But Cyrus summoned the generals and addressed them:  “Xenias and 8 Pasion,” he said, “have taken leave of us; but they need not flatter themselves that in so doing they have stolen into hiding.  I know where they are gone; nor will they owe their escape to speed; I have men-of-war to capture their craft, if I like.  But heaven help me! if I mean to pursue them:  never shall it be said of me, that I turn people to account as long as they stay with me, but as soon as they are minded to be off, I seize and maltreat them, and strip them of their wealth.  Not so! let them go with the consciousness that our behaviour to them is better than theirs to us.  And yet I have their children and wives safe under lock and key in Tralles; but they shall not be deprived even of these.  They shall receive them back in return for their former goodness to me.”  So he spoke, and the Hellenes, even those who had been out of heart at the thought of marching up the country, when they heard of the nobleness of Cyrus, were happier and more eager to follow him on his path.

After this Cyrus marched onwards four stages—­twenty parasangs—­to the river Chalus.  That river is a hundred feet broad, and is stocked with tame fish which the Syrians regard as gods, and will not suffer to be injured—­and so too the pigeons of the place.  The villages in which they encamped belonged to Parysatis, as part of her girdle money[1].  From this point he marched on five stages—­thirty parasangs—­to the sources of the river Dardas, which is a hundred feet broad.  Here stood the palace of Belesys, the ruler of Syria, with its park—­which was a very large and beautiful one, and full of the products of all the seasons in their course.  But Cyrus cut down the park and burnt the palace.  Thence he marched on three stages—­fifteen parasangs—­to the river Euphrates, which is nearly half a mile broad.  A large and 11 flourishing city, named Thapsacus, stands on its banks.  Here they halted five days, and here Cyrus sent for the generals of the Hellenes, and told them that the advance was now to be upon Babylon, against the great king; he bade them communicate this information to the soldiers and persuade them to follow.  The generals called an assembly, and announced the news to the soldiers.  The latter were indignant and angry with the generals, accusing them of having kept secret what they had long known; and refused to go, unless such a bribe of money were given them as had been given to their predecessors, when they went up with Cyrus to the court of his father, not as now to fight a battle, but on a peaceful errand—­the visit of a son to his father by invitation.  The demand was reported to Cyrus by the generals, and he undertook to give each man five silver minae as soon as Babylon was reached, and their pay in full, until he had safely conveyed them back to Ionia again.  In this manner the Hellenic force were persuaded—­that is to say, the majority of them.  Menon, indeed,