02-14-2012, 08:51 AM
There is no "leading his army down on the center" in the text, which would indeed point to your conclusion. The text reads "lead the troops against the center of the enemy" (ἄγειν τὸ στράτευμα κατὰ μέσον τὸ τῶν πολεμίων) with no other instruction which is much more neutral. The Greeks advancing oblique against the position of Artaxerxes would be highly improbable no matter how far this position was. Just 20,000 infantry to the left (now this would be a very moderate estimate, wouldn't it?) would be about 2 kms, assuming a median dept of 10 men. There is no way that the Greeks would parade such a distance in front of the enemy lines, chariots, archers... obstructing their own and practically moving in column as the enemy would be free to engage wherever he chose and stop their movement or just shower them with missiles for the time necessary to complete the march (some 30 mins for that short distance). The only way that such a maneuver could be made, if I accept your assumption that Artaxerxes was not that far to the left and even have him much nearer than your estimates, would again be for the Greeks to march behind the lines and take new positions where it would be more appropriate for them to attack Artaxerxes. Of course this would not be a first. Such maneuvers are indeed attested in the sources quite a few times. Under that prism, no matter where you place Artaxerxes, in order for the Greeks to attack his position, they would have to redeploy to a new position anyways making little difference whether it would be in the center of the far left. You might like Diodorus numbers more, he states 400,000 for the king (Plutarch also IIRC) and 83,000 for Cyrus. Of course, even in this scenario and in anyone other in which Artaxerxes has double or more the men Cyrus has, Artaxerxes will still be outside Cyrus' far left. What you "dispute" is not the actual numbers (unless we are talking about really small armies of maybe 20-30,000 mean each) but the proposed analogy. Also, Cyrus does not lead his center against the king, Xenophon has him outside the battle serving as some kind of cavalry reserve.
Xenophon justifies the decision of Clearchus not to accept Cyrus' proposal and break off the right wing because he was afraid of being surrounded from both flanks. (ἀλλ’ ὅμως ὁ Κλέαρχος οὐκ ἤθελεν ἀποσπάσαι ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας, φοβούμενος μὴ κυκλωθείη ἑκατέρωθεν). The text seems to be about his troops only which would require operating without allies on his flanks, that would mean outside the battle-line, although I guess that it could be argued that his fear is about the whole of Cyrus' army. Xenophon is a second time true to his placement of the king when he has Artaxerxes wheeling to surround the enemy(ὅμως ἔξω ἐγένετο τοῦ Κύρου εὐωνύμου κέρατος. ἐπεὶ δ’ οὐδεὶς αὐτῷ ἐμάχετο ἐκ τοῦ ἀντίου οὐδὲ τοῖς αὐτοῦ τεταγμένοις ἔμπροσθεν, ἐπέκαμπτεν ὡς εἰς κύκλωσιν.).
As I have always viewed Cunaxa, it is a by the book battle of how to attack an army vastly superior in numbers with an extended front. Cyrus battle-line concentrates on an attack against the left of the enemy aiming at a quick victory there, placing its elite troops on the rightmost flank which also rests secure on an impassable obstacle to thwart any possible outflank from that position. Trusting in speed, he tries to gain the victory before the enemy can wheel his lengthy front, buying time and protecting his infantry with cavalry action on the left. With a refused left, he stays out of contact with the rest of the army, while the enemy also stays back as the King slowly completes his encircling maneuver.
In conclusion, I cannot say whether Xenophon's or Diodorus' and Plutarch's numbers are correct, inflated or anything. I can only say that there is no reason to doubt the general, undetailed placement of forces we are offered or the course of action. Unfortunately, very few is said outside the scope of the Greeks.
Btw, what do you mean by "he would not march obliquely from the river else the left and the right be flanked. "? Oblique has unfortunately a lot of meanings. Do you mean that he would have his line wheel and then march forward? keep front to the enemy and then have each man march at an angle? march en echelon? I cannot see how he could avoid exposing at least one flank and his rear should he march in front of the phalanx in line and not in column, which would of course be even worse...
Xenophon justifies the decision of Clearchus not to accept Cyrus' proposal and break off the right wing because he was afraid of being surrounded from both flanks. (ἀλλ’ ὅμως ὁ Κλέαρχος οὐκ ἤθελεν ἀποσπάσαι ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας, φοβούμενος μὴ κυκλωθείη ἑκατέρωθεν). The text seems to be about his troops only which would require operating without allies on his flanks, that would mean outside the battle-line, although I guess that it could be argued that his fear is about the whole of Cyrus' army. Xenophon is a second time true to his placement of the king when he has Artaxerxes wheeling to surround the enemy(ὅμως ἔξω ἐγένετο τοῦ Κύρου εὐωνύμου κέρατος. ἐπεὶ δ’ οὐδεὶς αὐτῷ ἐμάχετο ἐκ τοῦ ἀντίου οὐδὲ τοῖς αὐτοῦ τεταγμένοις ἔμπροσθεν, ἐπέκαμπτεν ὡς εἰς κύκλωσιν.).
As I have always viewed Cunaxa, it is a by the book battle of how to attack an army vastly superior in numbers with an extended front. Cyrus battle-line concentrates on an attack against the left of the enemy aiming at a quick victory there, placing its elite troops on the rightmost flank which also rests secure on an impassable obstacle to thwart any possible outflank from that position. Trusting in speed, he tries to gain the victory before the enemy can wheel his lengthy front, buying time and protecting his infantry with cavalry action on the left. With a refused left, he stays out of contact with the rest of the army, while the enemy also stays back as the King slowly completes his encircling maneuver.
In conclusion, I cannot say whether Xenophon's or Diodorus' and Plutarch's numbers are correct, inflated or anything. I can only say that there is no reason to doubt the general, undetailed placement of forces we are offered or the course of action. Unfortunately, very few is said outside the scope of the Greeks.
Btw, what do you mean by "he would not march obliquely from the river else the left and the right be flanked. "? Oblique has unfortunately a lot of meanings. Do you mean that he would have his line wheel and then march forward? keep front to the enemy and then have each man march at an angle? march en echelon? I cannot see how he could avoid exposing at least one flank and his rear should he march in front of the phalanx in line and not in column, which would of course be even worse...
