#xenophonie

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'For example, when Cyrus came across a particularly pleasant wine, he often sent his friends the jar, still half full of wine, with the message: 'Cyrus has not come across a nicer wine than this for a long time, so he has sent it to you with the request that you drink it up today with your best friends.'

Likewise he would also send something like a half-eaten goose.'

(The expedition of Cyrus, Xenophon, translator Tim Rood)

Xenophon, wistfully: Cyrus used to send me like half a bottle of wine. He used to send me a halfeaten goose.

[shotonstage]

Peter Hein, Fehlfarben

[hexjulia]

This Aeolis was indeed part of Pharnabazus’ province, but Zenis of Dardanus had, while he was alive, governed it for him as satrap. After he fell ill and died, Pharnabazus had planned to give the satrapy to someone else, but Mania, the wife of Zenis, who was also from Dardanus, set out to visit him with a great company of attendants and with gifts for Pharnabazus himself and for use in winning the favour of his concubines and of the most influential people at his court.

She was granted an interview with him and spoke as follows: ‘Pharnabazus, my husband was always a good friend to you and used to pay you all the tributes due. For this you praised and honoured him. Now if I serve you just as loyally as he did, what need is there to appoint anyone else as satrap? And if I fail to please you, surely it is in your power to take the satrapy away from me and give it to someone else.’ After hearing this, Pharnabazus decided that the woman should be satrap. She, when she had taken over her province, paid the tribute just as regularly as her husband had done and, in addition, never visited Pharnabazus without bringing gifts for him. And whenever he came down to her country, she gave him a far more splendid and enjoyable reception than did any of his other governors. She not only kept loyal to him all the cities which she had taken over but gained control over other cities on the coast which had not been subject to him before – Larissa, Hamaxitus and Colonae.

She used a Greek mercenary force for these operations and, while they were attacking the walls, used to look on from a carriage. Anyone who won her approval would be rewarded with the most splendid gifts, so that this force of hers was magnificently equipped. She also used to join forces with Pharnabazus even when, in retaliation for raids on the King’s territory, he invaded the land of the Mysians and the Pisidians. In return for all this, Pharnabazus gave her special honours and privileges and sometimes called her in as a counsellor. When she was more than forty years old, her daughter’s husband, Meidias, found it intolerable to hear people saying that it was a disgrace for the country to be ruled by a woman and for him to be merely an ordinary individual. Against other people Mania always took the precautions that are normal for an absolute ruler, but she trusted Meidias and was fond of him, as a woman naturally would be of her son-in-law. He was therefore able, so it is said, to make his way into her presence and to strangle her. He also killed her son, who was a remarkably good-looking boy of about seventeen. Next he seized the fortresses of Scepsis and Gergis, where Mania had kept most of her treasure; but the other cities refused him entry and were held for Pharnabazus by their garrisons. Meidias then sent gifts to Pharnabazus and claimed that he should be appointed ruler of the province just as Mania had been.

But Pharnabazus told him to keep his gifts and look after them well. ‘I shall come soon,’ he said, ‘to take them and you too. For, if I fail to avenge Mania, I would rather not live.’

This was the state of affairs when Dercylidas arrived upon the scene. He took action immediately, and in one day secured the voluntary submission of the coastal cities of Larissa, Hamaxitus and Colonae. He sent to the cities of Aeolis also and urged them to free themselves, to admit him inside their walls and to become allies. The cities of Neandria, Ilium and Cocylium did as he asked. They were all garrisoned by Greek troops and these had not been treated at all well since the death of Mania. However, the officer in command of the garrison of the extremely strong fortress of Cebren refused to admit Dercylidas. In his view, he was likely to be rewarded with high honours by Pharnabazus if he could keep the city in allegiance to him. Dercylidas, angry at this refusal, made preparations for an assault on Cebren. On the first day the sacrifices that he made did not turn out favourably, so he sacrificed again on the second day. Again they were unfavourable, and he tried once more on the third day and then for the fourth day too.

He was exceedingly impatient at this delay since he was in a hurry to gain control of the whole of Aeolis before Pharnabazus came to its rescue. One of his captains, Athenadas of Sicyon, considering that this delay on the part of Dercylidas was stupid and that he was capable by himself of cutting off the water supply of Cebren, ran forward with his own company and tried to block up the spring from which they drew their water. But the people in the town sallied out, killed two of his men, wounded him himself and drove back the rest of his company in close fighting and with missiles. Dercylidas was vexed at this set-back, thinking that now, when it came to an assault, the troops would be less enthusiastic; but just at this moment heralds came from the walls from the Greeks in the city. Their message was that the Greeks were opposed to the actions of their commander; they themselves would rather be on the side of their fellow-Greeks than on that of the foreigners.

