ointed place, under your own officers. [41] And you, gentlemen," said
he, turning to the officers, "when your divisions are all in line, you
will come to me in a body to receive your final orders."

[C.3] With these instructions the army went to make their preparations
while Cyrus offered sacrifice.

As soon as the victims were favourable, he set out with his force.

On the first day they encamped as near by as possible, so that anything
left behind could easily be fetched and any omission readily supplied.
[2] Cyaxares stayed in Media with a third of the Median troops in order
not to leave their own country undefended. Cyrus himself pushed forward
with all possible speed, keeping his cavalry in the van and constantly
sending explorers and scouts ahead to some look-out. Behind the cavalry
came the baggage, and on the plains he had long strings of waggons and
beasts of burden, and the main army behind them, so that if any of the
baggage-train fell back, the officers who caught them up would see that
they did not lose their places in the march. [3] But where the road was
narrower the fighting-men marched on either side with the baggage in the
middle, and in case of any block it was the business of the soldiers
on the spot to attend to the matter. As a rule, the different regiments
would be marching alongside their own baggage, orders having been
given that all members of the train should advance by regiments
unless absolutely prevented. [4] To help matters the brigadier's own
body-servant led the way with an ensign known to his men, so that each
regiment marched together, the men doing their best to keep up with
their comrades. Thus there was no need to search for each other,
everything was to hand, there was greater security, and the soldiers
could get what they wanted more quickly.

[5] After some days the scouts ahead thought they could see people in
the plain collecting fodder and timber, and then they made out beasts of
burden, some grazing and others already laden, and as they scanned the
distance they felt sure they could distinguish something that was either
smoke rising or clouds of dust; and from all this they concluded
that the enemy's army was not far off. [6] Whereupon their commander
despatched a messenger with the news to Cyrus, who sent back word that
the scouts should stay where they were, on their look-out, and tell him
if they saw anything more, while he ordered a squadron of cavalry to
ride forward,