ousands more. In all, he had in readiness 11,000
heavy-armed and about 2000 light-armed Greeks before his purpose became
so clear that Tissaphernes could no longer mistake it, and therefore
started off to carry his somewhat tardy intelligence to the capital.

The aims of Cyrus were different from those of ordinary rebel satraps;
and we must go back to the times of Darius Hystaspis in order to find a
parallel to them. Instead of seeking to free a province from the Persian
yoke, or to carve out for himself an independent sovereignty in some
remote corner of the Empire, his intention was to dethrone his brother,
and place on his own brows the diadem of his great namesake. It was
necessary for him therefore to assume the offensive. Only by a bold
advance, and by taking his enemy to some extent unprepared, and so at a
disadvantage, could he hope to succeed in his audacious project. It is
not easy to see that he could have had any considerable party among
the Persians, or any ground for expecting to be supported by any of
the subject nations. His following must have been purely personal; and
though it may be true that he was of a character to win more admiration
and affection than his brother, yet Artaxerxes himself was far from
being unpopular with his subjects, whom he pleased by a familiarity and
a good-nature to which they were little accustomed. Cyrus knew that
his principal dependence must be on himself, on his Greeks, and on the
carelessness and dilatoriness of his adversary, who was destitute of
military talent and was even thought to be devoid of personal bravery.

Thus it was important to advance as soon as possible. Cyrus therefore
quitted Sardis before all his troops were collected (B.C. 401), and
marched through Lydia and Phrygia, by the route formally followed in the
reverse direction by the army of Xerxes, as far as Celsense, where
the remainder of his mercenaries joined him. With his Greek force thus
raised to 13,000 men, and with a native army not much short of 100,000,
he proceeded on through Phrygia and Lycaonia to the borders of Cilicia,
having determined on taking the shortest route to Babylon, through the
Cilician and Syrian passes, and then along the course of the Euphrates.
At Caystrupedion he was met by Epyaxa, consort of Syennesis, the
tributary king of Cilicia, who brought him a welcome supply of money,
and probably assured him of the friendly disposition of her husband, who
was anxious to stand wel