[28] Ἐφ' ἁρμαμάξης.] The harmamaxa was a Persian carriage, probably covered, for women and children. See Q. Curt. iii. 3, 23; Wesseling ad Herod, vii. 41.
[29] Προβάλεσθαι τὰ ὅπλα.] "To hold out the shield and the spear, the one to defend the person, and the other to repel or attack an adversary." Kühner.
[30] Φοινικιστὴν βασίλειον.] Æmilius Portus, on the authority of Zonaras, Lex. p. 1818, interprets this "dyer of the king's purple;" an interpretation repugnant to what follows. Morus makes it purpuratus; Larcher, vexillarius, because in Diod. Sic. xiv. 26 a standard is called φοινικίς: Brodæus gives 'unus è regiis familiaribus, puniceâ veste indutus, non purpurea.' "Without doubt he was one of the highest Persian nobles, as he is joined with the ὕπαρχοι δυνάσται." Kühner.
[31] Εἶδε.] This seems to be the reading of all the manuscripts, and is retained by Poppo, Bornemann, Dindorf, and Kühner. But Schneider and Weiske read εἶλε, "took possession of," on the suggestion of Muretus, Var. Lect. xv. 10, who thought it superfluous for Xenophon to say that Cyrus merely saw the tents. Lion, however, not unreasonably supposes this verb to be intended to mark the distance at which Cyrus passed from the tents, that is, that he passed within sight of them, the Cilicians having retired only a short space to the rear.
[32] Σήσαμον καὶ μελίνην καὶ κέγχρον.] Sesamum is a leguminous plant, well known in the East; the seeds of it resemble hemp-seed, and are boiled and eaten like rice. Μελίνη, panicum, is a plant resembling millet. Κέγχρος, milium, millet, is far the best known of the three to Europeans. Panic bears its grain in ears; millet, in bunches.
[33] Καπηλεῖα.] Καπηλεῖον is often used in the sense of a tavern; sometimes in a more general sense, as any kind of shop. We may suppose that all those remained behind who had anything to sell, with the hope of getting profit.
[34] He himself, the very person who had desired Cyrus to send for him, refused to go; this refusal being given for the sake of keeping up appearances.
[35] Ἐκ τούτων.] "Ex his, secundum hæc, h. e. in hac rerum conditione." Kühner. Bornemann interprets simply post hæc.
[36] Οὔτε στρατηγοῦ οὔτε ἰδιώτου ὄφελος οὐδέν.] "No profit (or use) either of a general or private soldier."
[37] Διὰ φιλίας τῆς χώρας.] The earlier editions have ὡς before διὰ, of which, as being useless, Schneider first suggested the omission; and which has accordingly been rejected by subsequent editors. The guide was to conduct them only through regions that were friendly to Cyrus, or where he could procure them a friendly reception.