es in the march.
14. Proceeding on their way, they arrived at some villages, from which
the guides signified that they might procure provisions. In these
villages there was great plenty of corn, and wine made from dates, and
an acidulous drink obtained from them by boiling. 15. As to the dates
themselves, such as those we see in Greece were here put aside for the
use of the servants; but those which were laid by for their masters,
were choice fruit, remarkable for beauty and size; their colour was not
unlike that of amber; and some of these they dried and preserved as
sweetmeats. These were a pleasant accompaniment to drink, but apt to
cause headache. 16. Here too the soldiers for the first time tasted the
cabbage[95] from the top of the palm-tree, and most of them were
agreeably struck both with its external appearance and the peculiarity
of its sweetness. But this also was exceedingly apt to give headache.
The palm-tree, out of which the cabbage had been taken, soon withered
throughout.
17. In this place they remained three days, when Tissaphernes arrived
from the Great King, and with him the brother of the king's wife, and
three other Persians; and a numerous retinue attended them. The generals
of the Greeks having met them on their arrival, Tissaphernes first spoke
by an interpreter, to the following effect: 18. "I myself dwell, O
Greeks, in the neighbourhood of your country; and when I perceived you
fallen into many troubles and difficulties, I thought it a piece of good
fortune if I could in any way press a request upon the king to allow me
to conduct you in safety back to Greece. For I think that such a service
would be attended with no want of gratitude either from yourselves or
from Greece in general. 19. With these considerations, I made my request
to the king, representing to him that he might reasonably grant me this
favour, because I had been the first to give him intelligence that Cyrus
was marching against him, and at the same time that I brought him the
intelligence, had come to him with an auxiliary force; because I alone,
of all those opposed to the Greeks, did not flee, but, on the contrary,
charged through the midst of them, and joined the king in your camp,
whither he came after he had slain Cyrus; and because, together with
these who are now present with me, and who are his most faithful
servants, I engaged in pursuit of the Barbarian part of Cyrus's army.
20. The king promised to consider of my
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