Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/188

 166 HISTORY OF GREECE. Apprised of the movements of Xenophon with the army, he now came to Perinthus to prevent their transit into Asia ; laying an embargo on the transports in the harbor, and presenting himself personally before the assembled army to prohibit the soldiers from crossing. When Xenophon informed him that Anaxibius had given them orders to cross, and had sent him expressly to conduct them, Aristarchus replied, " Anaxibius is no longer in functions as admiral, and I am harmost in this town. If I catch any of you at sea, I will sink you." On the next day, lie sent to invite the generals and the captains (lochages) to a confer- ence within the walls. They were just about to enter the gates, when Xenophon, who was among them, received a private warn- ing, that if he went in, Aristarchus would seize him, and either put him to death or send him prisoner to Pharnabazus. Accord- ingly Xenophon sent forward the others, and remained himself with the army, alleging the obligation of sacrificing. The beha vior of Aristarchus, who, when he saw the others without Xen- ophon, sent them away, and desired that they would all come again in the afternoon, confirmed the justice of bis suspicions, as to the imminent danger from which he had been preserved by this accidental warning. 1 It need hardly be added that Xenophon disregarded the second invitation no less than the first ; moreover a third invitation, which Aristarchus afterwards sent, was disre- garded by all. We have here a Lacedaemonian harmost, not scrupling to lay a snare of treachery as flagrant as that which Tissaphernes had practised on the banks of the Zab to entrap Klearchus and his colleagues, and that too against a Greek, and an officer of the highest station and merit, who had just saved Byzantium from pillage, and was now actually in execution of orders received never oiKreipuv, Kal avayKufav olxia tiexscr&at. J ApiaTap%of (J 1 end fade Taxiara, OVK eAarrovf rerpaKoaiuv uTrefioTo. 1 Xen. Anab. vii, 2, 14-16. 'H6q 6e OVTUV irpbf TV reixei, ejayy&A.ei ri( rfi EevytyuvTi OTI, el elaetai, av^7iri(f>-&riaTai' KOI TJ aiirov TI reiaerai, fj KOL tyapvaSufa, Trapado&TjaeTat. 'O tie, aicovaaf raiira, Toi)f (LEV irpOTtsftTreTai, avrbf (5' elnev, on dvoai TI $oikoiTo. . . .Ol 6e arparrijoi Kal ol Ao^ayoZ f/KovTSf Trapti TOV 'A I'.arup^yv, dirvyye;Uoj> on vvv p.ev cnrievai ffuf KeJ.evsi, 7% deihqf 6e r/xeiv ?in> : to) STJTI /at] r) impovXq. Compare vii, 3, 2.