5*8 ATT 
men, commanded by Tirtaphernes, Gobrias, and Arbaces. 
Befides thefe, there were in the army of Artaxerxes 150 
chariots; while Cyrus, on the other hand, had no more 
than twenty. The two armies met at Cunaxa. Cyrus 
himfelf drew up his army-in battle array, and took his own 
poll in the centre. On being intreated by Clearchus to 
avoid the dangerous part of the engagement; “ What doft 
thou advile r (replied the prince:) While I aim at a 
throne, wouldft thou defire me to rtiew myfelf unworthy of 
it ?” A thick cloud of dull, about three o’clock in the af¬ 
ternoon, announced the approach of the army of the king. 
His foot weredifpofed in fquare columns ; and in the front 
were ranged the chariots, armed with fcythes. The king 
himfelf was in the centre, furrounded by 6000 chofen 
horfe. Cyrus difcovered the utmoft eage-rnefs and joy. 
He had ordered Clearchus with the Greek forces to ad¬ 
vance to the centre. But, as foon as they perceived the 
army of the king marching on in good order, they ftruck 
their javelins againft their fhields, and inftantly milled for¬ 
ward to charge the barbarians, who, unable to fuftain their 
attack, gave ground and fled. 
While Cyrus beheld with pleafure the troops of his 
brother flying before the Greeks, the perfon of the king 
flruck his view. Immediately, therefore, crying out in a 
tranfport, “ I fee him!” he obeys the diffates of his fury; 
gallops up to him, followed by no more than 600 horfe ; 
kills with his own hand the commander of the king’s 
guard; pierces through thofe that were polled before him ; 
at laft reaches his brother, wounds the horfe on which he 
rode with a dart, and throws him to the ground. Arta¬ 
xerxes having mounted another horfe, Cyrus aimed a fe- 
cond blow at him ; but was in his turn flruck with a jave¬ 
lin difcharged by the king, and, being at the fame time 
overwhelmed by a (hower of darts from the king’s attend¬ 
ants, he was laid dead on the fpot. Several of the prin¬ 
cipal noblemen who fought by his fide were llain : and 
Mezabates, by the king’s orders, cut off the head and right 
hand of Cyrus. A part of the prince’s army, hearing of 
his death, betook themfelves to flight ; and Tirtaphernes 
led on the reft of the king’s army againll that part of Cy¬ 
rus’s which Hill kept its ground. The Greeks opened 
their ranks and let him pafs. Artaxerxes, hearing that 
the Greeks had defeated his left wing, rallied his troops, 
and advanced to attack them, who were as yet ignorant 
of Cyrus’s death. The Greeks, apprehenfive of being 
furrounded, placed themfelves in fuch a fituation as to 
have their rear fecured by a river ; and, feeing the king 
approaching againll them, boldly marched up to charge 
him. But the Perlians gave ground as before, and fled 
on all (ides. 
Thus fell the younger Cyrus, a vidlim to his extrava¬ 
gant and criminal ambition. Xenophon has given a finirti- 
ed picture of his prince. By his account, Cyrus furpaf- 
fed all thofe of his years in bodily exercifes. He fulfilled 
his engagements with the utmoft punctuality and honour. 
He rewarded good offices with uncommon generality and 
with lingular prudence, always in proportion to real me¬ 
rit,'never by the influence of favour: and he conferred 
an obligation with the beft grace in the world. He ap¬ 
peared to be only fo far delighted with fovereignty as it 
enabled him to do good; and no other ways exerted his 
great power than to accomplilh that end. By this beha¬ 
viour he gained the efteem both of the Greeks and of the 
barbarians. But it is remarkable, that Xenophon takes 
notice only of the virtues of this prince, and is entirely Cl¬ 
ient with refpedt to his faults and vices; his unbounded 
ambition particularly, which prompted him to rife in arms 
againll his brother, whom, if the event had correfpondcd 
w ith his intentions, he would have deprived of his crown 
and of his life. 
When the Greeks heard of the death of Cyrus, they 
were ftruck with confternation ; and, inliead of purfiuing 
the enemy, turned all their thoughts to their own fafety. 
