To return to Coeratadas.  The first day he failed to get favourable signs at the sacrifice, and never a dole of rations did he make to the soldiers.  On the second day the victims were standing ready near the altar, and so was Coeratadas, with chaplet crowned, all ready to sacrifice, when up comes Timasion the Dardanian, with Neon the Asinaean, and Cleanor of Orchomenus, forbidding Coeratadas to sacrifice:  “He must understand there was an end to his generalship, unless he gave them provisions.”  The other bade them measure out the supplies, “Pray, dole them out.”  But when he found that he had a good deal short of a single day’s provisions for each man, he picked up his paraphernalia of sacrifice and withdrew.  As to being general, he would have nothing more to say to it.

II

Now these five were left—­Neon the Asinaean, Phryniscus the Achaean, 1 Philesius the Achaean, Xanthicles the Achaean, Timasion the Dardanian—­at the head of the army, and they pushed on to some villages of the Thracians facing Byzantium, and there encamped.  Now the generals could not agree.  Cleanor and Phryniscus wished to march to join Seuthes, who had worked upon their feelings by presenting one with a horse and the other with a woman to wife.  But Neon’s object was to come to the Chersonese:  “When we are under the wing of the Lacedaemonians,” he thought, “I shall step to the front and command the whole army.”

Timasion’s one ambition was to cross back again into Asia, hoping to be reinstated at home and end his exile.  The soldiers shared the wishes of the last general.  But, as time dragged on, many of the men sold their arms at different places and set sail as best they could; others [actually gave away their arms, some here, some there, and[1]] 3 became absorbed in the cities.  One man rejoiced.  This was Anaxibius, to whom the break-up of the army was a blessing.  “That is the way,” he said to himself, “I can best gratify Pharnabazus.”

[1] The MSS. give the words so rendered—­{oi de kai [didontes ta opla
    kata tous khorous]}, which some critics emend {diadidontes},
    others bracket as suspected, others expunge.

But Anaxibius, while prosecuting his voyage from Byzantium, was met at Cyzicus by Aristarchus, the new governor, who was to succeed Cleander at Byzantium; and report said that a new admiral, Polus, if he had not actually arrived, would presently reach the Hellespont and relieve Anaxibius.  The latter sent a parting injunction to Aristarchus to be sure and sell all the Cyreian soldiers he could lay hands on still lingering in Byzantium; for Cleander had not sold a single man of them; on the contrary, he had made it his business to tend the sick and wounded, pitying them, and insisting on their being received in the houses.  Aristarchus changed all that, and was no sooner arrived in Byzantium than he sold no less than four hundred of them.  Meanwhile Anaxibius, on his coasting voyage, reached Parium, and, according to the terms of their agreement, he sent to Pharnabazus.  But the latter, learning that Aristarchus was the new governor at Byzantim, and that Anixibius had ceased to be admiral, turned upon him a cold shoulder, and set out concocting the same measures concerning the Cyreian army with Aristarchus, as he had lately been at work upon with Anaxibius.