Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/154

 132 HISTORY OF GREECE. It was these considerations which helped to suggest to him th idea of employing the army on some enterprise of conquest and colonization in the Euxine itself ; an idea highly flattering to hia personal ambition, especially as the army was of unrivalled effi- ciency against an enemy, and no such second force could ever he got together in those distant regions. His patriotism as a Greek was inflamed with the thoughts of procuring for Hellas a new au- tonomous city, occupied by a considerable Hellenic population, possessing a spacious territory, and exercising dominion over many indigenous neighbors. He seems to have thought first of attacking and conquering some established non-Hellenic city ; an act which his ideas of international morality did not forbid, in a case where he had contracted no special convention with the inhabitants, though he (as well as Cheirisophus) strenuously protested against doing wrong to any innocent Hellenic community. 1 He contem- plated the employment of the entire force in capturing Phasis or some other native city ; after which, when the establishment was once safely effected, those soldiers who preferred going home to remaining as settlers, might do so without emperiling those who stayed, and probably with their own purses filled by plunder and conquest in the neighborhood. To settle as one of the richest pro- prietors and chiefs, perhaps even the recognized OEkist, like Agnon at Amphipolis, of a new Hellenic city such as could hardly fail to become rich, powerful, and important, was a tempt- ing prospect for one who had now acquired the habits of command. Moreover, the sequel will prove, how correctly Xenophon appre- ciated the discomfort of leading the army back to Greece without pay and without certain employment. It was the practice of Xenophon, and the advice of his master Sokrates, 2 in grave and doubtful cases, where the most careful re- 1 Xen. Anab. v, 6, 15-30; vi, 2, 6 ; vii, 1, 25, 29. Ilakcn and other commentators do injustice to Xenophon when they as- cribe to him the design of seizing the Greek city of Kotyora. 8 Xen. Memorab. i, 1, 8; 9. *E07?  -yap, olf uv uaiv IXfu, OT)/j.aiveiv. Compare passages in hjs Gyropqedia, i, 6, 3 ; De Officio Magistr. Equit ix, 9. " The gods (siys Euripides, in the Sokratic vein) have given us wisdom