Illustrations, chiefly geographical, of the history of the Expedition of Cyrus from Sardis to Babylonia; and the Retreat of the Ten Thousand Greeks, from thence to Trebisonde and Lydia. With an appendix, containing an enquiry into the best method of improving the geography of the Anabasis, &c....

Front matter

ILLUSTRATIONS, (CHIEFLY GEOGRAPHICAL,) OF THE HISTORY OF THE EXPEDITION OF CYRUS, &c. ILLUSTRATIONS, (CHIEFLY GEOGRAPHICAL,) OF THE HISTORY OF THE EXPEDITION OF CYRUS, FROM SARDIS TO BABYLONIA; AND THE RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND GREEKS, FROM THENCE TO TREBISONDE, AND LYDIA. WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING AN ENQUIRY INTO THE BEST METHOD OF IMPROVING THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE ANABASIS, &c. EXPLAINED BY THREE MAPS. " Hep i T8 r-lij 6pwfi.ev8, _-<pi(n avroi; a£iovT_; 7re.r.i0evai ' xat ev auTcu ™ afi_>V-.o*0ai xai iraQew, fi.a.KkQV r-yi-rraij.ivor- tu> svdovre; <r_o?e<rSai." (Thucydides, B. III. Oration of Pericles.) " For surmounting dangers before their eyes, they confided in their own strenuous exertions, preferring resistance with death, to safety with submission.'' (Dr. Gillies.) BY JAMES RENNELL, FELLOW OP THE ROYAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON AND EDINBURGH ; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF PARIS, AND OF THE IMPERIAL ACADEMY OF ST. PETERSBURGH ; __ND FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF GOTTINGEN.

LONDON : PRINTED BY W. BULMT.R AND CO. CLEVELAND-ROW, ST. JAMEs's ; AND SOLD BY G. AND W. NICOL, BOOKSELLERS TO HIS MAJESTY, PALL-MALL. 1816. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM WYNDHAM GRENVILLE, LORD GRENVILLE, BARON GRENVILLE, OF WOTTON UNDER BERNEWOOD, IN THE COUNTY OF BUCKINGHAM; ONE OF HIS MAJESTIES MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND ; CHANCELLOR OF TH£ UNIVERSITY OF-. OXFORD ; A TRUSTEE OF THE BRITISH MUSEU^^^<&tSj(_l^§. THE CHARTER-HOUSE; AND ONE OF THE ELDER BRETHREN OE THE TRINITY-HOUSE. My Lord, When I solicited the honour of inscribing this Work, with Your Lordship's name, I felt myself actuated by two inducements : by gratitude, because it is to your Lordship's influence, that I owe the means of sending it forth to the Public : and no less by a sense of propriety ; for no one within the limits of my observation, is so well qualified to decide on its merits : such is your Lordship's extensive and intimate knowledge of the subject, which it professes DEDICATION. to illustrate.

So fully, indeed, am I impressed with this sentiment, that I have sometimes doubted the prudence of thus placing the imperfections of my Work, so near the eye of acute and judicious cri ticism. I venture, however, to hope, that as the Anabasis is so deservedly a favourite subject with your Lordship, you will regard with indulgence, such errors as have arisen, in an attempt to render it an object still more worthy of your attention. The Improvements made in the Geography of the Countries, connected with the present Work, have chiefly grown out of the labours of ingenious and enterprising Travellers ofthe present age; actuated, no doubt, by that spirit of emulation, incul cated by those magnificent plans of discovery, and of geographical improvement, which add splendour to the commencement of the reign of our Most Ami able, and Most Gracious Sovereign : and which have been continued and extended, until we have no longer any doubts, respecting the general distribu tion of the habitable parts of the terraqueous globe.

Preface

. Ihe History ofthe Expedition of Cyrus, and the Retreat of the Ten Thousand, engaged very early, the attention of the author. But, at that period, the geography of Western Asia was so little known in detail, that only a few points, in the whole route of the Greeks, had been sufficiently ascertained. This is fully exemplified by the maps that are prefixed to the transla tions of Messrs. Spelman and Larcher ; although that of the latter, is incomparably the best ofthe two. Nor is the one made by M. D'Anville, for M. Rollin's Ancient History, on the whole, superior, if equal, to that in M. Larcher's book.* In the history of an Expedition, in which the matter of the narrative, so mainly depends on the detail of its geography, the want of such a delineation as will serve to explain the several movements, not only renders the history in some places obscure, * The geography of Asia Minor, in particular, was extremely defective, down to the present times.

