Page:Xenophon by Alexander Grant.djvu/70

60 The promulgation of these designs had, at all events, one good result. For the merchants from Sinope and Heraclea, who had come to the camp, being alarmed by the notion of a powerful military force seizing territory, and disturbing relations in their neighbourhood, came forward and agreed to guarantee transports for the mercenaries to the Hellespont, with the additional promise of a liberal scale of pay, to commence from the first new moon after their departure from Cotyora. Timasion and Thorax, two officers who were especially jealous of Xenophon, urged these offers upon the acceptance of the army, while others loudly accused him of underhand manœuvring to cheat the soldiers into remaining against their will. Xenophon at once rose to rebut these charges; and having showed the impossibility of his detaining the army against its will, and the absurdity of supposing that he could aim at doing so, he concluded by saying, "If you had continued as destitute and unprovided as you were just now, I should still have looked out for a resource in the capture of some city which would have enabled such of you as chose to return at once, while the rest might stay behind to enrich themselves. But now there is no longer any necessity, since Heraclea and Sinope are sending transports, and Timasion promises pay to you from the next new moon. Nothing can be better; you will go back safely to Greece, and will receive pay for going thither. I desist at once from my scheme, and call upon all who were favourable to desist also. Only let us all keep together until we are on safe ground,