§14.21.1ὁ δὲ Κῦρος ἐπειδὴ διῆλθε τὴν Κιλικίαν, παρεγενήθη πρὸς πόλιν Ἰσσόν, ἐπὶ θαλάττης μὲν κειμένην, ἐσχάτην δʼ οὖσαν τῆς Κιλικίας.
When Cyrus had passed through Cilicia, he arrived at Issus, a city situated on the sea, which was the last city of Cilicia.
κατέπλευσε δʼ εἰς αὐτὴν περὶ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν καὶ ὁ στόλος ὁ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, καὶ οἱ στρατηγοῦντες ἐξέβησαν καὶ συντυχόντες τῷ Κύρῳ τὴν τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν εἰς αὐτὸν εὔνοιαν ἀπήγγειλαν, καὶ τοὺς μετὰ Χειρισόφου πεζοὺς ὀκτακοσίους ἐκβιβάσαντες παρέδωκαν.
At about the same time, the fleet of the Lacedaemonians also sailed into it; and their commanders disembarked, met with Cyrus, reported the goodwill of the Spartans toward him, and, having disembarked the eight hundred infantrymen under Cheirisophus, delivered them to him.
§14.21.2τούτους δὲ προσεποιοῦντο μὲν οἱ φίλοι τοῦ Κύρου πέμψαι μισθοφόρους, τῇ δʼ ἀληθείᾳ μετὰ τῆς τῶν ἐφόρων γνώμης ἅπαντʼ ἐπράττετο·
Cyrus's friends pretended that they had sent these men as mercenaries, but in truth everything was being done with the consent of the ephors.
οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι φανερὸν οὔπω τὸν πόλεμον ἐπανῃροῦντο, κατέκρυπτον δὲ τὴν προαίρεσιν, ἐπιτηροῦντες τὴν ῥοπὴν τοῦ πολέμου.
The Lacedaemonians did not yet openly undertake the war, but concealed their purpose, watching the turn of the war.
ὁ δὲ Κῦρος μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἀνέζευξεν ἐπὶ Συρίας τὴν πορείαν ποιούμενος, καὶ τοὺς ναυάρχους ἐκέλευσε συμπαραπλεῖν ἁπάσαις ταῖς ναυσίν.
And Cyrus set out with his army, making his march toward Syria, and ordered the admirals to sail along with him with all their ships.
§14.21.3ὡς δʼ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὰς Πύλας καλουμένας καὶ τὸν τόπον εὗρεν ἔρημον τῶν φυλαττόντων, περιχαρὴς ἦν· ἠγωνία γὰρ σφόδρα, μή τινες αὐτὰς εἶεν προκατειλημμένοι.
When he came to the so-called Gates and found the place destitute of guards, he was filled with joy; for he had been exceedingly anxious lest some had pre-occupied them.
ἔστι δὲ ἡ φύσις τοῦ τόπου στενὴ καὶ παράκρημνος, ὥστε διʼ ὀλίγων ῥᾳδίως παραφυλάττεσθαι.
For the nature of the place is narrow and precipitous, so that it can easily be guarded by a few men.
§14.21.4ὄρη γὰρ πλησίον ἀλλήλων κεῖται, τὸ μὲν τραχὺ καὶ κρημνοὺς ἔχον ἀξιολόγους, ἐπʼ αὐτῆς δʼ ἄρχεται τῆς ὁδοῦ ἕτερον ὄρος μέγιστον τῶν περὶ τοὺς τόπους ἐκείνους, καὶ καλεῖται μὲν Ἄμανος, παρεκτείνει δὲ παρὰ τὴν Φοινίκην· ὁ δʼ ἀνὰ μέσον τόπος τῶν ὀρῶν, ὑπάρχων ὡς τριῶν σταδίων, παντελῶς τετειχισμένος καὶ πύλας ἔχων εἰς στενὸν συγκλειομένας.
For mountains lie close to one another, one of them rugged and having remarkable precipices, while from the very road begins another mountain, the greatest of those in those regions, which is called Amanus and extends along Phoenicia; and the space between the mountains, being about three stades, was completely walled off and had gates closing into a narrow pass.
§14.21.5διελθὼν οὖν ὁ Κῦρος ταύτας ἀκινδύνως, τὸν μὲν λοιπὸν στόλον ἀπέστειλεν ἀνακάμψαι εἰς Ἔφεσον· οὐκέτι γὰρ αὐτῷ χρήσιμος ἦν μέλλοντι διὰ μεσογείου τὴν πορείαν ποιεῖσθαι· ὁδοιπορήσας δʼ ἡμέρας εἴκοσι παρεγενήθη πρὸς Θάψακον πόλιν, ἣ κεῖται παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν Εὐφράτην.
Therefore, Cyrus, having passed through these gates without danger, sent back the remaining fleet to return to Ephesus; for it was no longer useful to him since he was about to make his march through the interior; and having marched for twenty days, he arrived at the city of Thapsacus, which lies along the Euphrates River.
§14.21.6ἐνταῦθα δὲ πένθʼ ἡμέρας διατρίψας, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἐξιδιοποιησάμενος ταῖς τε τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀφθονίαις καὶ ταῖς ἐκ τῶν προνομῶν ὠφελείαις, συνήγαγεν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τῆς στρατείας ἐδήλωσεν.
Having spent five days there, and having won the army to himself both by the abundance of provisions and by the profits from plunder, he called an assembly and revealed the truth of the campaign.
προσάντως δὲ δεξαμένων τὸν λόγον τῶν στρατιωτῶν, ἐδεῖτο πάντων μὴ καταλιπεῖν ἑαυτόν, ἐπαγγελλόμενος ἄλλας τε μεγάλας δωρεὰς καὶ ὅτι παραγενομένοις αὐτοῖς εἰς Βαβυλῶνα κατʼ ἄνδρα ἕκαστον δώσει πέντε μνᾶς ἀργυρίου.
When the soldiers received his words with displeasure, he entreated them all not to abandon him, promising other great gifts and that, when they arrived in Babylon, he would give each man five minas of silver.
οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατιῶται ταῖς ἐλπίσι μετεωρισθέντες ἐπείσθησαν ἀκολουθεῖν·
Therefore the soldiers, buoyed up by these hopes, were persuaded to follow him.
§14.21.7ὁ δὲ Κῦρος ὡς διέβη τῇ δυνάμει τὸν Εὐφράτην, ἠπείγετο κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ὁδοιπορῶν, καὶ παραγενηθεὶς ἐπὶ τοὺς ὅρους τῆς Βαβυλωνίας ἀνελάμβανε τὴν δύναμιν.
And Cyrus, when he had crossed the Euphrates with his force, hastened on, marching continuously, and having arrived at the borders of Babylonia, he refreshed his army.