M. D'Anville had contracted its breadth, so as to make it a whole degree of latitude less than the truth ; which, of course, occasioned a derangement of the whole interior of it. And the countries, through which the route of the Ten Thousand lay, were worse described than the rest. Besides the mere consideration of latitude and longitude, the descriptive geography, in general, was extremely faulty ; but which, however, is not to be placed to the account of want of judgment, in M. D'Anville; but to the deficiency of good materials. a

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. II but deprives the reader of a criterion, by which a trial might oftentimes be made, of its consistency and truth. But the Ana basis was read, and its geographical details either taken for granted, or referred to fanciful delineations, made up from the text itself: that is, for want of the actual geography, a geography was invented; in order that the mind might have a sensible object to refer to, in the act of tracing the progress of the armies. So that this admirable piece of military history, not only lost a part of its value, through the want of proper explanations ; but also failed to produce all the collateral advantages, that might have been derived from it, in respect ofthe improvement of ancient geography. A reader of modern military history, would regard as very imperfect, a work which should be found deficient in the necessary details of geography.

In books of travels, the defect would be felt still more.* Now the Anabasis combines with the cha racter of a military history, that of a book of travels likewise ; since more than seven months, out of the fourteen, that elapsed, between the time of the departure of the Greeks from Sardis, * Of this, we had a convincing proof, a very few years ago, in Mr. Patrick Gass's account of the Expedition for exploring the North American continent, in the line of the river Missouri ; by the captains Lewis and Clarke : and to which account, not a scrap of tabular geography was annexed. But the account since published by authority, and now before the public, having the proper geographical details, proves how little this part of the subject had been understood, from the text of Mr. Gass's book. This expedition, considered in respect ofthe extensive field, that it has already opened to human industry ; and much more, as exploring ground, on which nations, yet unborn, are to be planted ; (and which, although occupying the heart ofa continent, will possess the means of a direct communication with the ocean) ; appears to be thc most splendid of all the inland discoveries of modern times.

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. III and their arrival at the port of embarkation, at Cotyora, were employed in the act of marching : in which they went over about 3200 British miles of ground ; and that, not in marching and counter-marching, within the same country, as happens in ordinary campaigns ; but generally in the act of advancing. Besides which distance, they afterwards went 500 miles more, to Byzantium ; partly by navigating the Black Sea ; partly by marching along its borders. It will be no matter of surprise, that the present maps ofthe route of the Ten Thousand, should differ widely from all former ones ; when it is considered, what very great improve ments have been made, in the geography of Western Asia, during the latter parts of the last century, and the beginning of the present one : a period, perhaps, beyond all others, fa vorable to geography, in every quarter of the globe : since some of the greatest efforts of skill, as well as of courage and perseverance, have been combined with the best aids of science, and the most useful improvements in art ; in order to procure materials for it.

The first dawn of hope, of improving the geography ofthe Anabasis, by actual observations, appeared in consequence of an application made by the author, to the celebrated traveller, M. Niebuhr, in 1792 ; requesting some information relative to Asia Minor, and the passage of Mount Taurus. The answer, which was favourable beyond expectation, produced, amongst much other valuable information, a map of M. Niebuhr's route, through the southern parts of Asia Minor ; laid down

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. IV from his own notes and remarks, and corrected in the latitudes by celestial observations* This route, for the most part, went over the same ground with that taken by the younger Cyrus and Xenophon : and although their route across Mount Taurus, was different from that taken by M. Niebuhr ; yet it appeared that this latter, was the one taken by Menon, on occasion of his escorting the Cilician Queen, to Tarsus. Again, the enquiries made by M. Niebuhr, produced some information respecting certain points, connected with the Route of Cyrus ; over the same chain of mountains. And besides this, much information was obtained respecting the Gulf of Issus and Mount Amanus; and ofthe strait lying between them. These particulars, indeed, applied not only to the subject in hand, but also cleared up some doubts concerning the intricate sub ject of the Passes of Cilicia and Syria, in general ; applicable to the warfare between Alexander and Darius.

