Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/110

 88 HISTORY OF GREECE. soldiers to desertion, with a few of whom he succeeded. Ao cordingly, the resolution was taken to admit no more heralds or envoys. Disembarrassed of superfluous baggage, and refreshed, the army now crossed the Great Zab River, and pursued their march on the other side, having their baggage and attendants in the centre, and Cheirisophus leading the van, with a select body of three hun- dred hoplites. 1 As no mention is made of a bridge, we are to presume that they forded the river, which furnishes a ford (ac- cording to Mr. Ainsworth), still commonly used, at a place between thirty and forty miles from its junction with the Tigris. When they had got a little way forward, Mithridates again appeared with a few hundred cavalry and bowmen. He approached them like a friend ; but as soon as he was near enough, suddenly began to harass the rear with a shower of missiles. What surprises us most, is, that the Persians, with their very numerous force, made no attempt to hinder them from crossing so very considerable a river ; for Xenophon estimates the Zab at four hundred feet broad, and this seems below the statement of modern travellers, who inform us that it contains not much less water than the Tigris ; and though usually deeper and narrower, cannot be much narrower at any fordable place. 2 It is to be recollected that the Persians, habitually marching in advance of the Greeks, must have reached the river first, and were, therefore, in possession of the crossing, whether bridge or ford. Though on the watch for every opportunity of perfidy, Tissaphernes did not dare to resist the Greeks even in the most advantageous position, and ventured only upon sending Mithridates to harass the rear ; which he executed with considera- ble effect. The bowmen and darters of the Greeks, few in num- ber, were at the same tune inferior to those of the Persians ; and 1 Xen. Anab. iii, 3, 6 ; iii, 5, 43. etc. vol. ii, ch. 44, p. 327 ; also his Travels in the Track of the Ten Thou sand, p. 119-134. Professor Koch, who speaks with personal knowledge both of Armenia and of the region east of the Tigris, observes truly that the Great Zab is the only point (east of the Tigris) which Xenophon assigns in such a man- ner as to be capable of distinct local identification. He also observes, hew as elsewhere, that the number of parasangs specified by Xenophon is essen- tially delusive as a measure of distance (Zug der Zehn Tausend, p. 64).
 * Xen. Anab. ii, 5, 1. Ainsworth, Travels and Researches in Asia Minor,