Xenophon with the rest then distributed themselves in order to bring
together the chief remaining officers in the army, who were presently
convened, to the number of about one hundred. The senior captain of
the earlier body next desired Xenophon to repeat to this larger body
the topics upon which he had just before been insisting. Xenophon
obeyed, enlarging yet more emphatically on the situation, perilous,
yet not without hope,—on the proper measures to be taken,—and
especially on the necessity that they, the chief officers remaining,
should put themselves forward prominently, first fix upon effective
commanders, then afterwards submit the names to be confirmed by the
army, accompanied with suitable exhortations and encouragement. His
speech was applauded and welcomed, especially by the Lacedæmonian
general Cheirisophus, who had joined Cyrus with a body of seven
hundred hoplites at Issus in Kilikia. Cheirisophus urged the captains
to retire forthwith, and agree upon other commanders instead of the
four who had been seized; after which the herald must be summoned,
and the entire body of soldiers convened without delay. Accordingly
Timasion of Dardanus was chosen instead of Klearchus; Xanthiklês in
place of Sokrates; Kleanor in place of Agias; Philesius in place
of Menon; and Xenophon instead of Proxenus.[144] The captains, who
had served under each of the departed generals, separately chose a
successor to the captain thus promoted. It is to be recollected that
the five now chosen were not the only generals in the camp; thus for
example, Cheirisophus had the command of his own separate division,
and there may have been one or two others similarly placed. But it
was now necessary for all the generals to form a Board and act in
concert.
[144] Xen. Anab. iii, 1, 36-46.
At daybreak the newly constituted Board of generals placed proper
outposts in advance, and then convened the army in general assembly,
in order that the new appointments might be submitted and confirmed.
As soon as this had been done, probably on the proposition of
Cheirisophus (who had been in command before), that general addressed
a few words of exhortation and encouragement to the soldiers. He was
followed by Kleanor, who delivered, with the like brevity, an earnest
protest against the perfidy of Tissaphernes and Ariæus. Both of
them left to Xenophon the task, alike important and arduous at this
moment of despondency, of setting forth the case at length,—working
up the feelings of the soldiers to that pitch of resolution which
the emergency required,—and above all, extinguishing all those
inclinations to acquiesce in new treacherous proposals from the
enemy, which the perils of the situation would be likely to suggest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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