While this conference was still going on, another messenger came out, this time from their commander himself, who declared that he also was in agreement with what the others were saying. It happened that on that day Dercylidas’ sacrifices had turned out favourably, so he ordered his men to take up their arms at once and then led them towards the gates. Those inside opened the gates and let him in. Then, leaving a garrison here too, he marched immediately against Scepsis and Gergis. By this time Meidias was not only expecting Pharnabazus to arrive but was also frightened of his own citizens. He sent to Dercylidas and said that he was prepared to come and negotiate with him if Dercylidas would give him hostages. Dercylidas sent him one man from each of the allied cities and told him to choose out of them as many as he liked. Meidias took ten men and then came out from the city and, in a conference with Dercylidas, asked him what terms he would offer if he became an ally of Sparta. Dercylidas replied that the terms were that Meidias should allow his citizens to be free and independent; and, while he was still speaking, he continued to move forward towards Scepsis.

Since it was clear to Meidias that, against the will of his citizens, he could do nothing to prevent it, he allowed Dercylidas inside the city. Dercylidas first sacrificed to Athena on the acropolis of Scepsis, and then led Meidias’ garrison troops outside the walls. He gave over the city to its citizens and made a speech to them in which he encouraged them to organize their political life as Greeks and free men should do. He then left Scepsis and advanced against Gergis, accompanied on his way by numbers of the people of Scepsis, who were delighted with what he had done and wished to show him honour. Meidias, too, went along with him, and on the way claimed that Dercylidas should hand Gergis over to him. Dercylidas, however, merely replied: ‘You can be sure that you will lose nothing of what really belongs to you.’ He said this as he was already approaching the gates of Gergis, with Meidias by his side and the army following in double file, as though there was no hostility to be expected. The men on the towers, which were extremely high, could see Meidias with Dercylidas and so they did not discharge their missiles.

Dercylidas then said: ‘Order them to open the gates, Meidias, so that you may lead the way and I can go with you to the temple and sacrifice here, too, to Athena.’ Meidias did not at all like the idea of opening the gates. On the other hand, he was frightened of being arrested on the spot, and so he gave the order for them to be opened. When he had entered the city, Dercylidas, still keeping Meidias at his side, went up to the acropolis and, with his immediate following, sacrificed to Athena. He told the rest of his troops to take up position along the walls. When the sacrifice was over, he announced that the spearmen in Meidias’ bodyguard were to fall in at the van of his own army and were in future to enter his service as mercenaries.

‘Meidias,’ he told them, ‘has nothing to fear.’

Meidias, however, was at his wits’ end. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘I think I’ll go away now, and organize some entertainment for you.’ ‘Oh no,’ said Dercylidas, ‘by Zeus, it would be disgraceful for me just after I have sacrificed to accept your hospitality rather than offer you some of my own. You must really stay with me. And while dinner is being prepared, you and I will discuss what is the fairest way for us to act towards each other, and then we will do as we have decided.’ When they had sat down, Dercylidas asked, ‘Tell me, Meidias, did your father leave all his property to you?’ ‘He certainly did,’ said Meidias. ‘And how many houses were there? How many farms? How much pasture land?’ Meidias then began to make a list, but the citizens of Scepsis who were present said: ‘Dercylidas, he’s not telling you the truth.’ Dercylidas turned to them and said: ‘All the same, you must not be too particular about details,’ and then, when a list of all Meidias’ inheritance had been drawn up, he said: ‘Tell me, to whom did Mania belong?’

They all replied that she belonged to Pharnabazus. ‘Then,’ he said, ‘does not her property belong to Pharnabazus too?’

‘It certainly does,’ they answered.

‘In that case,’ said Dercylidas, ‘it must now belong to us, since we are the conquerors and Pharnabazus is our enemy. And now,’ he went on, ‘will someone show me the way to where this property of Mania, or rather of Pharnabazus, is stored?’

Then they led him to Mania’s house, which Meidias had taken over, and Meidias, too, went with them. After entering the house Dercylidas summoned the stewards and ordered his servants to seize them. He then told them that if they were caught concealing any of Mania’s property, they would have their throats cut on the spot, and they showed him everything there was. When he had seen it all he shut the house, put a seal on it and posted guards. And on his way out, meeting some of the colonels and captains at the gates, he said: ‘My friends, we have earned nearly a year’s pay for the army – for 8,000 men; and if we earn any more, we’ll add that to the total too.’ He made this statement because he knew that when the soldiers heard of it there would be a great improvement in discipline and in morale.

Meidias now asked: ‘But what about me, Dercylidas? Where am I to live?’

Dercylidas replied: ‘Just where you have a perfectly good right to live, Meidias. In your native city of Scepsis and in the house you inherited from your father.’