That the structures of lochos and suskenia were central to the lives of the Cyreans should by now be quite clear. So far, our focus has been on the mercenaries themselves, but they were not the only people who made the trek from Mesopotamia to the sea. It is time to examine the place of non-combatants, including slaves, servants, and male and female companions, in the army.

A CYREAN'S WORK IS NEVER DONE

Sometime in January 400 bc the Cyreans reached the Black Sea coast at Trapezus. Having celebrated their arrival with athletic games, they assembled to deliberate their future. First to stand was Leon of Thurii, an ordinary soldier, who had this to say:

The assembly roared in approval. A second Cyrean rose to voice similar sentiments, followed by another, then another. Indeed, every man who stood up to speak reiterated what Leon said. The troops' reaction was hardly surprising. Nearly a year, after all, had elapsed since Cyrus had led them out from Sardis.