§14.25.1ὁ δὲ Κλέαρχος ἀνακαλεσάμενος τούς τε στρατηγοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐφʼ ἡγεμονίας τεταγμένους ἐβουλεύετο περὶ τῶν παρόντων.
And Clearchus, having called together both the generals and those appointed to commands, deliberated on the present situation.
ὄντων δʼ αὐτῶν περὶ ταῦτα παρεγενήθησαν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως πρέσβεις, ὧν ἦν ἀρχιπρεσβευτὴς ἀνὴρ Ἕλλην, ὄνομα μὲν Φάλυνος, γένος δὲ Ζακύνθιος.
While they were busy with these matters, envoys arrived from the King, of whom the chief envoy was a Greek, Phalinus by name, of the Zacynthian race.
εἰσαχθέντες δʼ εἰς τὸ συνέδριον εἶπον, ὅτι λέγει ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀρταξέρξης· Ἐπειδὴ νενίκηκα Κῦρον ἀποκτείνας, παράδοτε τὰ ὅπλα, καὶ πρὸς τὰς θύρας αὐτοῦ βαδίσαντες ζητεῖτε, πῶς ἂν αὐτὸν ἐκθεραπεύσαντες ἀγαθοῦ τινος μεταλάβητε. §14.25.2ῥηθέντων δὲ τούτων ἀπόκρισιν ἔδωκεν ἕκαστος τῶν στρατηγῶν τοιαύτην οἵαν Λεωνίδης, καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν περὶ Θερμοπύλας αὐτοῦ φυλάττοντος τὰς παρόδους Ξέρξης ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους, κελεύων τῶν ὅπλων παραχωρῆσαι.
Having been introduced to the council, they said: "Artaxerxes the King says: 'Since I have conquered Cyrus by killing him, surrender your arms, and going to his gates, seek how you might, by serving him, obtain some favor.'" When these things were said, each of the generals gave an answer such as Leonidas gave at the time when, as he was guarding the passes around Thermopylae, Xerxes sent messengers ordering him to yield up his arms.
§14.25.3καὶ γὰρ τότε Λεωνίδης εἶπεν ἀπαγγεῖλαι τῷ βασιλεῖ διότι νομίζομεν, κἂν φίλοι γενώμεθα τῷ Ξέρξῃ, μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων ὄντες ἀμείνους ἔσεσθαι σύμμαχοι, κἂν πολεμεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀναγκασθῶμεν, βέλτιον μετὰ τούτων ἀγωνιεῖσθαι. §14.25.4παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τοῦ Κλεάρχου περὶ τούτων ἀποκριναμένου, Πρόξενος ὁ Θηβαῖος εἶπεν, ὅτι νῦν τὰ μὲν ἄλλα σχεδὸν ἀποβεβλήκαμεν, λέλειπται δʼ ἡμῖν ἥ τʼ ἀρετὴ καὶ τὰ ὅπλα.
For indeed at that time Leonidas told them to report to the King: "We believe that, even if we should become friends to Xerxes, we shall be better allies if we retain our arms, and if we should be forced to wage war against him, we shall fight better with these." And when Clearchus had answered in a similar manner concerning these things, Proxenus the Theban said: "At present we have lost almost everything else, and only our valor and our arms are left to us.
νομίζομεν οὖν, ἂν μὲν ταῦτα φυλάττωμεν, χρησίμην ἡμῖν ἔσεσθαι καὶ τὴν ἀρετήν, ἂν δὲ παραδῶμεν, οὐδὲ ταύτην ἡμῖν ἔσεσθαι βοηθόν.
We believe, therefore, that if we guard these, our valor also will be useful to us, but if we surrender them, not even this will be of help to us.
