The merchants went off with this tale and reported it to every city they came to in turn, nor did they go alone, but Timasion the Dardanian sent a fellow-citizen of his own, Eurymachus, with the Boeotian Thorax, to repeat the same story.  So when it reached the ears of the men of Sinope and the Heracleots, they sent to Timasion and pressed him to accept of a gratuity, in return for which he was to arrange for the departure of the troops.  Timasion was only too glad to hear this, and he took the opportunity when the soldiers were convened in meeting to make the following remarks:  “Soldiers,” he said, “do not set your thoughts on staying here; let Hellas, and Hellas only, be the object of your affection, for I am told that certain persons have been sacrificing on this very question, without saying a word to you.  Now I can promise you, if you once leave these waters, to furnish you with regular monthly pay, dating from the first of the month, at the rate of one cyzicene[2] a head per month.  I will bring you to the Troad, from which part I am an exile, and my own state is at your service.  They will receive me with open arms.  I will be your guide personally, and I will take you to places where you will get plenty of money.  I know every corner of the Aeolid, and Phrygia, and the Troad, and indeed the whole satrapy of Pharnabazus, partly because it is my birthplace, partly from campaigns in that region with Clearchus and Dercylidas[3].”

[2] A cyzicene stater = twenty-eight silver drachmae of Attic money
    B.C. 335, in the time of Demosthenes; but, like the daric, this
    gold coin would fluctuate in value relatively to silver.  It
    contained more grains of gold than the daric.

[3] Of Dercylidas we hear more in the “Hellenica.”  In B.C. 411 he was
    harmost at Abydos; in B.C. 399 he superseded Thimbron in Asia
    Minor; and was himself superseded by Agesilaus in B.C. 396.

No sooner had he ceased than up got Thorax the Boeotian.  This was a man who had a standing battle with Xenophon about the generalship of the army.  What he said was that, if they once got fairly out of the Euxine, there was the Chersonese, a beautiful and prosperous country, where they could settle or not, as they chose.  Those who liked could stay; and those who liked could return to their homes; how ridiculous 25 then, when there was so much territory in Hellas and to spare, to be poking about[4] in the land of the barbarian.  “But until you find yourselves there,” he added, “I, no less than Timasion, can guarantee you regular pay.”  This he said, knowing what promises had been made Timasion by the men of Heraclea and Sinope to induce them to set sail.

[4] The word {masteuein} occurs above, and again below, and in other
    writings of our author.  It is probably Ionic or old Attic, and
    occurs in poetry.