THE MEDIAN AND THE CYROPAEDIA OF XENOPHON. 23 



Seeing the Persians being forced from their position by the 

 Egyptians, Cyrus was deeply concerned ; and riding round the 

 flank of the Egyptian phalanx and calhng on his men to follow 

 he headed a furious onslaught on their rear. The Egyptians, 

 when they realized what had occurred, cried out that the enemy 

 was attacking them from the rear, and faced about under the 

 onslaught. And thei> foot-soldiers and cavalry fought in utter 

 confusion ; and someone having fallen under Cyrus's horse, and 

 being trampled on, stabbed his horse from beneath with his sword, 

 and the horse, when stabbed, madly plunging, threw off Cyrus. 

 " And then might anyone know," says Xenophon, " of what 

 great value it is for a leader to be loved by those around him. 

 For immediately all raised a shout, and flinging themselves 

 upon him, fought, pushed, were pushed, struck, were struck ; 

 and one man, leaping from his horse, placed Cyrus upon him. 

 But when Cyrus was mounted he now saw that the Egyptians 

 were smitten on all sides, and he ordered Hystaspes and 

 Chrysantas, who were there with the cavalry, no longer to launch 

 attacks upon the phalanx of the Egyptians, but to rain darts and 

 arrows at them from outside. The gallant phalanx could now 

 harm their enemy no more ; but forming a circle, covering 

 themselves the best way that they could under their great 

 shields, were suffering nevertheless terrible losses, till Cyrus^ 

 admiring their valour, and seeing that all resistance in other 

 parts of the battlefield had ceased, and that there was an utter 

 rout ; and thinking it pity that such brave men should not 

 be saved, sent a herald to parley with them, and after firmly 

 requiring that they should receive such honourable treatment as 

 was befitting for brave men, they agreed to enter the service 

 of Cyrus as a mercenary force. As a consequence of this great 

 victory, Croesus and the city of Sardis fell into Cyrus's hands 

 and the noble and chivalrous clemency, which, as recorded in 

 the Cyropaedia, he displayed in his treatment of the Lydian 

 monarch and the city of Sardis when both were in his power, 

 was in full accord with that with which, according to the Cuneiform 

 Inscriptions, and the Cyropaedia in full agreement mth them, 

 he treated Babylon. 



But what a moment for the civilized world was that, when the 

 horse, frantic with his wound, flung Cyrus off into that welter of 

 carnage and blood ! And who was the " Unknown Warrior " 

 who, with prompt devotion, slipped off his horse and gave 

 it to his King ? But Cyrus, just then, could not die. God 



