
cut open their ranks before they closed with them.
But as this battle is described by many historians, and Xenophon in
particular as good as shows it us by eyesight, not as a past event,
but as a present action, and by his vivid account makes his hearers
feel all the passions and join in all the dangers of it, it would
be folly in me to give any larger account of it than barely to mention
any things omitted by him which yet deserve to be recorded. The place,
then, in which the two armies were drawn out is called Cunaxa, being
about five hundred furlongs distant from Babylon. And here Clearchus
beseeching Cyrus before the fight to retire behind the combatants,
and not expose himself to hazard, they say he replied, "What is this,
Clearchus? Would you have me, who aspire to empire, show myself unworthy