A second important document, intimately connected with the present subject, but relating to a different quarter ; appeared not long afterwards. This was a Journal, containing the observations of Mr. Sullivan,-}- along the eastern bank of the river Tigris, between Jezirah-ibn-Omar and Mosul : being a considerable portion of the ground, over which the Ten • This was an engraved copy of one of the maps, designed for a third volume of M. Niebuhr's Travels ; and which included his return home from Syria, through Asia Minor. But a fire, which broke out in the palace at Copenhagen, destroying all the copper plates intended for it, the work has never yet appeared. t The Right Honourable John Sullivan, M. P. to whom the author is also indebted for various communications of the most useful kind.

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. V Thousand marched, during the early, and most arduous part of their retreat, between the Zabatus river, and the Carduchian mountains. And, in fact, the 14 marches made by them, be tween these two points, in which they were unremittingly pursued, often surrounded, and sometimes way-laid, by the whole Persian force ; constituted the whole of their warfare with the Persians, after the battle of Cunaxa ; as they escaped from their attacks, at the end of these marches, by ascending the mountains in question. Mr. Sullivan's constant attention to the nature of the country, through which he passed, (and that, without any particular reference to the present subject ; since his remarks were general ) ; enables us, with great con fidence, to fix the site of the Battle on the Hills, on the tenth march from the Zabatus : which not only forms a prominent feature, in that part of the history, but also furnishes a decided point of recognition, in the geography.

The Abbe Sestini, who accompanied Mr. Sullivan, and Dr. Howell, (who traced the same ground at a different time,) afford some additional particulars ; and confirm generally, the remainder. The possession of such invaluable notices towards the illus tration of the geography of the Anabasis, encouraged the author to enquire after, and to search for, other notices. This produced a vast number of useful particulars ; extremely various in their kinds, and originating from many different quarters ; to recount which, would fill many pages. Some were obtained from living authorities ; but many more from books of travels, and from the works of Arabian and Turkish

PREFACE.

. VI geographers ; as also from MS. maps and journals : and, in one remarkable instance, from Diodorus Siculus. The truth is, that useful notices sometimes exist, in the hands of travellers, who regard them as mere insulated facts, of too little importance, or use, to be placed on record ; although they sometimes prove indispensable links in a chain of authorities, for establishing a geographical system, or an historical con nection. Others, although placed on record in books, were neglected, because it had not been discovered, that they had any bearing on, or connexion with, the subject. Thus, for instance, the country of the Chaoi, or Chaonitis, in Diodorus Siculus, may be recognized in that of Khanoos, or Kanis, a province of Armenia, described by Hajy Kalifa : and as such, by the aid of Mr. James Morier's observations, serves to point out the quarter, and almost the place, where the Ten Thousand crossed the Euphrates.

But as these notices had never been applied, the position of that crossing place, has, in consequence, remained in utter uncertainty. The oriental geographers, whose works have proved the most useful, not only in respect of the present subject, but of Western Asia generally, are Abu Bekir ben Behram, who compiled the Geography of Anadoli, during the flourishing times of the Turkish dynasty : Hajy Kalifa, who wrote the remainder of the geography of Asia Minor ;* together with • Anadoli, (or Natolia) is often taken for the whole of the Peninsula of Asia Minor • but is, however, only the North western half of it : the remainder passing under the names of Rum (or Rumiyah), and Karamania.

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. VII that of Syria, Armenia, Mesopotamia, &c. : and finally, Edrisi and Abulfeda. The author is indebted to the great kindness and zeal of M. Hammer, of Vienna, for translations of the two first of these authors ; which have proved of the utmost service to him ; and indeed, without them, his work would have been exceedingly imperfect. And hence it becomes dif ficult to express the great obligations due to M. Hammer from the author. The matter contained in these translations, supplies, amongst a variety of other information, the facts on which the identity of several important positions in the Ana basis, with others in modern geography, is founded : such as, the Forum of the Kramians, with Kermian ( or Kutahiah ) ; of the Chaoi, with the country of Khanoos; and that of M. Theches, with Tek£ orTekman.

