Having been got fairly over the Tigris into the province of Media, they were conducted north-westward, along the river, by Tissaphernes, for ten days, partly through a desert country, and with only two remarkable incidents: first, that they met an illegitimate brother of Artaxerxes bringing up a large army to assist him, and who halted his troops to see the Greeks pass by. Clearchus, being aware of this, made his men march two abreast, so that his line seemed almost interminable, and inspired respect in the minds of the natives. Second, that on arriving at some villages which were the private property of Parysatis (the queen-mother, who had favoured the cause of Cyrus), Tissaphernes allowed the Greeks, instead of purchasing provisions in them, to plunder them.
Soon after this they arrived at the river Zab, which flows into the Tigris. On its banks they rested, and here Clearchus resolved to have a conference with Tissaphernes, in order, if possible, to put a stop to the feelings of mutual suspicion which had evidently been arising between the Greeks and their Persian conductors. The substance of the discussion which took place is put by Xenophon into the form of elaborate speeches on each side; and he represents Tissaphernes, after professing the most pure and beautiful motives, to have wound up with an Oriental compliment to the Greeks, saying that "while the Great King alone was allowed to wear the upright turban[1] on his head, any other man, who had the Greeks on his side, might wear it in his heart." This inuendo, which was probably used in
- ↑ One of the insignia of royalty in ancient Persia.
