In the spring of 401 BC, Cyrus set out from Sardis with his Grande Armée. He marched through Lydia, crossing the Maeander River on a pontoon bridge (the usual Persian bridge structure), traveled into Phrygia to Colossae, where he rendezvoused with Meno of Thessaly and his force of one thousand hoplites (heavy infantrymen) and five hundred peltasts (light infrantrymen). The combined force continued on to the city of Celaenae, which contained a royal palace and a paradeisos,“paradise” or royal park and game preserve. Here Clearchus joined the army with one thousand hoplites, eight hundred Thracian peltasts, and two hundred archers from Crete; also Sosis of Syracuse with three hundred hoplites and Sophaenetus of Arcadia with one thousand hoplites.
Cyrus’ army now consisted of a Greek force of 10,600 hoplites and 2,300 light infantry, as well as a larger force of Persian troops. His secret weapon, however, was the Greek force, who could hold their own against anything the Great King could throw against them. Their number would grow in days to come with new contingents joining them, and decrease with losses on the battlefield, but they became known forever after as the Ten Thousand. Cyrus remained at Celaenae for a month drilling his troops.[19]
He next set out through Phrygia to Peltae, Tilemarket, and Caysterfield, where he paused for five days. By now the Greek troops were growing restive, for they had been in Cyrus’ employ for three months without having received a drachma of pay. At this juncture Epyaxa, Queen of Cilicia and wife of King Syennesis, arrived with a large retinue. Suddenly Cyrus had plentiful funds and disbursed four months’ salary to the troops. It was rumored that Epyaxa was sleeping with the prince.
The army marched on to Thymbrium and to Tyriaeum accompanied by the queen. There Cyrus held a military review, parading his soldiers before the queen. After inspecting the Persian and Greek contingents from his chariot while the queen watched from her carriage in front of the camp, Cyrus gave orders for the Greek soldiers to advance toward the spectators. “All the Greeks had on bronze helmets, red tunics, and greaves, and carried bare shields. … When the trumpet sounded, they shouldered their arms and advanced. Increasing speed, the soldiers suddenly let out screams and whoops and broke into a dead run, charging on the camp. The spectators were terrified. The queen drove off in her carriage, while the merchants in the marketplace nearby scattered in panic, abandoning their wares. The Greeks pulled up to a stop at the camp with a roar of laughter. When she recovered from her fright, the queen was overwhelmed by the brilliance and discipline of the army, while Cyrus rejoiced in witnessing the terror the Greeks had instilled in the barbarians.”[20] The Greek phalanx was the ultimate military formation of its day, one that could mow down any formation that faced it, and now Cyrus had it on his side.
[19].Xenophon Anabasis 1.2.5-11.
[20].Xenophon Anabasis 1.2.16-18.