Anabasis, Part 1, Part IV summary

What happens

1. After more than twenty days of waiting, the Hellenes question the delay, but Clearchus argues that leaving would threaten supplies and break the truce.
2. Tissaphernes returns, and the armies begin marching, but separate camps and clashes over supplies deepen their mutual distrust.
3. Near Sittace, a messenger warns of an attack and claims that Tissaphernes plans to destroy the Tigris bridge.
4. A young man challenges the warning’s logic, and further questioning leads the leaders to identify it as a trick.
5. The Hellenes guard the bridge and cross safely at daybreak; near Opis, their marching formation astonishes the king’s brother.
6. They reach villages belonging to Parysatis, receive permission to plunder without enslaving residents, and continue beside the Tigris past Caenae.

In this part

What to notice

The armies travel together without trusting each other. This tension explains both their separation and the serious attention given to reports of an attack.

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