The notices from Edrisi, are collected from the Maronite translation of the work of that Geographer : and those from Abulfeda, from the translation made by Rieske. The exterior form of the celebrated Peninsula of Asia Minor, has now attained a near approximation to the truth, in the view of general geography. This improvement owes its existence to the labours of M. De Beauchamp, in 1797, and of Capt. Beaufort, of his Majesty's navy, in the years 1811, and 181a. The former of these gentlemen, (well known by his Travels and Observations in Persia, previous to his visit to the Euxine,) was employed by the French government, in making a tracing of the southern shores of the Euxine, from the canal of Constantinople to Trebisonde ; and in taking

PREFACE.

. VIII celestial observations for determining the longitude and paral lels of certain places within that space ; which is accordingly corrected in 1 5 different points, either by celestial observations or by chronometers. These materials have enabled the author to arrange, with success, a part of his subject, whose geography to that time, had remained in the most vague and indeterminate state possible. The chart was obtained for the author, by the kindness and good offices of M. Otto, in 1801. The observations and description of the coasts, appear in the t sd volume ofthe Memoires sur L'Egypte. Capt. Beaufort's chart of the southern coast of Asia Minor, (commonly called, though improperly, the coast of Kara mania ) , is an important addition to geography ; and more particularly to Hydrography ; for which purpose it was chiefly undertaken, by the order of the Right Hon. Charles Yorke, during his naval administration.

The survey, (now forming a magnificent atlas at the Admiralty office), has been executed in a style calculated to afford the greatest satisfaction on the perusal, and no less security to the navigator : and contains, besides the southern coast of Asia Minor, certain portions of the western coast also, in the quarters of Ionia and Caria • which had been previously surveyed by Capt. Beaufort. A great source of derangement in the former maps, was the error of referring certain ancient cities, whose positions regulated the geography ofthe tracts around them, to wrong positions in modern geography. Amongst these, Archelais Colonia, and Celœnœ, are remarkable instances. The former

PREFACE.

. IX taken by M. D'Anville for the present Erekli, but which appears to have stood near Akserai, is in consequence placed 46 G. miles too far to the south : and entirely deranges the geography of the surrounding tract. And Celœnœ was placed at Aufium-Kara-Hissar, when it should rather have been at San dukly, 22 G. miles farther to the south-west. It has been rectified, in consequence of discovering that Bayad is doubtless the Beudos Vetus, of Livy ; which was only 5 miles from Synnada ; whence the connection of this latter with Apamia Cibotus in the Theodosian tables, necessarily leads to Celœnœ, whose site was close to that of Apamia* M. Niebuhr's fortunate discovery ofthe name of the village which appears to occupy the site of ancient Issus, ( that is Oseler,) throws light on all the positions around the gulph of that name :-fin particular on those of the pass, named by Xenophon, the Gates of Syria and Cilicia; and of Myriandrus, whose port having been filled up with alluvial matter, has its site, at this time, at a considerable distance inland.

The site of Issus was indeed so little understood, that M. D'Anville placed it on that of Ayasse, ( the ancient Ægeas or Ægœœ,) which is on the western side of the gulph ; although Issus is known to have been situated near the foot of mount Amanus, » The meaning of the word Bayad or Bayat, itself, is tbe ancient ; according to M. Otter, Vol. I. p. 56. The ruins named Herjan are supposed to be those of Synnada. Dr. Pocock supposed them to be those of Amorium. f The ancient towns in the Turkish empire have generally preserved their Greek names, although they may have received Turkish ones. Oseler appears to be the ancient Greek name of Issus, somewhat altered; whilst Karabolat appears to be the Turkish name of the same place. b

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. X which separated Cilicia from Syria, and of course must have been situated on the eastern side of the gulf. A very remarkable detour has been observed in the route of Cyrus and Xenophon, between Celœnœ and Iconium : for after making four marches from the former place to the Forum of the Kramians, they were yet farther off" from Iconium, than when they left Celœnœ. This detour, however, no doubt exists from the following circumstance : Peltæ, in the same route, lay nearly midway between Celœnœ and the Kramians, ( i. e. Sandukly and Kutahiah ) , and although it occurs nowhere in modern maps, yet it may well be taken for the Peloti of Edrisi ; as it agrees so nearly with the position in which Peltæ would be looked for ; which is to the northward of Celœnœ. So that, as the general direction of Cyrus's route was easterly, whilst Peltæ and the Kramians lay north wards, the fact of the detour appears to be established.