But, At taxerxes having fummaned them to lay down their 
arms, he received for anfwer, “ That they would fooner 
I C A. 
die : that they were ready, however, to ferve him as al¬ 
lies ; but that they preferred liberty to life.” In the mean 
time Arieus, general of the barbarians in Cyrus’s army, 
to whom the Greeks had offered the crown of Perfia, fent 
them word, that he was on the point of returning to Ionia; 
and that, if they had a mind to accompany him, they muft 
join him that night. They accepted his invitation, and 
were all, except 300, condudled that night into his camp 
by Clearchus. At their firft fetting out they made forced 
marches ; but could not by all their diligence avoid the 
purfuit of the king, who at laft came up with them. The 
Greeks, as foon as they perceived him, formed themfelves 
in order for battle , and, by their excellent difpofition and 
intrepid appearance, fo intimidated the king, that he dif- 
patched meffengers to them with friendly profefiions, and 
to acquaint them, that they had orders to conduct them to 
certain villages, where they would be fupplied with plen¬ 
ty of provisions. The Greeks accepted the offer, and 
parted three days in thofe villages. 
Tirtaphernes now paid a vilit to the Greek command¬ 
ers, by order of the king ; and in a long harangue told 
them, that, pitying the hardfhips and dangers to which 
they were about to expole themfelves, he had obtained per- 
mirtion from the Perfian monarch to condudt them back to 
their own country. Clearchus anfwered, That the Greeks 
had been led into Perfia by Cyrus, without being inform¬ 
ed of his intentions: that by his death their engagements 
with him were at an end : that they had by no means un¬ 
dertaken this expedition with a view of making war on the 
Perlian monarch, or of creating him any dirturbance : and, 
that all they requefted was a free partage to their native 
country. Tirtaphernes, having departed to report their 
anfwer to the king, returned the fecondday after, and told 
them, that the king did not intend to oppofe their return ; 
that he, Tirtaphernes, would fupply them with provifions; 
and, as he was immediately to fet out for his own province, 
would accompany them in their journey ; and for that pur- 
pofe would quickly join them. The Greeks, after wait¬ 
ing for him twenty days, were at length joined by him, 
and fet out under his condudt. But after this Arieus and 
his forces pitched their camp at fome diftance from that of 
the Greeks. This produced fome fufpicions in the latter, 
who neverthelefs continued their march. After parting 
the Tigris, by a bridge of twenty-feven boats, they tra- 
verfed the deferts of Media, leaving the Tigris on their 
left. But in the mdan time the fufpicions of the Greeks 
were daily increafing. Clearchus therefore having defired 
a conference with Tirtaphernes, in order to come to an ex¬ 
planation, took occalion to remind him of the folemnity of 
the engagements he had come under to the Greeks. The 
fatrap, by the ftrongeft profeffions of fincerity, and the 
warmeft appearances of friendfliip, effaced all his fufpi¬ 
cions. But thefe profeffions were intended to difguife the 
mod villanous perfidy. 
As Clearchus no longer entertained any doubt of the 
fatrap’s integrity and honour, he was prevailed upon, to¬ 
gether with the reft of the chief officers of the Greeks, 
being four generals and twenty captains, to pay him a vi- 
lit. As foon as the four generals, Menon, Proxenes, A- 
gias, and Socrates, had entered the tent of Tirtaphernes, 
with Clearchus at their head, they were inftantly feized; 
and at the fame time the twenty captains, who had re¬ 
mained without, were attacked and cut to pieces by 200 
Perfian foldiers, privately ported there for that fpecial pur¬ 
ports. The five commanders were carried before the king, 
and by bis orders beheaded. A (hocking inftance of cruel 
perfidy ! Xenophon has given us the characters of thole 
unfortunate commanders; of whom Clearchus and*Prox- 
enes were the mod diftinguiffied. We may ealily imagine 
the furprife of the Greeks at the long abfence of their 
commanders; and the conllernation occafioned among them 
by the news of their fate. They no longer entertained any 
doubt that their total deftruCtion was refolved on. They 
found themfelves at the diftance of 500 or 600 leagues 
from Greece; hemmed in by a royal army; furrounded by 
mountains 
