Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/155

 XENOPHON AND SILANUS. 133 flection was at fault, to recur to the inspired authority of an orack or a prophet, and to offer sacrifice, in full confidence that the gods would vouchsafe to communicate a special revelation to any person whom they favored. Accordingly Xenophon, previous to any com- munication with the soldiers respecting his new project, was anxious to ascertain the will of the gods by a special sacrifice ; fo; which he invoked the presence of the Ambrakiot Silanus, the chief prophet in the army. This prophet (as I have already mentioned), before the battle of Kunaxa, had assured Cyrus that Artaxerxes would not fight for ten days, and the prophecy came to pass ; which made such an impression on Cyrus that he re- warded him with the prodigious present of three thousand darics or ten Attic talents. While others were returning poor, Silanus, having contrived to preserve this sum throughout all the hardships of the retreat, was extremely rich, and anxious only to hasten home with his treasure in safety. He heard with strong repug nance the project of remaining in the Euxine, and determined to traverse it by intrigue. As far as concerned the sacrifices, indeed, which he offered apart with Xenophon, he was obliged to admit that the indications of the victims were favorable; 1 Xenophon to understand and appropriate to ourselves the ordinary comforts of life ; in obscure or untelligible cases, we are enabled to inform ourselves by look- ing at the blaze of the fire, or by consulting prophets who understand the livers of sacrificial victims and the flight of birds. When they have thus furnished so excellent a provision for life, who but spoilt children can be discontented, and ask for more ? Yet still human prudence, full of self- conceit, will struggle to be more powerful, and will presume itself to b wiser, than the gods." "A (5' OT' uaTifjta, KOV aati[j.v, deov Karaanev^v fiiov Aoirof Toiavrjjv, olaiv OVK apiteZ rude ; 'AM,' fi Qpovjiaif TOV i?eoO IIEI&V atieveiv Zrjrel- rb yavpov (5* ev %epolv KEKTrj/tevoi AoKoCjMev elvai 6ai.fj.6vuv aofyuTe.pct, (Supplices, 211). It will be observed that this constant outpouring of special revelations, through prophets, omens, etc., was (in the view of these Sokratic thinkers) an essential part of the divine government ; indispensable to satisfy theif ideas of the benevolence of the gods ; since rational and scientific prediction was so habitually at fault and unable tc fathom the phenomena of the fa ture. > Xen. Anab. v, 6, 29.