Book II

Procles and Glus arrive to inform the Greek generals that Cyrus is dead and Ariaeus has retreated, offering to wait one day before returning home.

Clearchus claims the Greeks have already defeated the king's forces and offers to place Ariaeus on the throne if he joins them, rejecting the news of Cyrus's death as reason for despair.

The Greek soldiers scavenge for food and fuel from the battlefield, utilizing abandoned Persian supplies and equipment.

Heralds from the king and Tissaphernes demand the Greeks surrender their weapons and submit to the king's mercy.

Clearchus declares that conquerors do not surrender arms and calls on other generals to formulate a noble response to the Persian demand.

Cleanor, Proxenus, and Theopompus each argue against surrendering arms, with Theopompus declaring they will fight rather than yield their only possessions.

Phalinus ridicules the Greeks' belief that valor can overcome the king's vast power, claiming their confidence is foolish.

A minority of generals suggest the Greeks might serve the king loyally in campaigns like Egypt, offering their arms in exchange for friendship.

Clearchus appeals to Phalinus's shared Hellenic identity and attempts to persuade him to advise against surrender, hoping Phalinus will gain honor by encouraging resistance.

Phalinus advises the Greeks to keep their arms only if they have a genuine chance of victory, otherwise to surrender and save themselves.

Clearchus states that the Greeks will be more valuable to the king as friends with arms than without them, and reiterates their position to maintain neutrality as long as neither side advances.

When pressed for a definitive answer on war or peace, Clearchus mirrors the king's position exactly, maintaining deliberate ambiguity about Greek plans.

Procles returns with Ariaeus's message that Persian nobles won't permit his elevation to the throne, so he will leave at dawn unless the Greeks join him tonight.

Clearchus reveals that sacrifice revealed unfavorable omens for advancing against the king but favorable signs for joining Cyrus's supporters, justifying an immediate retreat with careful marching orders.

Despite some desertion by Thracian cavalry, the Greeks depart in good order at night and reach Ariaeus's position by midnight, establishing themselves as a unified force.

The Greek and Persian forces perform a formal oath ceremony, swearing mutual loyalty and non-betrayal, sealed with animal sacrifice and blood rites.

Ariaeus argues that returning the same route means certain death from hunger, proposing instead to travel farther but through provisioned territory, maintaining distance from the royal army.

The narrator observes that while the initial retreat plan was desperate, fortune providentially guided them to villages with provisions.

The Greeks mistake baggage animals for enemy cavalry and prepare for battle, but scouts correct the error and Clearchus decides to continue the march.

Clearchus marches directly toward enemy territory at evening despite tired soldiers, reaching and occupying villages while avoiding appearance of flight.

When panic spreads through the Greek camp at night, Clearchus uses humor via a herald's proclamation about a lost ass to reassure the troops that leadership is secure.

The morning after the Greeks' bold advance, the king sends heralds seeking to arrange a truce, suggesting his surprise at their organized military strength.

Clearchus deliberately arranges his troops in tight formation and parades the most impressive soldiers before the heralds to overawe the king's representatives.

Clearchus replies to the truce offer with witty defiance, claiming Greeks cannot discuss terms without first having eaten, demonstrating confidence and superiority.

The king immediately accepts Clearchus's demand and sends guides to lead the Greeks to food supplies, confirming his desire for peaceful resolution.

Clearchus convenes the generals, confirms agreement to accept the truce, and deliberately delays announcing it to the heralds to increase their anxiety about Greek intentions.

The Greeks advance toward provisions guided by Persian escorts, with Clearchus maintaining military discipline and engineering skill to overcome water obstacles.

The Greeks discover abundant corn, palm wine, dates, and palm cabbage in the villages, with detailed descriptions of these foreign provisions and their effects.

Tissaphernes presents himself as benefactor, claiming credit for defeating Cyrus and securing the king's permission to escort the Greeks safely home.

Clearchus responds diplomatically, denying hostile intent toward the king and expressing willingness to march home peacefully if unmolested, while reserving the right to retaliate against injury.

Tissaphernes returns with news that the king permits Greek departure, offering pledges of safe passage and market provisions on defined terms of peaceful conduct.

While waiting over twenty days for Tissaphernes, the king sends messages absolving Persian defectors from past crimes, causing Ariaeus and his followers to grow distant from the Greeks.

Ordinary soldiers worry that the king is stalling to gather forces and will betray them, suggesting they are strategically vulnerable in the plain.

Clearchus argues that abandoning the truce would eliminate food supplies, guides, and Persian allies, and that crossing the Euphrates against resistance is impossible without their help.