And finally, we shall mention, that the remarkable fountain of Fay, situated in Syria, near the Euphrates, appears most evidently to be the Daradax of Xenophon ; thus correcting a point in that part of the route, also. It was observed and described by some English gentlemen belonging to the fac- * It is scarcely possible to conceive how such a mistake could have arisen, when Arrian describes the flanks of the Persian army, not only as resting on the base ofthe mountains of Amanus, but as occupying a kind of bay or recess within the base of those mountains. The positions ot the right and left wings of the two armies, so often repeated, prove that Darius was on the side towards Cilicia; Alexander on that towards Syria : and the circumstances of the history shew, that the Pinarus river lay between Issus and Syria ; although M. D'Anville supposed the contrary.

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. XI tory at Aleppo, on their return from visiting the ruins of Palmyra, in 1691. The English translation of the Anabasis by Mr. Spelman, has been followed, with a very few exceptions ; and with a very few additions, from the French edition of M. Larcher. The latter gentleman had an opportunity of consulting some MS. copies of the original, in the king of France's library : by which some additional light is thrown on certain particulars. However, there is a striking coincidence altogether between the two translations ; which gives much confidence to a per son, unskilled in the language of the original. But as it is obvious that in the translation of a large work, such as the Anabasis, &c. the same degree of attention could not be given to the work at large, as might be afforded to a few select passages, only ; the author has therefore trespassed on a friend, (who on former occasions ofthe like kind, had libe rally assisted him,) to give him translations of passages in Xenophon and other Greek authors, in cases where much depended on a right understanding of the originals.

One of the particulars corrected in M. Larcher's translation, by means of the before-mentioned copies, is that, where the field of battle of Cunaxa has been described, almost univers ally, to have been 3060 stadia, distant from Babylon. (Lib. II. c. 5). This, in more than one ofthe MS copies, is 360 ; which agrees better with the reason ofthe thing ; and approxi mates to Plutarch's statement of the distance, (in his life of Artaxerxes,) which is 500 stadia; or only differing 12 to

PREFACE.

. miles from the other. M. Larcher has also added in his preface and notes, some useful explanations and notices, respecting certain parts of the text of the Anabasis. But it does not appear that there is, amongst all these copies, any variation in the wording of that very perplexing passage, which relates to the improvement of their military disposition, when formed in a hollow square, during the retreat:* and to the filling up of the openings in the rear, occasioned by the separation of the flanks, when forming the square anew, after coming out ofa defile. (Lib. III. c. 21.) It must, therefore, be concluded, that the omissions, or cor ruptions, or both, to which that passage, as it now stands, appears to have been subjected, must have taken place in very early times. Nor does it appear, that the translators have generally been aware of the multiplied difficulties that arise, in the attempt to unravel the meaning of the passage ; when considered practically in all its circumstances.

It is hoped that it will not be deemed too great a presump tion in the author, to have attempted a solution of the diffi culty, by seeking a meaning, (not from the text, but) from the apparent nature of the evils that were felt, and attempted to be remedied. But it is even hoped that this attempt may lead to a more per fect solution ofthe difficulty, by inducing military men of genius * That is, the change from an equilateral to an oblong square, or parallelogram ; after having experienced the inconvenient form of the former ; which presented too wide a front to make its way over ordinary ground.

PREFACE.

. XIII and experience, to undertake a nice examination of the passage, as it now stands; and then to consider what the supposed cir cumstances of the case, would have required : for it appears to have been hitherto, too much neglected. Perhaps no season could be more propitious to such an enquiry, than the present ; for surely, since Europe has been civilized, it has never pos sessed, at any one time, such an aggregate of military talent and skill ; growing out of a course of experience, unusually protracted, but at length terminating gloriously for the cause of order, and civil liberty, against a monstrous combination, in which lawless Jacobinism, was leagued with a frightful mili tary despotism, upheld by a fraudful usurpation. Nor need we seek for assistance, in the present case, beyond the bounds of our own proper Empire ; since we possess, of our own growth, whatsoever is transcendant in the science and practice ofthe art Military : and which has, even now, been manifested, in the eyes of all Europe, by our part in a Victory, which decides the immediate, and we hope and trust, the future, moral and political state, of the Civilized World.

