The next morning messengers from their allies rode into camp to announce to the Greeks the terrible news: Cyrus was dead. When half of Artaxerxes’ army had fled the previous day, Cyrus had wheeled his forces to the west to take on the remainder, including the Great King. He led his cavalry division of 600 fearlessly against the king and put to flight the six thousand cavalrymen who made up the king’s guard. He then found the king and his personal guard and attacked, wounding his brother with a spear thrust through his breastplate. The king retreated in the midst of his guards with Cyrus in pursuit. As Cyrus pushed ahead he was struck by a spear in his temple. He fell from his horse and later died. Artaxerxes’ soldiers found the body and severed Cyrus’ head and right hand to bring back to his brother Artaxerxes as a token of his victory.[35] Cyrus’ Persian troops were now retreating and the Greeks were left to themselves in a hostile country.
In mid-morning heralds arrived from Artaxerxes and Tissaphernes, with a Greek named Phalinus as interpreter and spokesman. He announced that, inasmuch as the Great King had won the victory, the Greeks should surrender their arms and plead for mercy at the king’s court. The Greek general Clearchus gathered the leaders of the army in council. The Greeks were angry at the message. They had faced the king’s armies thrice on the previous day and set them to flight each time before they even came into contact. How, they demanded, had the king won the battle? Phalinus replied, “The king maintains that he has won because he has slain Cyrus. For who is left to contend with him for mastery? And he considers you are his inasmuch as you are in the middle of his country.” The Greeks gave the heralds no definite answer as to what they would do.[36] The next day they marched to where Ariaeus had gathered his rebel troops. The remainder of Cyrus’ army realized that they could not return across the desert the same way they had come because on the inland journey they had already consumed what little food the desert had to offer. Instead, they marched east into Babylonia where there were villages with supplies.[37]
Now the Persians became worried that the rebel army might attack them again. They sent a delegation to the rebels to make a truce. The rebels said they would negotiate with the king if he would lead them to a place where they could get food. The Persians guided them to some villages where they could buy supplies. Tissaphernes the satrap arrived to negotiate, and made an agreement to conduct the Greeks back to the Aegean if they would not plunder the lands they passed through, to which the Greeks agreed.[38] They waited in the villages for three weeks until Tissaphernes returned with his army, ostensibly to escort the Greeks home. The satrap led them eastward to the Tigris River, which they crossed and proceeded north to the Zapatas River.[39] There Clearchus determined to have a conference with Tissaphernes to allay their suspicions that the Persians meant to destroy them. Tissaphernes put Clearchus’ mind at ease and hinted that he might himself employ the mercenary Greeks. He invited Clearchus and the other Greek leaders to a dinner the next evening.
Despite misgivings, five of the ten Greek generals, including Clearchus, and twenty captains went to the feast. The generals were invited into Tissaphernes’ tent while the captains waited outside. But treachery was afoot. At a signal, guards rushed in to capture the generals and slay the captains. Persian cavalry attacked Greek soldiers who were wandering outside the Greek camp.[40]
After the slaughter, the turncoat rebel general Ariaeus rode up to the Greek camp and told them that Clearchus had been killed for treason, but the other generals were safe. “The king,” he added, “demands your arms. For he says they belong to him, since they previously belonged to his servant Cyrus.” The Greeks called Ariaeus a disgrace for having sold out to the Persians after making oaths of allegiance to the Greeks. They ordered him to produce the generals who were allegedly safe.[41] But Clearchus and the other generals were not safe; they were taken to the king and beheaded.[42] Among the dead was Proxenus of Thebes, the friend who had recruited Xenophon for the expedition. Xenophon notes that his friend, the student of Gorgias, though ambitious, had been virtuous. But he was too easygoing and indulgent to command the respect of his men.[43]
Dead also was Meno of Thessaly, whom Plato portrays in conversation with Socrates in the dialogue named after him—ironically on the topic of virtue. This other student of Gorgias was also ambitious, but unlike Xenophon’s friend, he was not constrained by virtue. Rather, Meno was treacherous, underhanded, and deceitful. He was suspected of conspiring with the Persians with the hope of supplanting Clearchus, though that did not save him. Xenophon claims Meno had gotten ahead as a young officer by being the boyfriend first of Aristippus and then of Ariaeus.[x] He was not missed by the Ten Thousand.
[35].Xenophon Anabasis 1.8.24-26, 1.10.1, cf. 1.7.11; Plutarch Artaxerxes 11.
[36].Xenophon Anabasis 2.1.7-23.
[37].Xenophon Anabasis 2.2.
[38].Xenophon Anabasis 2.3.
[39].Xenophon Anabasis 2.4.
[40].Xenophon Anabasis 2.5.27-34.
[41].Xenophon Anabasis 2.5.35-42.
[42].Xenophon Anabasis 2.6.1.
[43].Xenophon Anabasis 2.6.16-20.
[44].Xenophon Anabasis 2.6.21-29; cf. 2.5.28.