(1) Such things, both laughable and serious, were said in the tent. Finally, after making the third libation and praying to the gods for the good things, they broke up the gathering to go to bed. On the next day Cyrus assembled all the soldiers and said the following: (2) “Men, friends, our contest is at hand, for our enemies are approaching. It is clear that the prizes of victory—if we conquer (and one must always say this and make it so)—are that the enemies and all their good things become ours. If, on the other hand, we are conquered, even so all the belongings of the conquered are always set before the conquerors as prizes. (3) You thus must know that human beings who are partners in war swiftly accomplish many noble things when each of them has in himself this thought: Unless each is himself zealous, nothing that must occur will occur. For [such partners], nothing that needs to be done is left undone. Yet when each has the thought that someone else will act and fight, even if he himself relaxes, be assured that every hardship will come upon them all with a rush. (4) And god made things something like this: To those who are not willing to command themselves to work for what is good, he provides that others be their commanders. Now, then, let anyone stand up here and speak to this very point, whether he thinks virtue will be more practiced among us if he who is willing both to labor and to risk the most will also obtain the most honor, or if we know that it makes no difference to be bad, for we all will similarly obtain equal shares.”
(5) At this point Chrysantas stood up, one of the Peers and a man neither tall nor strong to look at, but distinguished by his prudence, and he said, “I do not think that you, Cyrus, propose this discussion with the thought that the bad must have equal shares with the good, but rather to test whether there will be any man who will be willing to display himself with the thought of sharing equally in what others achieve by virtue, even though he does nothing noble and good. (6) I am neither swift of foot nor strong of arm, and I know that from what I will accomplish with my body, I would not be judged either first or second, or even, I think, one thousandth, or even, perhaps, ten thousandth. But I know clearly also that if those who are powerful take hold of affairs with vigor, I will get as big a share of something good as is just. If the bad do nothing, and the good and powerful are dispirited, I fear that I will get a bigger share than I want of something other than the good.” (7) So Chrysantas spoke like this.
Pheraulas stood up after him. He was one of the Persian Commoners, a man who was somehow well acquainted with Cyrus even long ago and was agreeable to him. He was not without natural gifts in body, and in soul was not like a man lowborn. He spoke as follows: (8) “Cyrus and all Persians present, I hold that we all are now setting out on an equal footing in a contest of virtue, for I see that we all exercise our bodies in a similar regimen, that all are deemed deserving of like society, and that all the same [prizes] are set before us all, for to obey the rulers is required of all in common, and I see that whoever is evident doing so without excuse obtains honor from Cyrus. Being stout against the enemy is not something that is fitting for one but not another, but this too has been judged to be most noble for all. (9) Now the mode of battle that has been shown to us is one that I see all human beings understand by nature, just as also the various other animals each know a certain mode of battle that they learn not from another but from nature. For example, the ox strikes with his horn, the horse with his hoof, the dog with his mouth, the boar with his tusk. They all also understand how to defend against what they most need to, even though they have never gone to any teacher of these things. (10) I too understood, directly from my childhood, how to protect myself by fending off blows in front of whatever part I thought was to be struck. If I had nothing else, I used to block my attacker as well as I was able by thrusting out my hands. I did this not because I had been taught but even though I got beaten just for this, for fending off. Even when I was a boy, I used to seize a sword wherever I saw one, even though I did not learn how one must take hold of it from anywhere else, as I say, than from nature. I used to do this not because I was taught but even though I was opposed, just as there were also other things I was compelled to do by nature, though I was opposed by both my mother and father. And, yes, by Zeus, I used to strike with the sword everything I was able to without getting caught, for it was not only natural, like walking and running, but it also seemed to me to be pleasant in addition to being natural. (11) Now since the mode of battle granted is one in which the work is more a matter of enthusiasm than art, must we not contend with pleasure against these Peers, at least where the rewards for virtue are set before us equally? We enter upon the risk without staking equal things, for they [are staking] a life with honor, which is alone the most pleasant, while we [are staking] a laborious life and one without honor, which I think is most difficult. (12) It especially increases my enthusiasm for this contest against these [Peers], men, that Cyrus will be the judge, for he does not judge with envy; but I say, and even swear by the gods, that Cyrus seems to me to love all those he sees to be good no less than he loves himself.28 At least I see him giving them whatever he has more than keeping it himself.29 (13) And yet I know that they take pride in the fact that they have been educated, as they say, to endure against hunger, thirst, and cold, not knowing very well that we have been educated in just these things by a teacher superior to theirs, for there is no teacher of these things who is superior to necessity, which has taught them to us even too thoroughly. (14) These [Peers] used to practice hard labor by bearing arms, arms such as have been discovered by all human beings so as to be most easily borne, yet we used to be compelled both to walk and to run under great burdens, so that now the bearing of arms seems to me more like wings than a burden. (15) Consider me, then, Cyrus, as one who will both enter the contest and think I deserve to be honored in accord with my worth, no matter how I may be. And to you, men and fellow Commoners, I recommend that you enter into the fray of this battle against the educated, for they are men now caught in a democratic struggle.”30 So Pheraulas spoke like this.
