The Persians, who had been preparing to defend against a direct assault, were stunned when they realized the mercenaries were not charging them, but were instead running for the adjacent peak. Recognizing their mistake, they quickly gathered their own forces and began a desperate advance toward the same summit.
By now, Tissaphernes’s main army was closing in on the mountain pass. The mercenary army had formed a defensive line nearby, with the baggage train and the wounded consolidated at the rear, very close to the ridge the Persians had initially occupied. If the Persians on that ridge were to loose a full volley, their arrows could just barely reach the edge of the Greek formation. But at this moment, those Persians, along with Xenophon’s force, were racing toward the highest summit from two different directions.
***
“Shields up!”
“Slingers, ready!”
“Archers, ready!”
The Greek generals, their faces grim, shouted commands to their troops. Before them, the Persians advanced like a relentless tide, slowly deploying their battle line.
***
“Faster! Faster! Keep pushing, brothers! You are racing for your very survival!” Xenophon shouted, leading the charge up the mountain as he encouraged his men. “Every ounce of strength you give now will make our march easier later and save us from countless troublesome battles!”
By the time they reached the halfway point, the soldiers’ muscles were aching, their breathing was ragged, and their pace had slowed. But seeing the Persians on the other side of the peak engaged in the same desperate climb, a sense of urgency kept them from slackening their pace.
Though the Persians were closer to the summit, the side of the mountain they were on was steep, unlike the gentler slope the mercenaries were ascending from the rear.
In this “mountain-climbing race,” the Greeks had the last laugh. They were the first to reach the summit. Ignoring their exhaustion, they immediately began hurling javelins and stones at the Persians who were still scrambling up the slope.
The Persians turned and fled, abandoning even their original position, not stopping until they had reached the very foot of the mountain.
***
Tissaphernes’s ranged attack was still ongoing. Despite his mounting casualties, he refused to give the order to retreat, putting immense pressure on the Greek lines. Just as they were struggling to hold on, a scout cavalryman galloped up with a report: a signal from Xenophon! They had taken the ridge and driven off the Persians!
“Retreat!” Chrysophus ordered, a great weight lifting from his shoulders.
The mercenary army began an orderly withdrawal into the mountain pass.
The Persian army pressed forward in pursuit.
But as they followed the Greeks into the pass, they entered the attack range of Xenophon’s force. A powerful barrage of stones and javelins rained down on them from the summit. Only then did the Persian horns sound the retreat.
***
After traversing the mountain pass, the mercenary army entered a plain dotted with villages. They began to make camp, treat their wounded, and gather a large amount of supplies, for the guides had all said the same thing: the Doukias mountains lay directly ahead. In light of this, the leaders convened an important meeting.
“We Greeks resist the Persians, and the Doukias people resist the Persians,” Xenophon began, speaking eloquently. The trials of the past weeks had honed his confidence. “According to the guides, the Persians once sent an army of a hundred thousand men to conquer the Doukias, only to be soundly defeated. Since we and the Doukias share a common enemy, we should be able to coexist peacefully. We are only seeking passage to Armenia; we have no intention of encroaching on their territory. If we send an envoy to express our peaceful intentions, I am certain they will accept.”
“Peaceful coexistence? Easier said than done!” Timasion scoffed. He was beginning to find Xenophon’s flamboyance grating. Both Davos and Xenophon were young, exceptionally capable, and far too conspicuous, which had earned them the jealousy and resentment of some of the older mercenaries like himself and Cleanor. “An army of ten thousand men is about to enter their lands, an army that has repeatedly defeated the Persians. You think the Doukias won’t be nervous? You think they won’t be afraid? I don’t buy it! You say you’re just passing through, but what if you attack their villages and settlements along the way? The price of that mistake would be too high. Would the Doukias dare take that risk? Remember, these people are so fierce and savage that even the Persians, who surround their territory, fear them. Why would they agree to a request from us, who have come from a thousand miles away?”
As soon as Timasion finished, Cleanor added, “A few days ago, my soldiers captured several Doukias slaves from the Persians. After questioning them, we learned that ‘Doukias’ is just a Persian name for all the people who live in this mountain range. In reality, the Doukias mountains are home to many different tribes and peoples. They frequently fight and kill each other over tribal interests; some tribes are even mortal enemies. The problem we face is this: even if we get the agreement of one tribe, we might cross a few mountains and be attacked by another. If we have to negotiate with every single tribe, it will take far too long, and we will starve. The Doukias mountains are a barren land, scarce in food.”
“It seems our only choice is to force our way through,” Hieronymus, who rarely spoke, said with a hard edge to his voice. “When we enter their territory, we will not attack anyone unprovoked. But if anyone dares to attack us, we will show them what we’re made of.”
“When the time comes, I wonder who will be showing what to whom,” Xanthipparis said with a sigh of resignation. “The Persians gave us enough trouble when they occupied just a few ridges. The Doukias region is nothing but mountains. We are mostly heavy infantry, and we have a massive baggage train. Marching will be difficult enough, let alone fighting. The Doukias know the terrain, and climbing mountains is a skill they’ve practiced since childhood. We have only our guides. The mountain paths will be narrow, forcing our army into a long, single-file line. The Doukias could emerge from anywhere to attack us, and we would be helpless against them.” Xanthipparis’s words cast a pall over the tent, and the leaders fell silent.
Xenophon seized the opportunity. “So, you see, we must negotiate with them.”
No one paid him any mind. All eyes turned to Chrysophus.
Chrysophus, however, was looking at Davos, who had remained silent in a corner. “General Davos, what is your opinion?”
Davos smiled slightly and spoke slowly. “Listening to everyone, it seems to me there are two main opinions. The first is to negotiate with the Doukias. The advantage is safety; the disadvantage is that it will take too much time, and they may not agree. The second is to force our way through. The advantage is that it saves time; the disadvantage is heavy casualties. So, why don’t we combine these two opinions into a single solution?”
Combine them into one? The leaders looked at each other, and even Chrysophus was momentarily baffled.
Philesius, standing beside Davos, saw their expressions and chuckled to himself. The night before, the officers of Davos’s contingent had discussed this very issue. When Davos had laid out his plan, they had all been stunned by its novelty, but had to admit it had a high chance of success. Now, as he watched Davos address the high command, a sense of pride swelled within him.
“How do you combine them?” the generals asked in unison.
“We find one tribe, and we cooperate with them,” Davos said, his words startling everyone in the tent. “We let them clear the way for us.”
The leaders were stunned into silence.
Xenophon was the first to recover. “Davos, you mean to say… you want to use the Doukias tribe to fight other Doukias tribes?! Is that even possible?”
“With the right incentive, anything is possible,” Davos said with conviction.
***
During the three days the mercenaries were camped, Persian cavalry appeared several times, attacking lone soldiers who strayed from the main force, stealing livestock that had been put out to graze, and even attempting to set fire to the villages.
After a discussion, the leaders concluded that Tissaphernes was doing everything in his power to prevent them from entering the Doukias territory, even if it meant burning the lands and harming the people of the Persian king. To prevent him from taking even more desperate measures, the army had to enter the Doukias mountains ahead of schedule.
And so, on the morning of the fourth day, the mercenary army broke camp and marched north.
From a distance, Tissaphernes watched the long, dragon-like column of the Greek mercenary army as it was slowly swallowed by the shadows of the mountains.