no means omit it."

Thus perished the greatest and most original of the Grecian
philosophers, whose uninspired wisdom made the nearest approach to the
divine morality of the Gospel. His teaching forms an epoch in the
history of philosophy. From his school sprang Plato, the founder of
the Academic philosophy; Euclides, the founder of the Megaric school;
Aristippus, the founder of the Cyrenaic school; and many other
philosophers of eminence.

CHAPTER XV.

THE EXPEDITION OF THE GREEKS UNDER CYRUS, AND RETREAT OF THE TEN
THOUSAND, B.C. 401-400.

The assistance which Cyrus had rendered to the Lacedaemonians in the
Peloponnesian war led to a remarkable episode in Grecian history. This
was the celebrated expedition of Cyrus against his brother Artaxerxes,
in which the superiority of Grecian to Asiatic soldiers was so
strikingly shown.

The death of Darius Nothus, king of Persia, took place B.C. 404,
shortly before the battle of AEgospotami. Cyrus, who was present at
his father's death, was charged by Tissaphernes with plotting against
his elder brother Artaxerxes, who succeeded to the throne. The
accusation was believed by Artaxerxes, who seized his brother, and
would have put him to death, but for the intercession of their mother,
Parysatis, who persuaded him not only to spare Cyrus but to confirm him
in his former government. Cyrus returned to Sardis burning with
revenge, and fully resolved to make an effort to dethrone his brother.

From his intercourse with the Greeks Cyrus had become aware of their
superiority to the Asiatics, and of their usefulness in such an
enterprise as he now contemplated. The peace which followed the
capture of Athens seemed favourable to his projects. Many Greeks, bred
up in the practice of war during the long struggle between that city
and Sparta, were now deprived of their employment, whilst many more had
been driven into exile by the establishment of the Spartan oligarchies
in the various conquered cities. Under the pretence of a private war
with the satrap, Tissaphernes, Cyrus enlisted large numbers of them in
his service. The Greek in whom he placed most confidence was
Clearchus, a Lacedaemonian, and formerly harmost of Byzantium, who had
been condemned to death by the Spartan authorities for disobedience to
their orders.

It was not, however, till the beginning of the year B.C. 401 that the
enterprise of Cyrus was ripe for execution. The Greek levies were then
withdraw