d
with a golden varnish and his flashed like a mirror. [3] As he sat on
his steed, gazing into the distance, where he meant to go, a peal of
thunder rang out on the right, and he cried, "We will follow thee, O
Zeus most high!"

So he set forth with Chrysantas on his right at the head of cavalry and
Arsamas on his left with infantry. [4] And the word went down the lines,
"Eyes on the standard and steady marching."

The standard was a golden eagle, with outspread wings, borne aloft on
a long spear-shaft, and to this day such is the standard of the Persian
king.

Before they came in full sight of the Assyrians Cyrus halted the army
thrice. [5] And when they had gone about two miles or more, they began
to see the enemy advancing. As soon as both armies were in full view
of each other, and the Assyrians could see how much they outflanked
the Persians on either side, Croesus halted, in order to prepare an
encircling movement, and pushed out a column on the right wing and the
left, so that the Persian forces might be attacked on every side at
once.

[6] Cyrus saw it, but gave no sign of stopping; he led straight on as
before. Meanwhile he noticed that the turning-point where the Assyrians
had pushed out on either flank was an immense distance from their
centre, and he said to Chrysantas:

"Do you see where they have fixed their angle?" "Yes, I do," answered
Chrysantas, "and I am surprised at it: it seems to me they are drawing
their wings too far away from their centre." "Just so," said Cyrus,
"and from ours too." [7] "Why are they doing that?" asked the other.
"Clearly," said Cyrus, "they are afraid we shall attack, if their wings
are in touch with us while their centre is still some way off."
"But," went on Chrysantas, "how can they support each other at such a
distance?" "Doubtless," said Cyrus, "as soon as their wings are opposite
our flanks, they will wheel round, and then advance at once on every
side and so set us fighting everywhere at once." [8] "Well," said
Chrysantas, "do you think the movement wise?" "Yes," said Cyrus, "it
is good enough in view of what they can see, but, in view of what they
cannot, it is worse for them than if they had advanced in a single
column. Do you," he said, turning to Arsamas, "advance with your
infantry, slowly, taking your pace from me, and do you, Chrysantas,
march beside him with your cavalry, step for step. I will make for their
angle myself, where I propose to join battle, fi