A Smaller History of Greece: from the Earliest Times to the Roman ConquestSmith, William
History
A Smaller History of Greece: from the Earliest Times to the Roman Conquest
Smith, William
Greece -- History -- To 146 B.C.
The march of Cyrus was directed through Lydia and Phrygia. After
passing Colossae he arrived at Colaenae, where he was joined by more
Greek troops, the number of whom now amounted to 11,000 hoplites and
2000 peltasts. The line of march, which had been hitherto straight
upon Pisidia, was now directed northwards. Cyrus passed in succession
the Phrygian towns of Peltae, Ceramon Agora, the Plain of Cayster,
Thymbrium, Tyriaeum, and Iconium, the last city in Phrygia. Thence he
proceeded through Lycaonia to Dana, and across Mount Taurus into
Cilicia.
On arriving at Tarsus, a city on the coast of Cilicia, the Greeks
plainly saw that they had been deceived, and that the expedition was
designed against the Persian king. Seized with alarm at the prospect
of so long a march, they sent a deputation to Cyrus to ask him what his
real intentions were. Cyrus replied that his design was to march
against his enemy, Abrocomas, satrap of Syria, who was encamped on the
banks of the Euphrates. The Greeks, though they still suspected a
delusion, contented themselves with this answer in the face of their
present difficulties, especially as Cyrus promised to raise their pay
from one Daric to one Daric and a half a month. The whole army then
marched forwards to Issus, the last town in Cilicia, seated on the gulf
of the same name. Here they met the fleet, which brought them a
reinforcement of 1100 Greek soldiers, thus raising the Grecian force to
about 14,000 men.
Abrocomas, who commanded for the Great King in Syria and Phoenicia,
alarmed at the rapid progress of Cyrus, fled before him with all his
army, reported as 300,000 strong; abandoning the impregnable pass
situated one day's march from Issus, and known as the Gates of Cilicia
and Syria. Marching in safety through this pass, the army next reached
Myriandrus, a seaport of Phoenicia. From this place Cyrus struck off
into the interior, over Mount Amanus. Twelve days' march brought him
to Thapsacus on the Euphrates, where for the first time he formally
notified to the army that he was marching to Babylon against his
brother Artaxerxes, The water happened to be very low, scarcely
reaching to the breast; and Abrocomas made no attempt to dispute the
passage. The army now entered upon the desert, where the Greeks were
struck with the novel sights which met their view, and at once amused
and exhausted themselves in the chase of the wild ass and the antelope,
or in the vain pursuit of the scudding ostrich. After several days of
toilsome march the army at length reached Pylae, the entrance into the
cultivated plains of Babylonia, where they halted a few days to refresh
themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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