and that they now thought it best to
employ the newly-arrived transports in conveying the army, not to
Greece, but against the town and territory of Phasis[90] at the eastern
extremity of the Euxine. Xenophon replied, that they might convene the
soldiers and make the proposition, if they chose; but that he would have
nothing to say to it. To make the very proposition themselves, for which
they had so much inveighed against Xenophon, was impossible without some
preparation; so that each of them began individually to sound his
captains, and get the scheme suggested by them. During this interval,
the soldiery obtained information of the manoeuvre, much to their
discontent and indignation; of which Neon (the lieutenant of the absent
Cheirisophus) took advantage, to throw the whole blame upon Xenophon;
alleging that it was he who had converted the other officers to his
original project, and that he intended, as soon as the soldiers were on
shipboard, to convey them fraudulently to Phasis instead of to Greece.
There was something so plausible in this glaring falsehood, which
represented Xenophon as the author of the renewed project, once his
own--and something so improbable in the fact that the other officers
should spontaneously have renounced their own strong opinions to take up
his--that we can hardly be surprised at the ready credence which Neon's
calumny found among the army. Their exasperation against Xenophon became
so intense, that they collected in fierce groups; and there was even a
fear that they would break out into mutinous violence, as they had
before done against the magistrates of Kerasus.

Well knowing the danger of such spontaneous and informal assemblages,
and the importance of the habitual solemnities of convocation and
arrangement, to ensure either discussion or legitimate defence--Xenophon
immediately sent round the herald to summon the army into the regular
place of assembly with customary method and ceremony. The summons was
obeyed with unusual alacrity, and Xenophon then addressed
them--refraining, with equal generosity and prudence, from saying
anything about the last proposition which Timasion and others had made
to him. Had he mentioned it, the question would have become one of life
and death between him and those other officers.

Sec. 14. Xenophon defends himself against false accusations.

"Soldiers (said he), I understand that there are some men here
calumniating me, as if I were intending