The Greeks Keeping parallel to the river Tigris continue their . 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 1 in advancing from Opis, retreat; pass six marches brought the Greeks to some villages belonging to
t^e lesser Zab, queen.motjjer, Parysatis; which, at 2-608 geographical
miles for each of the thirty parasangs, or 78-24 geographical
miles, would place the villages in question about three miles
beyond the Lesser Zab.
Continuing the march through the Median desert, the army
opposite halted on the evening of the first day opposite to Cmme,
which at 15 648 geographical miles for the six parasangs,
would place this large and opulent city on the right bank, at the
ruins of U ’r of the Persians, which are three or four miles below
Sherkat, or To-prak Kal’ah-si. In four more days making
twenty-four parasangs, it halted on the river Zab ; where the
enemy was prepared to oppose their passage.1 Here a negotiation
was most imprudently entered into with Tissaphernes,
who, having by these means got Clearchus, Menon, Proxenus,
Agias, and others, into his power, carried them to the king,
Clearchus and by whose order they were beheaded.2 After the calamity of
hladedi16’ losing their principal leaders by this treachery, the management
of the retreat devolved upon Cheirisophus and Xenophon,
but more particularly on the latter, owing to his talents and
courage. Having, by an animating address, prepared the
Greeks for difficulties and dangers, the carriages were burnt,
and the baggage being reduced as a necessary preliminary, the
army passed the river Zabatus, probably in boats, and then
advanced in order of battle with the remainder of the baggage
in the centre ; but they were so much harassed by the Persian
horse under Mithridates, that the Greeks scarcely advanced
three miles during that day. Ever fertile in expedients,
?<T Pte’th Xenophon immediately organized 200 Rhodian, or other
Greeks slingers, and fifty cavalry clad in buff coats and corslets;
and the whole being mounted on the baggage horses, not only
repulsed Mithridates on the following day, but subsequently
to the rums of covered the march to the large uninhabited city called Larissa
1 ’ which the army reached in the evening.3 The remains of a
vast pyramid, and extensive walls, go far to show that Ashur
1 Anabasis, lib. I I ., cap. iv.
3 Ibid., lib. I I I ., cap. iv.
2 Ibid., cap. vi., sec. 16.
or Nimrud represents the place in question; and, as already
observed, its situation between Nineveh and Calah, justifies the
supposition of Bochart, that this was the Resen, or A1 Resen of
the Scriptures.1 The succeeding march of six parasangs, to the
Median city of Messila or Mespila, makes the latter agree with onward to
the site of Nineveh, which is about sixteen miles from the Nineveh™
preceding ruins at the nearest point.
The difficulties of the Greeks were now increased, owing to
the presence of a very large army, consisting of the troops of
Ariseus, those of Orontas, and some under a natural brother of
the king, in addition to a portion of the royal army under
Tissaphernes. On the following day, the Persians, with this
prodigious force, menaced both flanks as well as the rear of the
retreating army, but failed in making any serious impression;
and having completed the march of four parasangs, the Greeks
encamped in some villages abounding in corn. The distance Halt at some ;
of about ten miles and a half would bring them to the smallTlllages’
Chaldean town of Tel Keif,2 a site of much interest.3
On the following day the disadvantages of marching in a From thence
square, without being covered, having become manifest, par- advance to
ticularly when passing a defile or bridge, six companies of one60me vlllages"
hundred men each, in subdivisions of fifty and twenty-five men,
were formed into a moveable column, which not only protected
the rear, but was always ready to act on emergencies when any
detached duties were required.4
Having failed to make an impression, another and more Difficulties
promising project was adopted by the Persians, who, by making t^ttaugeZs
a rapid march, succeeded in placing themselves in advance o fofthe enemy-
the Greeks. In proceeding steadily over the plain at some
distance from the Tigris, the latter were cheered on the fourth
day with the sight of a triple range of hills, beyond which,
there was a palace with many villages around it, and these
were their intended halting-place. The Greeks had reached
the first eminence, and were descending to gain the second,
1 See above, vol. I., pp. 21, 22. 2 See Index Map.
8 W. F. Ainsworth’s Travels in the Track of the Ten Thousand Greeks,
p. 141.
4 Anabasis, lib. I I I . , cap. iv.