Chapter 3

Now when Cheirisophus did not arrive, and the supply of ships was insufficient, and to get provisions longer was impossible, they resolved to depart. On board the vessels they embarked the sick, and those above forty years of age, with the boys and women, and all the baggage which the solders were not absolutely forced to take for their own use. The two eldest generals, Philesius and Sophaenetus, were put in charge, and so the party embarked, while the rest resumed their march, for the road was now completely constructed. Continuing their march that day and the next, on the third they reached Cerasus, a Hellenic city on the sea, and a colony of Sinope, in the country of the Colchians. Here they halted ten days, and there was a review and numbering of the troops under arms, when there were found to be eight thousand six hundred men. So many had escaped; the rest had perished at the hands of the enemy, or by reason of the snow, or else disease.

Cheirisophus did not arrive, there were not enough ships, and they could no longer obtain provisions. So they decided to leave. They put the sick, those over forty, the boys and women, and all unnecessary baggage aboard the ships. The soldiers kept only what they absolutely needed for their own use. The two oldest generals, Philesius and Sophaenetus, were put in charge of those aboard. The rest resumed their march, since the road was now complete. They marched that day and the next. On the third day, they reached Cerasus, a Hellenic city on the sea, in the country of the Colchians. It was a colony of Sinope. They stopped there for ten days. The armed troops were reviewed and counted, and there were 8,600 men. That was how many had survived. The rest had died at the hands of the enemy, in the snow, or from disease.

At this time and place they divided the money accruing from the captives sold, and a tithe selected for Apollo and Artemis of the Ephesians was divided between the generals, each of whom took a portion to guard for the gods, Neon the Asinaean¹ taking on behalf of Cheirisophus.

At this time and place, they divided the money from the sale of the captives. They set aside a tenth for Apollo and Artemis of the Ephesians and divided it among the generals. Each general took a portion to keep for the gods. Neon the Asinaean¹ took a portion on behalf of Cheirisophus.

Out of the portion which fell to Xenophon he caused a dedicatory offering to Apollo to be made and dedicated among the treasures of the Athenians at Delphi². It was inscribed with his own name and that of Proxenus, his friend, who was killed with Clearchus. The gift for Artemis of the Ephesians was, in the first instance, left behind by him in Asia at the time when he left that part of the world himself with Agesilaus on the march into Boeotia³. He left it behind in charge of Megabyzus, the sacristan of the goddess, thinking that the voyage on which he was starting was fraught with danger. In the event of his coming out of it alive, he charged Megabyzus to restore to him the deposit; but should any evil happen to him, then he was to cause to be made and to dedicate on his behalf to Artemis, whatsoever thing he thought would be pleasing to the goddess.

From his share, Xenophon had an offering made for Apollo. He dedicated it among the treasures of the Athenians at Delphi². It bore his name and that of his friend Proxenus, who was killed with Clearchus. Xenophon had also set aside a gift for Artemis of the Ephesians. When he left Asia with Agesilaus to march into Boeotia³, he left the gift there with Megabyzus, the goddess’s temple keeper. He did this because he thought the voyage ahead was dangerous. He instructed Megabyzus to return the gift if he survived. But if any harm came to him, Megabyzus was to have an offering made and dedicate it to Artemis on Xenophon’s behalf. Megabyzus was to choose whatever he thought would please the goddess.

In the days of his banishment, when Xenophon was now established by the Lacedaemonians as a colonist in Scillus⁴, a place which lies on the main road to Olympia, Megabyzus arrived on his way to Olympia as a spectator to attend the games, and restored to him the deposit. Xenophon took the money and bought for the goddess a plot of ground at a point indicated to him by the oracle. The plot, it so happened, had its own Selinus river flowing through it, just as at Ephesus the river Selinus flows past the temple of Artemis, and in both streams fish and mussels are to be found. On the estate at Scillus there is hunting and shooting of all the beasts of the chase that are.

During his exile, Xenophon had been settled by the Lacedaemonians as a colonist in Scillus⁴, on the main road to Olympia. Megabyzus came through on his way to watch the games at Olympia and returned the deposit to him. Xenophon used the money to buy a plot of land for the goddess at a place the oracle had indicated. As it happened, the Selinus river flowed through the plot, just as a river called the Selinus flows past the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Both rivers have fish and mussels. On the estate at Scillus, people can hunt and shoot every kind of game animal.

Here with the sacred money he built an altar and a temple, and ever after, year by year, tithed the fruits of the land in their season and did sacrifice to the goddess, while all the citizens and neighbours, men and women, shared in the festival. The goddess herself provided for the banqueters meat and loaves and wine and sweetmeats, with portions of the victims sacrificed from the sacred pasture, as also of those which were slain in the chase; for Xenophon's own lads, with the lads of the other citizens, always made a hunting excursion against the festival day, in which any grown men who liked might join. The game was captured partly from the sacred district itself, partly from Pholoe⁵, pigs and gazelles and stags. The place lies on the direct road from Lacedaemon to Olympia, about twenty furlongs from the temple of Zeus in Olympia, and within the sacred enclosure there is meadow-land and wood-covered hills, suited to the breeding of pigs and goats and cattle and horses, so that even the sumpter animals of the pilgrims passing to the feast fare sumptuously. The shrine is girdled by a grove of cultivated trees, yielding dessert fruits in their season. The temple itself is a facsimile on a small scale of the great temple at Ephesus, and the image of the goddess is like the golden statue at Ephesus, save only that it is made, not of gold, but of cypress wood. Beside the temple stands a column bearing this inscription:—THE PLACE IS SACRED TO ARTEMIS. HE WHO HOLDS IT AND ENJOYS THE FRUITS OF IT IS BOUND TO SACRIFICE YEARLY A TITHE OF THE PRODUCE. AND FROM THE RESIDUE THEREOF TO KEEP IN REPAIR THE SHRINE. IF ANY MAN FAIL IN AUGHT OF THIS THE GODDESS HERSELF WILL LOOK TO IT THAT THE MATTER SHALL NOT SLEEP.

Here he used the sacred money to build an altar and a temple. Every year afterward, he set aside a tenth of the land’s produce as it came into season and sacrificed it to the goddess. All the citizens and neighbors, men and women, joined in the festival. The goddess herself provided meat, bread, wine, and sweets for the guests. She also provided portions of the animals sacrificed from the sacred pasture and of those killed in the hunt. Before the festival, Xenophon’s own boys and the other citizens’ boys always went hunting. Any grown men who wished could join them. They caught pigs, gazelles, and stags, some in the sacred district itself and some in Pholoe⁵. The place lies on the direct road from Lacedaemon to Olympia, about twenty furlongs from the temple of Zeus in Olympia. Inside the sacred enclosure are meadows and wooded hills, suitable for raising pigs, goats, cattle, and horses. Even the pack animals of pilgrims traveling to the festival find plenty to eat there. A grove of cultivated trees surrounds the shrine, bearing fruit for dessert in its season. The temple itself is a small copy of the great temple at Ephesus. The image of the goddess resembles the golden statue at Ephesus, except that it is made of cypress wood, not gold. Beside the temple stands a column with this inscription: THE PLACE IS SACRED TO ARTEMIS. ANYONE WHO HOLDS IT AND ENJOYS ITS FRUITS MUST SACRIFICE A TENTH OF ITS PRODUCE EACH YEAR. THE REST MUST BE USED TO KEEP THE SHRINE IN REPAIR. IF ANYONE FAILS TO DO ANY OF THIS, THE GODDESS HERSELF WILL SEE THAT THE MATTER IS NOT FORGOTTEN.