With Tissaphernes's return, the march proceeds but with Greeks and Persians maintaining separate camps and mutual suspicion despite the truce.

The Greeks pass through Media's defensive wall and cross multiple canals and rivers, with detailed descriptions of engineering and landscape features.

A messenger from Ariaeus warns that Tissaphernes plans to burn the bridge over the Tigris to trap the Greeks, but Clearchus questions the logic of this threat.

A young officer argues that the Persians cannot logically both attack and destroy the bridge, since victory would make the bridge unnecessary for escape.

Clearchus deduces that the Persians actually fear the Greeks occupying the island between the Tigris and canal as a fortified refuge, not attacking them.

The Greeks post guards at the bridge and cross safely in the morning despite rumors of Persian attack, with only Glus observing from a distance.

The Greek army marches past a Persian prince leading additional forces, who is so impressed by their disciplined formation that he watches in amazement.

Tissaphernes mockingly allows the Greeks to pillage the villages of Parysatis, Cyrus and the king's mother, demonstrating his control and the fallen prince's loss.

Clearchus proposes a private conference to address mutual suspicions between Greeks and Persians, seeking to dispel groundless fears through personal discussion.

Clearchus argues that the binding oaths sworn before the gods prevent hostile action, and that breaking them would invite divine punishment and eternal condemnation.

Clearchus demonstrates that Tissaphernes's continued support is essential to the Greeks' safe passage through hostile terrain and that betrayal would benefit neither side.

Clearchus flatters Tissaphernes by suggesting he has inherited Cyrus's power and wealth, and offers Greek military assistance in subduing rebellious territories and Egypt.

Tissaphernes counters that Persians have overwhelming military advantages in cavalry, terrain, and resources, yet choose not to use force due to honor and Persian customs.

Tissaphernes reveals his wish to emulate Cyrus's use of foreign mercenaries and hints at ambitions to wear the tiara himself, justifying his benevolent treatment.

Convinced by Tissaphernes's reasoning, Clearchus calls for identifying slanderers and invites Persian generals to collaborate on eliminating discord.

Clearchus privately suspects Menon of being the slanderer due to his past meetings with Tissaphernes while with Ariaeus and his rival ambitions.

Despite soldier warnings, Clearchus convinces the generals to accept Tissaphernes's invitation, with five generals and twenty captains proceeding to his encampment for negotiations.

At Tissaphernes's quarters, the Greek generals inside are seized and executed while captains outside are cut down by Persian cavalry in a coordinated ambush.

The Greeks discover the betrayal when Nicarchus, wounded and carrying his entrails, reaches camp to report the slaughter of their generals.

Ariaeus approaches the Greek camp claiming Clearchus committed perjury and is dead, asserting Proxenus and Menon are honored, and demanding the Greeks surrender their weapons.

Cleanor condemns Ariaeus and his associates for breaking their oaths and murdering the generals while conspiring with Tissaphernes against the Greeks.

Xenophon concedes Clearchus may have merited death for perjury but demands explanation for the fates of Proxenus and Menon, appealing to their neutral friendship status.

The Persians confer among themselves and depart without responding to Xenophon's appeal for the return of Proxenus and Menon.

Xenophon characterizes Clearchus as a man devoted to warfare as a passion, choosing military life despite opportunities for peace and wealth.

Xenophon notes that Clearchus thrived in danger, attacked at any hour, and never lost composure under pressure, demonstrating martial excellence.

As a commander, Clearchus excelled at provisioning and enforcing strict obedience through harsh discipline and intimidating demeanor, though this inspired fear rather than affection.

Clearchus lacked grace and was perpetually harsh, so soldiers obeyed from fear and necessity rather than friendship, and he had no talent for subordination.

Proxenus studied rhetoric under Gorgias to achieve greatness and commanded respect through gentlemanly qualities rather than severity.

Proxenus's belief that praising virtue alone constitutes good command left him vulnerable to manipulation by dishonorable men, contributing to his tragic end at age thirty.

Menon was driven by insatiable greed, using lies, perjury, and betrayal to gain wealth and power, viewing honor and truth as foolishness.

Menon deliberately cultivated friendships as traps for exploitation, finding easy victims in honorable people while respecting the armed and treacherous.

Menon openly boasted of his capacity for fraud, lies, and mockery while viewing moral education as incomplete without roguishness.

Menon obtained a command at a young age, formed suspicious relationships with older Persian men, and was alone exempted from execution alongside the other generals.

After escaping immediate execution, Menon was later put to death slowly and shamefully, dying as a convicted felon rather than by the swift execution of other generals.

Agias the Arcadian and Socrates the Achaean were distinguished by courage in war and loyal friendship, both executed at age thirty-five.