ver for us to cross, I know not; but we know that
the Euphrates itself can never be crossed, if there be an enemy to
resist us. Nor have we any cavalry,--while cavalry is the best and most
numerous force of our enemies. If the King, having all these advantages,
really wishes to destroy us, I do not know why he should falsely
exchange all these oaths and solemnities, and thus make his own word
worthless in the eyes both of Greeks and barbarians."[22]

Such words from Klearchus are remarkable, as they testify his own
complete despair of the situation--certainly a very natural
despair--except by amicable dealing with the Persians; and also his
ignorance of geography and the country to be traversed. This feeling
helps to explain his imprudent confidence afterwards in Tissaphernes.

That satrap, however, after twenty days, at last came back, with his
army prepared to return to Ionia[23]--with the King's daughter, whom he
had just received in marriage--and with another grandee named Orontas.
Tissaphernes took the conduct of the march, providing supplies for the
Greek troops to purchase; while Ariaeus and his division now separated
themselves altogether from the Greeks, and became intermingled with the
other Persians. Klearchus and the Greeks followed them, at the distance
of about three miles in the rear, with a separate guide for themselves;
not without jealousy and mistrust, sometimes shown in individual
conflicts, while collecting wood or forage, between them and the
Persians of Ariaeus. After three days' march (that is, apparently, three
days, calculated from the moment when they began their retreat with
Ariaeus) they came to the Wall of Media,[24] and passed through it,
prosecuting their march onward through the country on its other or
interior side. It was of bricks cemented with bitumen,[25] 100 feet
high, and 20 feet broad; it was said to extend a length of about 70
miles, and to be not far distant from Babylon. Two days of farther
march, computed at 28 miles, brought them to the Tigris. During these
two days they crossed two great ship-canals, one of them over a
permanent bridge, the other over a temporary bridge laid on seven boats.
Canals of such magnitude must probably have been two among the four
stated by Xenophon to be drawn from the river Tigris, each of them about
three miles and a half distant from the other. They were 100 feet broad,
and deep enough even for heavy vessels; they were distributed by means
of