(16) Many others rose and spoke in favor of each of the two speakers.31 It was decided that each be honored in accord with his worth and that Cyrus be the judge. So these matters went forward like this.
(17) Cyrus once called to dinner even a whole company with its captain. He had seen him deploy the men of his company into halves on two opposite sides for an attack. Both sides had breastplates and, on their left arms, shields; to one half he gave stout sticks for their right hands, and he told the others that they would have to pick up clods to throw. (18) When thus prepared they took their positions, and he signaled to them to do battle. At this point those with clods threw them, and some chanced to hit breastplates or shields, others a thigh or greave. But when they came to close quarters, the troops with the sticks struck them on their thighs, hands, or calves, and of those bending over for clods, they struck their necks and backs. The ones with sticks finally routed and chased them, striking them amid much laughter and sport. Then the others took up the sticks in turn and did again the same things to those who were throwing the clods. (19) Cyrus admired both the captain’s plan and the troops’ obedience, for they at one time got exercise and were inspirited, and victory went to those whose arms were like those of the Persians. Being pleased at this, he called them to dinner, and after seeing some of those in the tent who had bandages on their shins or hands, he asked them what had happened. They said that they had been hit with clods. (20) He asked next whether this happened when they were at close quarters or when they were far apart. They said it was when they were far apart. When they were at close quarters, the ones with sticks said that it was a most noble game. Those who had been beaten with the sticks cried out that being struck at close range did not seem to them to be a game at all. At the same time they showed the blows from the sticks on their hands, necks, and in some cases even on their faces. And then, as was to be expected, they laughed at each other. On the next day the plain was entirely full of troops imitating them, and if they had nothing more serious to do, they made use of this game.
(21) Once he saw another captain leading his company in single file away from the river, to the left, and when it seemed opportune to him he ordered the last platoon to come forward to the front, and so also with the third and the fourth. When the lieutenants were in the front, he gave the word for them to lead their platoons in two columns, so then, of course, the sergeants came forward to the front. When it next seemed opportune to him, he ordered each platoon to go forward in four columns. So also, in turn, the corporals came to the front of the four columns.32
When they were at the door of the tent, he next called for the first platoon to proceed in single file, and he directed it in. Then he ordered the second to follow at the rear of this one, and with similar announcements to the third and the fourth, he directed them in. After leading them in like this, he sat them down to dinner in the very way they entered. So admiring him for his gentle teaching and care, Cyrus called this company and its captain to dinner.
(22) Some other captain who was invited to the dinner and was present said, “Will you not invite my company to your tent, Cyrus? At least when it goes in to dinner, it does all these same things. And when our gathering is finished, the rear guard of the last platoon leads his platoon out, keeping in the rear those whose order in battle is first. Then the second rear guard leads out the next platoon right after these, and so too the third and the fourth, in order that, when we must retreat from enemies, we will understand how we must do so. When we have come to the track where we march, when we go to the east, I lead, and the first platoon is first, the second as it must be, and so the third and fourth, and so too the squads of ten and five within the platoons, until I give [another] order. When we go to the west, the rear guard and the last troops go first and lead us away. Nevertheless, they obey me, though I go last, in order that they may be accustomed to be similarly obedient both when following and when leading.”
(23) And Cyrus said, “And do you always do this?”
“At least as often as we have dinner, by Zeus,” he said.
“I invite you then,” he said, “because you give practice to your ranks in both coming and going, and because you do so in both day and night, and because you exercise your bodies by marching and you benefit your souls by teaching. So since you do everything doubly, it is just to offer you a double feast as well.”
(24) “No, by Zeus,” said the captain, “at least not on one day, unless you will offer us double stomachs as well.” And then they made an end to their gathering in this way. And on the next day Cyrus called that company, just as he had said, and on the following day as well. The others perceived this, and in the future they all imitated them.