nce, setting a guard over the chief, and keeping his children at
the same time under their eye. 30. The following day Xenophon took the
head man and went with him to Cheirisophus, and wherever he passed by a
village, he turned aside to visit those who were quartered in it, and
found them in all parts feasting and enjoying themselves; nor would they
anywhere let them go till they had set refreshments before them; 31. and
they placed everywhere upon the same table lamb, kid, pork, veal, and
fowl, with plenty of bread both of wheat and barley. 32. Whenever any
person, to pay a compliment, wished to drink to another, he took him to
the large bowl, where he had to stoop down and drink, sucking like an
ox. The chief they allowed to take whatever he pleased, but he accepted
nothing from them; where he found any of his relatives, however, he took
them with him.

33. When they came to Cheirisophus, they found his men also feasting in
their quarters,[222] crowned with wreaths made of hay, and Armenian
boys, in their Barbarian dresses, waiting upon them, to whom they made
signs what they were to do as if they had been deaf and dumb. 34. When
Cheirisophus and Xenophon had saluted one another, they both asked the
chief man, through the interpreter who spoke the Persian language, what
country it was. He replied that it was Armenia. They then asked him for
whom the horses were bred; and he said that they were a tribute for the
king, and added that the neighbouring country was that of the Chalybes,
and told them in what direction the road lay. 35. Xenophon then went
away, conducting the chief back to his family, giving him the horse that
he had taken, which was rather old, to fatten and offer in sacrifice,
(for he had heard that it had been consecrated to the sun,) being
afraid, indeed, that it might die, as it had been injured by the
journey. He then took some of the young horses, and gave one of them to
each of the other generals and captains. 36. The horses in this country
were smaller than those of Persia, but far more spirited. The chief
instructed the men to tie little bags round the feet of the horses, and
other cattle, when they drove them through the snow, for without such
bags they sunk up to their bellies.

[Footnote 214: Rennell, p. 214, and Kinneir, p. 485, think this distance
too great for troops marching through deep snow. [Greek: Pente] occurs
in one manuscript, and Kuehner has admitted it into his text.]

[Footnote 2