Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/149

 KERASUS. 127 Teave Trapezus. A sufficient number of ressels had been coll scted to serve for the transport of the women, of the sick and wounded, and of the baggage. All these were accordingly placed on board, under the command of Philesius and Sophaenetus, the two oldest generals ; while the remaining army marched by land, along a road which had been just made good under the representations of Xeno- phon. In three days they reached Kerasus, another maritime colony of the Sinopeans, still in the territory called Kolchian ; there they halted ten days, mustered and numbered the army, and divided the money acquired by the sale of their prisoners. Eight thousand six hundred hoplites, out of a total probably greater than eleven thousand, were found still remaining ; besides targeteers and various light troops. 1 During the halt at Kerasus, the declining discipline of the army became manifest as they approached home. Various acts of out- rage occurred, originating now, as afterwards, in the intrigues of treacherous officers. A captain named Klearetus persuaded his company to attempt the plunder of a Kolchian village near Kera- sus, which had furnished a friendly market to the Greeks, and which rested secure on the faith of peaceful relations. He in- tended to make off separately with the .booty in one of the vessels ; but his attack was repelled, and he himself slain. The injured villagers despatched three elders, as heralds, to remonstrate with the Grecian authorities ; but these heralds being seen in Kerasus by some of the repulsed plunderers, were slain. A partial tumult then ensued, in which even the magistrates of Kerasus were in great danger, and only escaped the pursuing soldiers by running 1 Xen. Anab. v, 3, 3. Mr. Kinneir (Travels in Asia Minor, p. 327) and many other authors, have naturally presumed from the analogy of name that the modern town Kerasoun (about long. 38 40') corresponds to the Kerasus of Xenophon ; which Arrian in his Periplus conceives to be iden- tical with what was afterwards called Pharnakia. But it is remarked both by Dr. Cramer (Asia Minor, vol. i, p. 281) and by Mr. Hamilton (Travels in Asia Minor, ch. xv, p. 250), that Kerasoun is too far from Trebizond to admit of Xenophon having marched with the army from the one place to the other in three days ; or even in less than ten days, in the judgment of Mr. Hamilton. Accordingly Mr. Hamilton places the site of the Kerasus of Xenophon much nearer to Trebizond (about long. 39 20', as it stands in Kiepert's map of Asia Minor,) near a river now called the Kerasoun Dere Su.