διόπερ ἐκέλευσε τῷ βασιλεῖ λέγειν, ὡς ἂν περὶ ἡμῶν κακόν τι βουλεύηται, διὰ τούτων πρὸς αὐτὸν διαγωνιούμεθα περὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῶν ἐκείνου. §14.25.5λέγεται δὲ καὶ Σώφιλον τὸν ἐφʼ ἡγεμονίας τεταγμένον εἰπεῖν, ὅτι θαυμάζει τοὺς παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως λόγους· εἰ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν δοκεῖ κρείσσονα τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἶναι, μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐλθὼν λαβέτω τὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν ὅπλα· εἰ δὲ πείσας βούλεται, λεγέτω, τίνα χάριν ἡμῖν ἀντὶ τούτων ἀξίαν δώσει. §14.25.6μετὰ δὲ τούτους Σωκράτης Ἀχαιὸς εἶπεν, ὅτι λίαν αὐτοῖς ἐκπληκτικῶς ὁ βασιλεὺς προσφέρεται· ἃ μὲν γὰρ παρʼ ἡμῶν βούλεται λαβεῖν παραχρῆμʼ ἀπαιτεῖ, τὰ δʼ ἀντὶ τούτων δοθησόμενα μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἀξιοῦν προστάττει.
Therefore tell the King that, if he should plot any evil against us, we will through these fight against him for his own possessions." And it is said that Sophilus also, who was appointed to a command, said: "I marvel at the words from the King; for if he thinks himself to be superior to the Greeks, let him come with his force and take the arms from us; but if he wishes to do so by persuasion, let him say what worthy recompense he will give us in exchange for them." After them, Socrates the Achaean said: "The King behaves toward us in an exceedingly arrogant manner; for what he wishes to take from us he demands immediately, but he commands us to petition for what is to be given in exchange for these only afterwards.
καθόλου δʼ εἰ μὲν ἀγνοῶν τοὺς νενικηκότας ὡς ἡττημένους κελεύει τὸ προσταττόμενον ποιεῖν, μαθέτω ποτέρων ἐστὶν ἡ νίκη παραγενηθεὶς μετὰ τῆς πολυαρίθμου δυνάμεως· εἰ δὲ σαφῶς ἡμᾶς εἰδὼς νενικηκότας ψεύδεται, πῶς αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν εἰς ὕστερον ἐπαγγελιῶν πιστεύσομεν; §14.25.7—οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄγγελοι τοιαύτας ἀποκρίσεις λαβόντες ἐχωρίσθησαν· οἱ δὲ περὶ Κλέαρχον ἀνέζευξαν πρὸς τὸν σταθμόν, ὅπου τὸ διασεσωσμένον στρατόπεδον ἦν ἀνακεχωρηκός.
In general, if he, being ignorant, orders the victors to do what is commanded as though they were defeated, let him come with his numerous force and learn to which of the two sides victory belongs; but if he lies, knowing clearly that we are the victors, how shall we believe him concerning his future promises?" The envoys, then, having received such answers, departed; and Clearchus and his men marched to the station where the rest of the army that had been saved had retreated.
εἰς ταὐτὸ δὲ πάσης τῆς δυνάμεως ἐλθούσης, περὶ τῆς ἐπὶ θάλατταν καταβάσεως ἐβουλεύοντο κοινῇ καὶ περὶ τῆς πορείας.
When all the forces had come to the same place, they deliberated in common about the descent to the sea and about their route.
§14.25.8ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτοῖς μὴ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀναχώρησιν ᾗπερ ἦλθον ποιεῖσθαι· πολὺ γὰρ αὐτῆς ἦν ἔρημον, ἐν ᾧ τροφὰς οὐχ ὑπελάμβανον ἕξειν, δυνάμεως πολεμίας ἀκολουθούσης.
They resolved, therefore, not to make their retreat by the same way as they had come; for a large part of it was desert, in which they did not suppose they would have provisions while a hostile force was following them.
γνόντες δʼ ἐπὶ Παφλαγονίας ἀναζευγνύειν, οὗτοι μὲν ὥρμησαν ἐπὶ Παφλαγονίαν μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως, κατὰ σχολὴν ὁδοιποροῦντες, ὡς ἂν ἅμα τὰς τροφὰς ποριζόμενοι·
Deciding, then, to march toward Paphlagonia, they set out for Paphlagonia with their force, journeying at leisure, so that they might at the same time secure provisions.