It is proper to inform the reader, that the system of geography, by which the route of the Ten Thousand is verified and explained, in the following pages, is that of an unpublished work, on the comparative geography (the Ancient with the modern ) , of Western Asia ; in which the whole construction is entirely new.

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. XIV Three maps, drawn in conformity with that system, accompany the present work ; and will be explained, in the sequel. Some may perhaps object to the apparent coarseness, of certain parts of the geographical materials : and, in conse quence, to the results arising from the application and use of them. But under a deficiency of Geodosian operations, geography can only be accomplished, by a sedulous attention to every notice that can aid its purposes, in whatsoever shape it may present itself; and that, not only, in a geographical or historical form, but in any other. It must therefore of course follow, that such notices must sometimes be fallacious ; at others, imperfect ; and also, that certain positions can only be developed by a combination of circumstances. The materials, therefore, not admitting of nice coincidences, in point of result, general accuracy alone could be studied : so that in the relative positions of places, which are distant from each other, a difference of a few miles only, between results arising from different authorities, ought to be regarded, less as a discordance, than as a kind of virtual coincidence.

There will be found at the end of this Preface, a table of the marches and halts, of the army of Cyrus, and that of the Greeks, from Sardis, to Babylonia ; and of the latter, from thence to Cotyora; which may be found useful, on occasions of reference. It cannot be denied, that the Anabasis, independent of its merits, arising from the grandeur of its general subject, and

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. XV the high reputation of its author ; contains a great variety of incident, to recommend it. The first part may be regarded as a March from Sardis to the field of battle, at Cunaxa; interspersed with intrigues, and much developement of character. In this march, the halts rather exceed the number of marching days, during the long interval of six months ; in which the Greeks, probably, found themselves, (considered as soldiers in the field), generally at their ease : favoured as they were, for political purposes, by Cyrus.* His death suddenly changed their condition ; for they were from that time, for nearly a month, kept in a dread ful state of suspense, respecting their future fate; whilst quartered in the Babylonian villages, surrounded by powerful enemies and treacherous friends, who during that interval, were preparing the means intended for their destruction.

To this, succeeds three weeks of continued suspicion, whilst marching towards the Zabatus river ; escorted by the same people, under pretence of conducting them homewards, as friends : and which ended in the treacherous massacre of their Generals, and others. Then follow three other weeks of ha rassing retreat, surrounded by the Persian army : but termi nated by an unexpected, and almost miraculous escape from them, into the mountainous region ofthe Carduchians ; where a war of a new character, employed them a week, in the • It appears to have been in all ages, the system of Asiatic Princes, who could afford it, to retain Europeans in their military service. Alexander had more Europeans op posed to him, at the battle of Issus, than the British Government ever employed, at one and the same time, in the whole East.

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. XVI arduous task of fighting their way through close defiles, and over craggy summits : but which, at the same time, precluded the approach of their more formidable enemy, the Persian cavalry. Descending from the territory of this ferocious nation, they appear to have proceeded unmolested, and at their ease, during the short interval of a week, whilst marching through a part of the beautiful and plentiful country of Western Arme nia; when the severe winter, which is experienced in the more elevated parts of that country, overtook them : and had they not obtained shelter and refreshments, during about a week, in certain villages near the summit of Mount Ala, be yond the Euphrates ; the whole army would probably have perished, in the course of the inclement weather which then prevailed. They were now arrived at a point, within a fortnight's march of Trebisonde ; at which place they seem to have expected a termination of their labours ; as they hoped to have collected ships enough, to transport them at once, into Greece.

But being either misled by their guide, or mistaking their own situation, they wandered three weeks; chiefly amongst warlike tribes, where they were in danger of perishing by famine : as those tribes were in the habit of depositing their provisions, in fortified, or inaccessible, places. But being finally set right, in respect of their way, they in three weeks more, without any considerable difficulty, arrived at Trebisonde. Here they passed a month, of what to them must have