United States or Malta ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The sacrifices were so favorable, that he himself, together with a confidential officer from each of the generals, went by night and paid a visit to Seuthês, for the purpose of understanding distinctly his offers and purposes.
Want of space compels me to omit the narrative given by Xenophon, both of the relations of the army with Seuthês, and of the warfare carried on against the hostile Thracian tribes interesting as it is from the juxtaposition of Greek and Thracian manners.
I ask Themistocles, Hermippus, and Glaucon to come to an inner room. I must examine this man. The matter is serious.” “Serious?” echoed the bewildered athlete, “I can vouch for Seuthes—an excellent Corinthian, come to Athens to sell some bales of wool—” “Answer, Glaucon,” Democrates’s voice was stern. “Has he no letters from you for Argos?” “Certainly.” “You admit it?”
“By the dog of Egypt, do you doubt my word?” “Friends,” called Democrates, dramatically, “mark you that Glaucon admits he has employed this Seuthes as his courier.” “Whither leads this mummery?” cried the athlete, growing at last angry. “If to nothing, I, Democrates, rejoice the most. Now I must bid you to follow me.”
Mæsadês, the father of Seuthês, had been apparently a dependent prince under the great monarchy of the Odrysian Thracians; so formidable in the early years of the Peloponnesian war. But political commotions had robbed him of his principality over three Thracian tribes; which it was now the ambition of Seuthês to recover, by the aid of the Cyreian army.
Much of his mischief was brought about by the treacherous intrigues and calumny of a corrupt Greek from Maroneia, named Herakleidês; who acted as minister and treasurer to Seuthês.
Though the suffering from cold was extreme, during these two months of full winter and amidst the snowy mountains of Thrace, the army were nevertheless enabled by their expeditions along with Seuthês to procure plentiful subsistence; which they could hardly have done in any other manner.
“I fear we are not at the end of the examination,” observed Democrates, with ominous slowness. “Now, Seuthes, recollect your plight. Have you no other letter about you?” “None!” groaned the unheroic Corinthian. “Ah! pity, kind sirs; what have I done? Suffer me to go.” “It is possible,” remarked his prosecutor, “you are an innocent victim, or at least do not realize the intent of what you bear.
It was only on the pressing instance of Anaxibius that he was induced to go back to Chrysopolis and conduct the army across; on the understanding that he should depart immediately afterwards. Here at Byzantium, he received his first communication from the Thracian prince Seuthês; who sent Medosadês to offer him a reward if he would bring the army across.
He accordingly conducted them to Perinthus, and encamped under the walls of the town; refusing, in his way through Selymbria, a second proposition from Seuthês to engage the services of the army. While Xenophon was exerting himself to procure transports for the passage of the army at Perinthus, Aristarchus, the new governor, arrived there with two triremes from Byzantium.
Word Of The Day