ould probably have been
the reality, had Xenophon executed his design of retiring earlier, so as
to leave the other generals acting without him. Being on the outside
along with the soldiers, Xenophon felt at once, as soon as he saw the
gates forced open and the army again within the town, the terrific
emergency which was impending: first, the sack of Byzantium--next,
horror and antipathy, throughout all Greece, towards the Cyreian
officers and soldiers indiscriminately--lastly, unsparing retribution
inflicted upon all by the power of Sparta. Overwhelmed with these
anxieties, he rushed into the town along with the multitude, using
every effort to pacify them and bring them into order. They on their
parts, delighted to see him along with them, and conscious of their own
force, were eager to excite him to the same pitch as themselves, and to
prevail on him to second and methodize their present triumph. "Now is
your time, Xenophon (they exclaimed), to make yourself a man. You have
here a city--you have triremes--you have money--you have plenty of
soldiers. Now then, if you choose, you can enrich us; and we in return
can make you powerful."--"You speak well (replied he); I shall do as you
propose; but if you want to accomplish anything, you must fall into
military array forthwith." He knew that this was the first condition of
returning to anything like tranquillity; and by great good fortune, the
space called the Thrakion,[104] immediately adjoining the gate inside,
was level, open, and clear of houses; presenting an excellent place of
arms or locality for a review. The whole army,--partly from their long
military practice, partly under the impression that Xenophon was really
about to second their wishes and direct some aggressive operation--threw
themselves almost of their own accord into regular array on the
Thrakion; the heavy-armed foot-soldiers eight deep, the light-armed
foot-soldiers on each flank. It was in this position that Xenophon
addressed them as follows.

Sec. 18. Xenophon's speech to the soldiers.

"Soldiers, I am not surprised that you are incensed, and that you think
yourselves scandalously cheated and ill-used. But if we give way to our
wrath--if we punish these Lacedaemonians now before us for their
treachery, and plunder this innocent city--reflect what will be the
consequence. We shall stand proclaimed forthwith as enemies to the
Lacedaemonians and their allies, and what sort of a war that will be,