Lacedaemonian galleys. The opportune arrival of the latter,
added to the belief that the negotiation of Epyaxa had been
successful, seems to have prevented the intended resistance of
reaohesTarens, Syennesis, and four days’ march through one of the longest
and most difficult passes in the world,1 brought Cyrus to
Tarsus; which city is sixty-eight or seventy geographical miles,
(called twenty-five parasangs), from the farther side of the pass
near the Kolu Kushla.2
At first, Syennesis refused to obey the mandate of Cyrus to
appear at Tarsus, but Epyaxa induced him to quit his fastness
is visited by in the mountains, and the Cilician prince made his peace by
Syennesis. presenting large sums of money for the army: he received
from Cyrus, in return, a Persian robe of honour, a golden bit,
and other royal presents, in addition to a guarantee that his
territories should not be plundered.
The halt of twenty days at Tarsus, was rendered memorable
by a circumstance which threatened to terminate the enterprise,
Events at at the moment when the requisite funds had been so unexpect-
Tarsus. edly obtained. The Greeks, chiefly the followers of Clearchus,
perceiving that they had been entrapped, loudly demanded to
return, instead of proceeding against Artaxerxes; a service for
which, as alleged, they had not been engaged.3 After lengthened
discussions, the oratory of Clearchus prevailed, and by judiciously
placing before the turbulent soldiery, on the one hand the
The discontent difficulties and dishonour of a return, contrasted with the pros-
iappSd!“ pect of glory and rewards before them on the other, he induced
them to advance. The object now avowed by Cyrus, was the
punishment of his enemy Abrocamas, the satrap of Syria 5 who
was, he said, encamped on the banks of the Euphrates, at the
distance of twelve marches.4
Cyrnsad- An additional half-daric being promised per month, Cyrus
crosses’ the* advanced ten parasangs, in two marches, and crossed the river
rivers SaiMn g a ru S ) n0w the Sa'ihun, where it was three plethra wide. Here
the direct distance is seventeen geographical miles, but that by
the road is rather more than twenty-nine miles between those
' See above, vol. I ., pp. 293, 354, and Anabasis, lib. T.l cap. ii.
a See No. 1 of Euphrates’ Maps. 8 Anabasis, lib. I., cap. iii., s. 1.
* Ibid., s. 20.
places.1 In another march of five parasangs (actually seventeen
to nineteen miles), he reached the Pyramus or Jai'han, which
was one stadium in breadth; and fifteen parasangs, made in
two marches from thence, brought him to Issus, the last city of
Cilicia,8 which is thirty-three to thirty-four miles from the
town of Misis. The widths given by Xenophon, indicate that and reaches
the passage of the Sarus was effected somewhere about theIssus’
place now occupied by the city of Adanah, and that of the
Pyramus, in the vicinity of the present town of Mallus or
Misis; and neither of the rivers being fordable, it may be
presumed that they were, as in the case of the Mseander,
crossed on some kind of temporary bridge.3 Cyrus found his where he finds
fleet anchored near the city of Issus, and with it came a re- rdnforc^*
inforcement of 700 heavy-armed men under Cheirisophus, ments-
besides 400 others who had quitted Abrocamas, that they
might take service against the king,4 making it evident that
the object of the expedition was now well known in this part of
the country. Keeping between the mountains and the sea, one The army ad-
march of five parasangs brought Cyrus to the gates of Cilicia the coastOI>g
and Syria. Here a rocky spur, covered with brushwood,
descends from the Amanus into the sea, leaving, as described
by Xenophon, a narrow pass. This has been since washed
away by the sea, and a paved road has been substituted for it.
The latter is carried over the spur itself, and through the ruins
of a marble gateway on the southern declivity. The gateway,
now bears the European name of Jonas’ pillars, and the,
Turkish name of Sakai Tutan (Beard Catcher). A little way
northward of the pillars, on a hill perhaps nearly 300 feet high,
stands the castle of Merkez (Centre), which commands the
pass. Half a mile beyond the castle there is a wall, which Nature of the
terminates at the sea with a tower; a little farther is the country'
Merkez-sui, and again, beyond, a small pile of ancient ruins.
There are also other ruins higher up the river; and at the
distance of two miles from the sea are traces of a double wall
on each side, where the stream issues from the mountains.
The Merkez-sui, or ancient Kersus, determines the sites of the
1 See Map No. 1. ! Anabasis, lib. I., cap. iv.
8 Ibid., cap. ii. * Ibid., cap. iv.
P 2