Page:Xenophon by Alexander Grant.djvu/79

Rh And now a new character appeared on the scene. This was Cleander, the Lacedæmonian governor of Byzantium (now Constantinople), to whom communications had been sent, and who now came with two ships. The circumstances of his arrival were unfortunate, for the army was out on raid, and when they came back some of the men got embroiled with one of Cleander's followers. This man was really acting unjustly, by endeavouring to prevent part of the plunder from being conducted to the public store. In the dispute he was roughly treated by Agasias, a friend of Xenophon's, and was pelted with stones by some soldiers. This gave rise to what we should call "a grave complication;" for the powerful Cleander himself was frightened by the excited soldiery, and he threatened, when Xenophon had restored order, to sail away and to proclaim the Cyreian army enemies to Sparta, and interdicted from reception in any Grecian city. The effective eloquence and perfect tact of Xenophon were now in requisition; and by the use of these, on the one hand, he persuaded the soldiers to make absolute submission; and, on the other hand, he mollified Cleander, and induced him, not only to pass over what had occurred, but to accept the command of the army, for the purpose of conducting them back to Greece. Unfortunately, however, the omens were for three days unfavourable, and Cleander, though expressing the greatest friendship for the Cyreian force, declared that evidently the gods would not allow him to do more for them than to prepare for them a good reception at Byzantium when they should arrive there; and he