So the generals called an assembly and made this announcement; and
 the soldiers were angry with the generals, and said that they had
 known about this for a long time, but had been keeping it from the
 troops; furthermore, they refused to go on unless they were given
 money, The troops are not now
 asking for additional pay, as at Tarsus ( Xen. Anab.
 1.3.21 ), but for a special donation. See
 below. as were the men who made the journey with
 Cyrus before, See Xen. Anab.
 1.1.2 . when he went to visit his father; they
 had received the donation, even though they marched, not to battle,
 but merely because Cyru s’ father summoned
 him. All these things the generals reported back to
 Cyrus , and he promised that he would give
 every man five minas The Attic mina
 was equivalent (but see note on Xen.
 Anab. 1.1.9 ) to about 3 1 5s. or $18.00;
 Cyrus probably means here the Persian
 mina, which was worth about one-fourth more than the
 Attic. in silver when they reached Babylon and their pay in full
 until he brought the Greeks back to Ionia again. Mercenaries were usually expected to make their own way home
 after a campaign had ended and did not receive pay for the time
 consumed by the homeward journey. By these promises the
 greater part of the Greek army was persuaded. But as for Menon, before it was clear what the rest of
 the soldiers would do, that is, whether they would follow
 Cyrus or not, he gathered together his own
 troops apart from the others and spoke as follows: Soldiers, if you will obey me, you will, without
 either danger or toil, be honoured by Cyrus 
 above and beyond the rest of the troops. What, then, do I direct
 you to do? At this moment Cyrus is begging
 the Greeks to follow him against the King; my own plan, then, is
 that you should cross the Euphrates river before it is clear
 what answer the rest of the Greeks will make to
 Cyrus . For if they vote to follow him, it
 is you who will get the credit for that decision because you
 began the crossing, and Cyrus will not only
 feel grateful to you, regarding you as the most zealous in his
 cause, but he will return the favour—and he knows how to do that
 if any man does; on the other hand, if the rest vote not to
 follow him, we shall all go back together, but you, as the only
 ones who were obedient, are the men he will employ, not only for
 garrison duty, i.e. easy
 service. but for captaincies; and whatever else you
 may desire, I know that you, as friends of
 Cyrus , will secure from him. Upon hearing these words the soldiers were persuaded, and made the
 crossing before the rest gave their answer. When
 Cyrus learned that they had crossed, he was
 delighted and sent Glus to the troops with this message: Soldiers, to-day I commend you; but I shall see to
 it that you also shall have cause to commend me, else count me
 no longer Cyrus .