the
Arabians to subjection. These successes enabled him to increase his
Persian cavalry till it was not far short of forty thousand men, and he
had still horses left over to distribute among his allies at large.

At length he came before Babylon with an immense body of cavalry,
archers, and javelin-men, beside slingers innumerable.

[C.5] When Cyrus reached the city he surrounded it entirely with his
forces, and then rode round the walls himself, attended by his friends
and the leading officers of the allies. [2] Having surveyed the
fortifications, he prepared to lead off his troops, and at that moment
a deserter came to inform him that the Assyrians intended to attack as
soon as he began to withdraw, for they had inspected his forces from the
walls and considered them very weak. This was not surprising, for the
circuit of the city was so enormous that it was impossible to surround
it without seriously thinning the lines. [3] When Cyrus heard of their
intention, he took up his post in the centre of his troops with his own
staff round him and sent orders to the infantry for the wings to double
back on either side, marching past the stationary centre of the line,
until they met in the rear exactly opposite himself. [4] Thus the men
in front were immediately encouraged by the doubling of their depth,
and those who retired were equally cheered, for they saw that the others
would encounter the enemy first. The two wings being united, the power
of the whole force was strengthened, those behind being protected by
those in front and those in front supported by those behind. [5] When
the phalanx was thus folded back on itself, both the front and the rear
ranks were formed of picked men, a disposition that seemed calculated
to encourage valour and check flight. On the flanks, the cavalry and the
light infantry were drawn nearer and nearer to the commander as the line
contracted. [6] When the whole phalanx was in close order, they fell
back from the walls, slowly, facing the foe, until they were out of
range; then they turned, marched a few paces, and then wheeled round
again to the left, and halted, facing the walls, but the further they
got the less often they paused, until, feeling themselves secure, they
quickened their pace and went off in an uninterrupted march until they
reached their quarters.

[7] When they were encamped, Cyrus called a council of his officers and
said, "My friends and allies, we have surveyed the city