Book 5
Chapter 5
Through this country, friendly or hostile as the chance might be, the Hellenes marched, eight stages in all, and reached the Chalybes. These were a people few in number, and subject to the Mossynoecians. Their livelihood was for the most part derived from mining and forging iron.
The Hellenes marched through this country for eight stages, passing through both friendly and hostile territory as chance dictated. They reached the Chalybes, a small people subject to the Mossynoecians. The Chalybes made their living mostly by mining and forging iron.
Thence they came to the Tibarenians. The country of the Tibarenians was far more level, and their fortresses lay on the seaboard and were less strong, whether by art or nature. The generals wanted to attack these places, so that the army might get some pickings, and they would not accept the gifts of hospitality which came in from the Tibarenians, but bidding them wait till they had taken counsel, they proceeded to offer sacrifice. After several abortive attempts, the seers at last pronounced an opinion that the gods in no wise countenanced war. Then they accepted the gifts of hospitality, and marching through what was now recognised as a friendly country, in two days reached Cotyora, a Hellenic city, and a colony of Sinope, albeit situated in the territory of the Tibarenians.
From there they came to the Tibarenians. The country of the Tibarenians was much flatter, and their fortresses lay on the coast. The fortresses were less strongly defended, both by their construction and by nature. The generals wanted to attack them so that the army could take some plunder. They refused the gifts of hospitality sent by the Tibarenians, telling them to wait until the generals had considered the matter. The generals then offered sacrifices. After several unsuccessful attempts, the seers finally declared that the gods did not approve of war at all. The generals then accepted the gifts of hospitality. They marched through a country now recognized as friendly and reached Cotyora in two days. Cotyora was a Hellenic city and a colony of Sinope, though it stood in the territory of the Tibarenians.
The manuscripts here read, "Up to this point the expedition was conducted on land, and the distance traversed on foot from the battle-field near Babylon down to Cotyora amounted to one hundred and twenty-two stages—that is to say, six hundred and twenty parasangs, or eighteen thousand stades, or if measured in time, an eight months' march." These words are probably a note by an editor or commentator. But the author himself may well have made these calculations and even added them as a note to his text.
Here they halted forty-five days, during which they first of all sacrificed to the gods, and instituted processions, each set of the Hellenes according to their several tribes, with gymnastic contests. Provisions they got in meanwhile, partly from Paphlagonia, partly from the estates of the Cotyorites, for the latter would neither provide them a market nor receive their sick within their walls.
They stayed there for forty-five days. First, they made sacrifices to the gods and held processions, with each group of Hellenes marching by tribe. They also held athletic contests. Meanwhile, they obtained provisions from Paphlagonia and from the estates of the Cotyorites. They did this because the Cotyorites would neither provide them with a market nor let their sick enter the city.
Meanwhile ambassadors arrived from Sinope, full of fears, not only for the Cotyorites and their city, which belonged to Sinope, and brought in tribute, but also for the territory which, as they had heard, was being pillaged. Accordingly they came to the camp and made a speech. Hecatonymus, who was reported to be a clever orator, acted as their spokesman: "Soldiers," he said, "the city of the Sinopeans has sent us to offer you, as Hellenes, our compliments and congratulations on your victories over the barbarians; and next, to express our joyful satisfaction that you have surmounted all those terrible sufferings of which we have heard, and have reached this place in safety. As Hellenes we claim to receive at your hands, as fellow-Hellenes, kindness and not harm. We have certainly not ourselves set you an example heretofore of evil treatment. Now the Cotyorites are our colonists. It was we who gave them this country to dwell in, having taken it from the barbarians; for which reason also they, with the men of Cerasus and Trapezus, pay us an appointed tribute. So that, whatever mischief you inflict on the men of Cotyora, the city of Sinope takes as personal to herself. At the present time we hear that you have made forcible entry into their city, some of you, and are quartered in the houses, besides taking forcibly from the Cotyorite estates whatever you need, by hook and by crook. Now against these things we enter protest. If you mean to go on so doing, you will drive us to make friends with Corylas and the Paphlagonians, or any one else we can find."
