resents from Seuthes, urged
the expediency of accepting the service of that Thracian prince: Neon
insisted on going to Chersonese, to be under the Lacedaemonian officers
in that peninsula (as Anaxibius had projected); in the idea that he, as
a Lacedaemonian, would there obtain the command of the whole army; while
Timasion, with the view of re-establishing himself in his native city of
Dardanus, proposed returning to the Asiatic side of the strait.

Though this last plan met with decided favor among the army, it could
not be executed without vessels. These Timasion had little or no means
of procuring; so that considerable delay took place, during which the
soldiers, receiving no pay, fell into much distress. Many of them were
even compelled to sell their arms in order to get subsistence; while
others got permission to settle in some of the neighboring towns, on
condition of being disarmed. The whole army was thus gradually melting
away, much to the satisfaction of Anaxibius, who was anxious to see the
purposes of Pharnabazus accomplished. By degrees, it would probably have
been dissolved altogether, had not a change of interest on the part of
Anaxibius induced him to promote its reorganization. He sailed from
Byzantium to the Asiatic coast, to acquaint Pharnabazus that the
Cyreians could no longer cause uneasiness, and to require his own
promised reward. It seems moreover that Xenophon himself departed from
Byzantium by the same opportunity. When they reached Kyzikus, they met
the Lacedaemonian Aristarchus; who was coming out as a newly-appointed
governor of Byzantium, to supersede Kleander, and who acquainted
Anaxibius that Polus was on the point of arriving to supersede him as
admiral. Anxious to meet Pharnabazus and make sure of his bribe,
Anaxibius impressed his parting injunction upon Aristarchus to sell for
slaves all the Cyreians whom he might find at Byzantium on his arrival,
and then pursued his voyage along the southern coast of the Propontis to
Parium. But Pharnabazus, having already received intimation of the
change of admirals, knew that the friendship of Anaxibius was no longer
of any value, and took no farther heed of him; while he at the same time
sent to Byzantium to make the like compact with Aristarchus against the
Cyreian army.

Anaxibius was stung to the quick at this combination of disappointment
and insult on the part of the satrap. To avenge it, he resolved to
employ those very soldiers whom he h