Peltasts and chariots at Cunaxa

[Marja]

One often reads in email or conversation the idea that the Greeks at Cunaxa who opened their ranks to avoid the scythed chariots were the psiloi or peltasts, or at least that there were some psiloi in front of the phalanx to break up the chariot charge. The main difficulty here is that the account of the Greek fight at Anabasis 1.8 seems to deal exclusively with the hoplites, the peltasts being returned to at Anabasis 1.10 when Xenophon has the occasion to mention Tissaphernes. It is not improbable that Xenophon would mislead in this way, but that is not a positive argument.

Has anyone gone over this in detail? Maybe Otto Lendle? For my thesis work I have been avoiding Cunaxa because I believe there are much more interesting questions to ask about Cyrus' revolt.

Is it the Greeks who open up their ranks? Judging by the Dakyns version, it seems to be the Persians of Artaxerxes, opening up their formation to let their chariots withdraw, but then again, this version has the charioteers themselves disappear without explanation:

http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/x...abasis.asp

But with the forward movement a certain portion of the line curved onwards in advance, with wave-like sinuosity, and the portion left behind quickened to a run; and simultaneously a thrilling cry burst from all lips, like that in honour of the war-god--eleleu! eleleu! and the running became general. Some say they clashed their shields and spears, thereby causing terror to the horses[4]; and before they had got within arrowshot the barbarians swerved and took to flight. And now the Hellenes gave chase with might and main, checked only by shouts to one another not to race, but to keep their ranks. The enemy's chariots, reft of their charioteers, swept onwards, some through the enemy themselves, others past the Hellenes. They, as they saw them coming, opened a gap and let them pass. One fellow, like some dumbfoundered mortal on a racecourse, was caught by the heels, but even he, they said, received no hurt, nor indeed, with the single exception of some one on the left wing who was said to have been wounded by an arrow, did any Hellene in this battle suffer a single hurt.