Meanwhile, ambassadors arrived from Sinope. They feared for the Cotyorites and their city, which belonged to Sinope and paid it tribute. They also feared for the surrounding territory, which they had heard was being pillaged. They came to the camp and addressed the soldiers. Their spokesman was Hecatonymus, who was said to be a clever speaker: "Soldiers," he said, "the city of the Sinopeans has sent us to offer you our compliments as fellow-Hellenes. We also congratulate you on your victories over the barbarians. We are delighted that you have overcome all the terrible sufferings we have heard about and reached this place safely. "As Hellenes, we expect kindness, not harm, from you, our fellow-Hellenes. We certainly have not treated you badly in the past. The Cotyorites are our colonists. We gave them this country to live in after taking it from the barbarians. For that reason, they and the people of Cerasus and Trapezus pay us an agreed tribute. So the city of Sinope takes any harm you do to the men of Cotyora as harm done to itself. "We now hear that some of you have forced your way into their city and are staying in their houses. We also hear that you are taking whatever you need from Cotyorite lands by force, by whatever means you can. We protest against these actions. If you intend to continue, you will drive us to make friends with Corylas and the Paphlagonians, or anyone else we can find."
To meet these charges Xenophon, on behalf of the soldiers, rose and said: "As to ourselves, men of Sinope, having got so far, we are well content to have saved our bodies and our arms. Indeed it was impossible at one and the same moment to keep our enemies at bay and to despoil them of their goods and chattels. And now, since we have reached Hellenic cities, how has it fared with us? At Trapezus they gave us a market, and we paid for our provisions at a fair market price. In return for the honour they did us, and the gifts of hospitality they gave the army, we requited them with honour. Where the barbarian was friendly to them, we stayed our hands from injury; or under their escort, we did damage to their enemies to the utmost of our power. Ask them, what sort of people they found us. They are here, some of them, to answer for themselves. Their fellow-citizens and the state of Trapezus, for friendship's sake, have sent them with us to act as our guides.
To answer these charges, Xenophon stood up and spoke on behalf of the soldiers: "Men of Sinope, we are glad to have come this far with our lives and our weapons. We could not fight off our enemies and plunder their possessions at the same time. And now that we have reached Hellenic cities, how have we behaved? At Trapezus, they gave us a market, and we paid a fair price for our provisions. They honored us and gave the army gifts of hospitality, and we honored them in return. We did not harm the barbarian where he was friendly to them. But under their guidance, we did as much damage as we could to their enemies. Ask them what kind of people they found us to be. Some of them are here to answer for themselves. Their fellow citizens and the state of Trapezus sent them with us as guides, out of friendship.
"But wherever we come, be it foreign or Hellenic soil, and find no market for provisions, we are wont to help ourselves, not out of insolence but from necessity. There have been tribes like the Carduchians, the Taochians, the Chaldaeans, which, albeit they were not subject to the great king, yet were no less formidable than independent. These we had to bring over by our arms. The necessity of getting provisions forced us; since they refused to offer us a market. Whereas some other folk, like the Macrones, in spite of their being barbarians, we regarded as our friends, simply because they did provide us with the best market in their power, and we took no single thing of theirs by force. But, to come to these Cotyorites, whom you claim to be your people, if we have taken aught from them, they have themselves to blame, for they did not deal with us as friends, but shut their gates in our faces. They would neither welcome us within nor furnish us with a market without. The only justification they alleged was that your governor had authorised this conduct.
"But wherever we go, whether on foreign or Hellenic soil, we sometimes find no market for provisions. When that happens, we help ourselves, not out of insolence but out of necessity. There have been tribes like the Carduchians, the Taochians, and the Chaldaeans. Though they were not subject to the great king, they were no less formidable for being independent. We had to bring them over by force. The need for provisions forced us to do this, since they refused to offer us a market. But we regarded some other people, like the Macrones, as friends, even though they were barbarians. We did so simply because they provided us with the best market they could. We did not take a single thing from them by force. As for the Cotyorites, whom you claim as your people, they have only themselves to blame if we took anything from them. They did not treat us as friends, but shut their gates in our faces. They would neither welcome us inside nor provide us with a market outside. Their only justification was that your governor had authorized them to act this way.
