ative, and which apparently had furnished them
with a stock of provisions for the onward journey. Such halt gave time
to the Taochi to carry up their families and provisions into
inaccessible strongholds, so that the Greeks found no supplies, during
five days' march through the territory. Their provisions were completely
exhausted, when they arrived before one of these strongholds, a rock on
which were seen the families and the cattle of the Taochi; without
houses or fortification, but nearly surrounded by a river, so as to
leave only one narrow ascent, rendered unapproachable by vast rocks
which the defenders hurled or rolled from the summit. By an ingenious
combination of bravery and stratagem, in which some of the captains much
distinguished themselves, the Greeks overcame this difficulty, and took
the height. The scene which then ensued was awful. The Taochian women
seized their children, flung them over the precipice, and then cast
themselves headlong also, followed by the men. Almost every soul thus
perished, very few surviving to become prisoners. An Arcadian captain
named AEneas, seeing one of them in a fine dress about to precipitate
himself with the rest, seized him with a view to prevent it. But the man
in return grasped him firmly, dragged him to the edge of the rock, and
leaped down to the destruction of both. Though scarcely any prisoners
were taken, however, the Greeks obtained abundance of oxen, asses, and
sheep, which fully supplied their wants.

They now entered into the territory of the Chalybes, which they were
seven days in passing through. These were the bravest warriors whom they
had seen in Asia. Their equipment was a spear of fifteen cubits long,
with only one end pointed--a helmet, greaves,[69] stuffed corselet, with
a kilt or dependent flaps--a short sword which they employed to cut off
the head of a slain enemy, displaying the head in sight of their
surviving enemies with triumphant dance and song. They carried no
shield; perhaps because the excessive length of the spear required the
constant employment of both hands--yet they did not shrink from meeting
the Greeks occasionally in regular, stand-up fight. As they had carried
off all their provisions into hill-forts, the Greeks could obtain no
supplies, but lived all the time upon the cattle which they had acquired
from the Taochi. After seven days of march and combat--the Chalybes
perpetually attacking their rear--they reached the river Harpas