d linen cuirasses, reaching down to the groin, and, instead of
skirts, thick cords twisted. They had also greaves and helmets, and at
their girdles a short falchion, as large as a Spartan crooked dagger,
with which they cut the throats of all whom they could master, and then,
cutting off their heads, carried them away with them. They sang and
danced when the enemy were likely to see them. They carried also a spear
of about fifteen cubits in length, having one spike.[34] They stayed in
their villages till the Greeks had passed by, when they pursued and
perpetually harassed them. They had their dwellings in strong places, in
which they had also laid up their provisions, so that the Greeks could
get nothing from that country, but lived upon the cattle which they had
taken from the Taochi.

[Footnote 34: Having one iron point at the upper end, and no point at
the lower for fixing the spear in the ground.]

The Greeks next arrived at the river Harpasus, the breadth of which was
four _plethra_. Hence they proceeded through the territory of the
Scythini, four days' journey, making twenty parasangs, over a level
tract, until they came to some villages, in which they halted three days
and collected provisions. From this place they advanced four days'
journey, twenty parasangs, to a large, rich and populous city, called
Gymnias, from which the governor of the country sent the Greeks a guide
to conduct them through a region at war with his own people. The guide,
when he came, said that he would take them in five days to a place
whence they should see the sea; if not, he would consent to be put to
death. When, as he proceeded, he entered the country of their enemies,
he exhorted them to burn and lay waste the lands; whence it was evident
that he had come for this very purpose, and not from any good-will to
the Greeks.

On the fifth day they came to the mountain; and the name of it was
Theches. When the men who were in the front had mounted the height, and
looked down upon the sea, a great shout proceeded from them; and
Xenophon and the rearguard, on hearing it, thought that some new enemies
were assailing the front, for in the rear, too, the people from the
country that they had burned were following them, and the rear-guard, by
placing an ambuscade, had killed some, and taken others prisoners, and
had captured about twenty shields made of raw ox-hides with the hair on.
But as the noise still increased, and drew nearer, and as th