“Ifs” That Changed History.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 17, 24 April 1912, Page 51

“Ifs” That Changed History.

BY ALBERT PAYSON TEHUNE. A DISOBEYED ORDER THAT SAVED AN EMPIRE. If a cross grained, surely old Greek soldier had not disobeyed a simple order given him by’ his master, the history of the Orient, and perhaps of all the world might have been different. The Greek whose obstinacy forms this historic “if” was named Clearchus. The master who gave him the order was Cyrus, a young Persian prince, who craved world power —and almost won it. Persia was the most important country of the East—perhaps of the earth. Its king was Artaxerxes. Cyrus Artaxerxes' younger brother, wanted the throne for himself. First, urged'on by Parysatis, his mother, he tried to murder Artaxerxes during the latter’s coronation. Artaxerxes ordered him put io death. But Parysatis rushed forward and so entwined herself around Cyrus’ body that the executioner could not slay one without harming the other. Yielding

to the mother's entreaties, Artaxerxes set his brother free. ’.'

Cyrus went to the seaside provinces, of which he was governor, and begun to raise an army to overthrow the king, It was a desperate venture, and he handled it with wonderful skill. Secretly he collected about 100.000 fellow Orientals. Then he hired at 10/ a month apiece about ten thousand Greek mercenaries. It was upon the Greeks that he relied chiefly for success. They were known as "hoplites,” heavily armoured men, whose ranks moved with the deadly, relentless precision of a mighty machine. Nothing could withstand their attack. The chief of their several generals was Clearchus. a man whom all hated, but whose military skill made him valuable. With this army, a littlte over 110.000 strong. Cyrus in the spring of 401 B. C.. invaded Persia and advanced toward Babylon, its capital. Secret as were his movements, Artaxerxes learned of the plan and marshaled an army of 1.200.000 men to meet him. In other words, Cyrus was marching against a foe nearly twelve times stronger than himself. But he relied on his 10.000 Greeks to offset the fearful disparity in numbers. The two hostile armies came together at Cunaxa, about 75 miles from Babylon. The troops of Artaxerxes were drawn up in a line miles wide, ablaze with gay colours. So broad was this line that the left wing of Cyrus’ army barely extended beyond the centre of the king’s hosts. Everything depended on the result of the one battle. Should Cyrus -win, all Persia would 'be,at his mercy*. And ambition would no doubt lead; him to throw his Oriental hordes into the rest of the East, and even at Europe. Artaxerxes was seen in the very centre of the Persian army. Knowing Persian nature, Cyrus realized that if once the king were slain and the centre of the royal army were routed, the rest of the Persians would flee like sheep. . ■ ■ . So he ordered Clearchus to lead his 10.000 heavily-armed Greeks straight for the Persian centre. Clearchus replied: “I will do what is best. But you surely will not expose your own life by taking part in this battle?” Cyrus answered: - “if I am to be king, I must prove myself worthv.”

So bareheaded (deeming it cowardly to wear-a-helmet I. he rode to his place at the head of the army, believing that Clearchus would obey orders and strike directly at the enemy's centre. AN AtT OF MADNESS. Instead, Clearchus drove hie Greeks at one wing of the royal army. Through the Persian ranks the Creeks ploughed their way. They carried all before them. The Persians fled in wild alarm. The whole wing was smashed. The Greeks lost not one man in Hie charge. Had they attacked the centre instead of the wing, the battle must have ended then and there in complete victory for Cyrus. Meanwhile Cyrus had eaught eight of Artaxerxes. Throwing prudence and sanity to the winds, he galloped straight toward his brother, attended by only a handful of officers. He smashed through the royal bodyguard and smote Artaxerxes from the saddle. Before he could follow up his advantage the Persians closed in upon the rash prince and butchered him. The war was ended. His own recklessness and Clearchus’ foolish disobedience hail cost Cyrus both empire and life. He was but 23 when he died. When the Greeks, after fighting victoriously all day, found that Cyrus was dead, they turned homeward. They began the world-famous “March to the Sea” eo vividly described in Xenophan’s “Anabasis,” a journey in which 10,000 weary men hammered their way to safety through thousands of miles of hostile country. Clearchus and others of their generals were lured to a conference by Artaxerxes before the march began, and were there treacherously murdered. Cyrus’ mother did not rest until she had slain by torture everyone who had had the slightest share in her beloved son’s death.