Now Seuthes the Thracian sent Medosades and begged Xenophon to use his influence to get the army across.  “Tell Xenophon, if he will do his best for me in this matter, he will not regret it.”  Xenophon answered:  “The army is in any case going to cross; so that, as far as that is concerned, Seuthes is under no obligation to me or to any one else; 6 but as soon as it is once across, I personally shall be quit of it.  Let Seuthes, therefore, as far as he may deem consistent with prudence, apply to those who are going to remain and will have a voice in affairs.”

After this the whole body of troops crossed to Byzantium.  But Anaxibius, instead of proceeding to give pay, made proclamation that, “The soldiers were to take up their arms and baggage and go forth,” as if all he wished were to ascertain their numbers and bid them god-speed at the same moment.  The soldiers were not well pleased at that, because they had no money to furnish themselves with provisions for the march; and they sluggishly set about getting their baggage together.  Xenophon meanwhile, being on terms of intimacy with the governor, Cleander, came to pay his host a final visit, and bid him adieu, being on the point of setting sail.  But the other protested; “Do not do so, or else,” said he, “you will be blamed, for even now certain people are disposed to hold you to account because the army is so slow in getting under weigh.”  The other answered, “Nay, I am not to blame for that.  It is the men themselves, who are in want of provisions; that is why they are out of heart at their exodus.”  “All the same,” he replied, “I advise you to go out, as if you intended to march with them, and when you are well outside, it will be time enough to take yourself off.”  “Well then,” said Xenophon, “we will go and arrange all this with Anaxibius.”  They went and stated the case to the admiral, who insisted that they must do as he had said, and march out, bag and baggage, by the quickest road; and as an appendix to the former edict, he added, “Any one absenting himself from the review and the muster will have himself to blame for the consequences.”  This was peremptory.  So out marched, the generals first, and then the rest; and now, with the exception of here a man and there, they were all outside; it was a “clean sweep”; and Eteonicus stood posted near the gates, ready to close them, as soon as the men were fairly out, and to thrust in the bolt pin.

Then Anaxibius summoned the generals and captains, and addressed them:  “Provisions you had better get from the Thracian villages; you will 13 find plenty of barley, wheat, and other necessaries in them; and when you have got them, off with you to the Chersonese, where Cyniscus will take you into his service.”  Some of the soldiers overheard what was said, or possibly one of the officers was the medium of communication; however it was, the news was handed on to the army.  As to the generals, their immediate concern was to try and gain some information as to Seuthes:  “Was he hostile or friendly? also, would they have to march through the Sacred mountain[1], or round about through the middle of Thrace?”