[38] Ὥσπερ πάλιν τὸν στόλον Κύρου μὴ ποιουμένου.] About the meaning of these words there has been much dispute. The translation which I have given is that of Bornemann, "quasi retro Cyrus navigaturus non esset," which is adopted by Kühner. "The speaker assumes," says Bornemann, "that Cyrus is directing his march against the Pisidians or some other rebellious people, and that, when he has reduced them, he will return to his province."
[39] The reference is to the three hundred Greeks that went up with Cyrus to Babylon under the command of Xenias the Parrhasian, i. 1. 2.
[40] Ἦσαν δὲ ταῦτα δύο τείχη.] As the fem. πύλαι precedes, and as the gates were not properly the τείχη, but the space between them, Weiske conjectures ἦσαν δὲ ἐνταῦθα, κ. τ. λ., which Kühner and others approve, but have not admitted into the text. Kühner interprets τείχη "castella," and I have followed him. When Xenophon speaks, a little below, of τείχη εἰς τὴν θάλατταν καθήκοντα, he seems to mean walls attached to the fortress nearest to the sea. So when he says that at each of the fortresses, ἐπὶ τοῖς τείχεσιν ἀμφοτέροις, were gates, he appears to signify that there were gates in the walls attached to each of the fortresses. "At a distance of about six hundred yards, corresponding with the three stadia of Xenophon, are the ruins of a wall, which can be traced amid a dense shrubbery, from the mountains down to the sea-shore, where it terminates in a round tower." Ainsworth, p. 59.
[41] "That is, within the two fortresses and beyond them, viz. in Syria." Kühner.
[42] Εἰς ζώνην.] Nominally to furnish her with girdles, or to supply ornaments for her girdle, it being the custom with the Persian kings to bestow places on their queens and other favourites ostensibly for the purpose of furnishing them with articles of dress, food, or other conveniences. See Herod, ii. 98; Plato, Alcib. I. c. 40; Cic. in Verr. iii. 23; Corn. Nepos, Life of Themistocles, c. 10.
[43] Reckoning the talent at £243 15s., the mina (60 = a talent) will be £4 1s. 3d., and five minæ £20 6s. 3d.
[44] Απεσπᾶτο.] "Drew itself away from" its pursuers. There are various readings of this word. Kühner adopts ἀπεσπα, in the sense of "drew off its pursuers from the rest of the huntsmen." Bornemann reads ἀπέπτατο.
[45] It would be needless to repeat all that has been said as to the construction of this passage; I have adopted the explication of Kühner.
[46] Επὶ Πύλας.] A strait or defile through which the road lay from Mesopotamia into Babylonia; hence called the Pylæ Babyloniæ. It is mentioned by Stephanus Byzantinus sub voce Χαρμάνδη. Ainsworth, p. 80, places it fourteen miles north of Felújah, and a hundred and eight miles north of Babylon.
[47] Καπίθη.] A measure, as is said below, equal to two Attic chœnices. The Attic chœnix is valued by Mr. Hussey, Essay on Ancient Weights, &c., ch. 13, sect. 4, at 1.8467 pint.