But no ostrich was captured by anyone, and any horseman who chased one speedily desisted; for it would distance him at once in its flight, not merely plying its feet, but hoisting its wings and using them like a sail. The bustards, on the other hand, can be caught if one is quick in starting them up, for they fly only a short distance, like partridges, and soon tire; and their flesh was delicious.

Marching on through this region they arrived at the Mascas river, which is a plethrum in width. There, in the desert, was a large city named Corsote, completely surrounded by the Mascas.

There they remained three days and provisioned the army. Thence Cyrus marched thirteen stages through desert country, ninety parasangs, keeping the Euphrates river on the right, and arrived at Pylae. In the course of these stages many of the baggage animals died of hunger, for there was no fodder and, in fact, no growing thing of any kind, but the land was absolutely bare; and the people who dwelt here made a living by quarrying mill-stones along the river banks, then fashioning them and taking them to Babylon, where they sold them and bought grain in exchange.

As for the troops, their supply of grain gave out, and it was not possible to buy any except in the LydianThe Lydians were notorious as hucksters. market attached to the barbarian army of Cyrus,See Xen. Anab. 1.2.18 and the note thereon, and Xen. Anab. 1.3.14. at the price of four sigli for a capith of wheat flour or barley meal. The siglus is worth seven and one-half Attic obols, and the capith had the capacity of two Attic choenices.The obol = about 1 1/2d. or 3 cents. The choenix = about 1 quart. The prices stated were, roughly, about fifty times normal prices at Athens. The soldiers therefore managed to subsist by eating meat.The Greeks of Xenophon’s time ate comparatively little meat under any circumstances, but in the Arabian desert a diet of meat constituted a real hardship.

And Cyrus sometimes made these stages through the desert very long, whenever he wanted to reach water or fresh fodder.Once in particular, when they came upon a narrow, muddy place which was hard for the wagons to get through, Cyrus halted with his train of nobles and dignitaries and ordered Glus and Pigres to take some of the barbarian troops and help to pull the wagons out.