Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/195

 XENOPHON ENKlL'HJiU 173 Beginning their march in the evening, Xenophon and his de- tachment of three hundred reached about midnight the tower of Asidates ; it was large, lofty, thickly built, and contained a con- siderable garrison. It served for protection to his cattle and cultivating slaves around, like a baronial castle in the middle ages ; bui. the assailants neglected this outlying plunder, in order to be mere sure of taking the castle itself. Its walls however were found much stronger than was expected ; and although a breach was made by force about day-break, yet so vigorous was the defence of the garrison, that no entrance could be effected. Signals and shouts of every kind were made by Asidates to procure aid from the Persian forces in the neighborhood ; numbers of whom soon began to arrive, so that Xenophon and his company were obliged to retreat. And their retreat was at last only accomplished, after severe suffering and wounds to nearly half of them, through the aid of Gongylus with his forces from Pergamus, and of Proklea (the descendant of Demaratus) from Halisarna, a little farther off seaward. 1 Though his first enterprise thus miscarried, Xenophon soon laid plans for a second, employing the whole army ; and succeeded in bringing Asidates prisoner to Pergamus, with his wife, child- ren, horses, and all his personal property. Thus (says he, anxious above all things for the credit of sacrificial prophecy) the " pre- vious sacrifices (those which had promised favorably before the first unsuccessful attempt) now came true." 2 The persons of this family were doubtless redeemed by their Persian friends for a large ransom ; 3 which, together with the booty brought in, made up a prodigious total to be divided. In making the division, a general tribute of sympathy and ad- miration was paid to Xenophon, to whii fa all the army, gene- rals, captains, and soldiers, and the Lacedaemonians besides, unanimously concurred. Like Agamemnon at Troy, he was al- lowed to select for himself the picked lots of horses, mules, oxen, and other items of booty ; insomuch that he became possessor of a 1 Xen. Anab. vii, 8, 10-19. 8 Xen. Anab. vii, 8, 22. 'Evrav&a ol irepi Zevofyuvra av/nr?pirj~/x<ivovaiv OVTCJ not happavovatv avrbv (' ' A.a<.6u.rr]v) Kal yvvalKa Kal iraltiaf Kal rci)f Ijp vovf Kal nuv ra ra ovra Kal OVTU T it Trporepa iepa aneflij.
 * Compare Plutarch, Kimon, c. 9 ; and Xen. Hellen. iv, 8, 21.