rnes departed, and returned on the next day but one,
informing them that he had obtained the King's permission to save the
Grecian army--though not without great opposition, since many Persian
counsellors contended that it was unworthy of the King's dignity to
suffer those who had assailed him to escape. "I am now ready (said he)
to conclude a covenant[15] and exchange oaths with you; engaging to
conduct you safely back into Greece, with the country friendly, and with
a regular market for you to purchase provisions. You must stipulate on
your part always to pay for your provisions, and to do no damage to the
country: if I do not furnish you with provisions to buy, you are then at
liberty to take them where you can find them." Well were the Greeks
content to enter into such a covenant, which was sworn, with hands given
upon it, by Klearchus, the other generals, and the captains on their
side--and by Tissaphernes with the King's brother-in-law on the other.
Tissaphernes then left them, saying that he would go back to the King,
make preparations, and return to reconduct the Greeks home; going
himself to his own province.

The statements of Ktesias, though known to us only indirectly, and not
to be received without caution, afford ground for believing that Queen
Parysatis decidedly wished success to her son Cyrus in his contest for
the throne--that the first report conveyed to her of the battle of
Kunaxa, announcing the victory of Cyrus, filled her with joy, which was
exchanged for bitter sorrow when she was informed of his death,--that
she caused to be slain with horrible tortures all those, who, though
acting in the Persian army and for the defence of Artaxerxes, had any
participation in the death of Cyrus--and that she showed favorable
dispositions towards the Cyreian Greeks. It may seem probable, farther,
that her influence may have been exerted to procure for them an
unimpeded retreat, without anticipating the use afterwards made by
Tissaphernes (as will soon appear) of the present convention.[16] And in
one point of view the Persian king had an interest in facilitating their
retreat. For the very circumstance which rendered retreat difficult,
also rendered the Greeks dangerous to him in their actual position. They
were in the heart of the Persian Empire, within seventy miles of
Babylon; in a country not only teeming with fertility, but also
extremely defensible; especially against cavalry, from the multiplicity
of can