Literally, "harmost". The term properly means a governor sent by the Lacedaemonians to rule islands and foreign cities during their supremacy. Other Greek communities seem to have adopted the term in somewhat similar circumstances. Cotyora receives a harmost from its mother-city, Sinope. For the Greek colonies mentioned here, see Kiepert's "Man. Anct. Geog." (Engl. tr., Mr. G. A. Macmillan), p. 63.
"As to your assertion," he continued, turning to Hecatonymus, "that we have got in by force and have taken up quarters, this is what we did. We requested them to receive our sick and wounded under cover; and when they refused to open their gates, we walked in where the place itself invited us. All the violence we have committed amounts to this, that our sick folk are quartered under cover, paying for their expenses, and we keep a sentry at the gates, so that our sick and wounded may not lie at the mercy of your governor, but we may have it in our power to remove them whenever we like. The rest of us, you observe, are camping under the canopy of heaven, in regular rank and file, and we are ready to requite kindness with kindness, but to repel evil vigorously. And as for your threat," he said, once again turning to the spokesman, "that you will, if it suits you, make alliance with Corylas and the Paphlagonians to attack us, for our part, we have no objection to fighting both sets of you, if so be we must; we have already fought others many times more numerous than you. Besides, 'if it suits us,' as you put it, to make the Paphlagonian our friend (report says that he has a hankering after your city and some other places on the seaboard), we can enhance the value of our friendship by helping to win for him what he covets."
“As for your claim,” he continued, turning to Hecatonymus, “that we forced our way in and took up quarters, here is what we did. We asked them to shelter our sick and wounded. When they refused to open their gates, we walked in where the place itself offered a way in. All the force we used amounts to this: our sick are sheltered and paying their expenses. We also keep a guard at the gates. That way, our sick and wounded are not at the mercy of your governor, and we can remove them whenever we like. “The rest of us, as you see, are camped in orderly ranks under the open sky. We are ready to repay kindness with kindness, but also to resist harm vigorously. And as for your threat,” he said, turning again to the spokesman, “that you will join Corylas and the Paphlagonians to attack us if it suits you, we have no objection to fighting both of you if we must. We have already fought others many times more numerous than you. Besides, ‘if it suits us,’ as you put it, to make the Paphlagonian our friend, we can make our friendship more valuable by helping him win what he wants. Reports say he is eager to take your city and some other places on the coast.”
Thereupon the ambassadors showed very plainly their annoyance with Hecatonymus, on account of the style of his remarks, and one of them stept forward to explain that their intention in coming was not at all to raise a war, but on the contrary to demonstrate their friendliness. "And if you come to Sinope itself," the speaker continued, "we will welcome you there with gifts of hospitality. Meanwhile we will enjoin upon the citizens of this place to give you what they can; for we can see that every word of what you say is true." Thereupon the Cotyorites sent gifts of hospitality, and the generals of the Hellenes entertained the ambassadors of the Sinopeans. Many and friendly were the topics of conversation; freely flowed the talk on things in general; and, in particular, both parties were able to make inquiries and satisfy their curiosity concerning the remaining portion of the march.
The ambassadors made it clear that they were annoyed with Hecatonymus for the way he had spoken. One of them stepped forward to explain that they had not come to start a war. On the contrary, they had come to show their friendship. "And if you come to Sinope itself," he continued, "we will welcome you there with gifts of hospitality. Meanwhile, we will tell the citizens of this place to give you what they can. We can see that every word you say is true." The Cotyorites then sent gifts of hospitality, and the generals of the Hellenes entertained the ambassadors of the Sinopeans. They talked freely and warmly about many things. In particular, both sides were able to ask questions and satisfy their curiosity about the rest of the march.