Sykes' History of Persia - Heritage Institute

XIX DECLINE OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE 237
Sardes, Cyrus, careful to conceal his objective from all
but his chief advisers, gave out that the expedition was
intended to subdue the Pisidians. He marched through
Phrygia and Mysia, meeting on his way Epyaxa, wife of
Syennesis, King of Cilicia, who gave him large sums of
money. He then made a wide semicircle and bore down
on the famous Cilician Gates, which according to
Xenophon " were exceedingly precipitous and impracticable
for an army to enter, if any one should oppose
^
their passage." Upon his arrival he found the heights
occupied ; but Syennesis made the fact that the troops of
Menon, Cyrus's Thessalian general, had already landed in
Cilicia an excuse for withdrawing his force
during the
night ; and the army reached Tarsus without striking a
blow.
Cyrus now experienced considerable difficulty with his
Greek troops. Xenophon, who was destined to play so
important a part in this famous expedition, describes how,
at first, they refused to proceed, and indeed stoned
Clearchus but ; they were finally persuaded by an increase
of pay to march forward, although their consent was
reluctant. Cyrus now gave out that his objective was the
army of Abrocomas, Satrap of Syria, who, it was believed,
would dispute the passage of the Euphrates ; and he
marched swiftly through the Gates of Syria, the Thermopylae
of Asia, keeping touch with his fleet and
prepared to land troops in the rear of force. But Abrocomas had no
any defending
intention of
opposing
the Great King's brother, who, traversing fertile Syria,
reached Thapsacus on the Euphrates. There he learned
that Abrocomas had retreated, after all burning the boats
he could find.
At Thapsacus the Greeks found themselves finally
committed without hope of retreat to a campaign against
the Great King ; and again there were serious divisions,
the soldiers being enraged with their generals for deceiving
them. But an appeal to their love of money once more
won the day. For an increase of pay they decided to
^
Anabasis, translation by Wheeler, i. 2. 21. The "Gates" are graphically
described in David Fraser's TAe Short Cut to •
India, p. 71-