Xen. A 1 8.23-24

[Pianophile]

Xen. A 1 8.23-24

.(23) . . ἐπεὶ δ' οὐδεὶς αὐτῷ ἐμάχετο ἐκ τοῦ ἀντίου οὐδὲ τοῖς αὐτοῦ τεταγμένους ἔμπροσθεν, ἐπέκαμπτεν ὡς εἰς κύκλωσιν.

(24) ἔνθα δὴ Κῦρος δείσας μὴ ὄπισθεν γενόμενος κατακόψη τὸ Ἑλληνικὸν ἐλαύνει ἀντίος. καὶ ἐμβαλὼν σὺν τοῖς ἐξακκοσίοις νικᾷ τοὺς πρὸ βασιλέως τεταγμένους καὶ εἰς φυγὴν ἔτρεψε τοὺς ἑξακισχιλίους, καί ἀποκτεῖναι λέγεται αὐτὸς τῇ ἐαυτοῦ χειρὶ Ἀρταγέρσην τὸν ἄρχοντα αὐτῶν. . .

G.Steadman: ἐπέκαμπτεν (Cyrus) began to bend, i.e. his forces.

The way I read the passage it should be The King and not Cyrus who "began to bend, i.e. his forces".

[jeidsath]

A bit more preceding:

Κῦρος δʼ ὁρῶν τοὺς Ἕλληνας νικῶντας τὸ καθʼ αὑτοὺς καὶ διώκοντας, ἡδόμενος καὶ προσκυνούμενος ἤδη ὡς βασιλεὺς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀμφʼ αὐτόν, οὐδʼ ὣς ἐξήχθη διώκειν, ἀλλὰ συνεσπειραμένην ἔχων τὴν τῶν σὺν ἑαυτῷ ἑξακοσίων ἱππέων τάξιν ἐπεμελεῖτο ὅ τι ποιήσει βασιλεύς. καὶ γὰρ ᾔδει αὐτὸν ὅτι μέσον ἔχοι τοῦ Περσικοῦ στρατεύματος. καὶ πάντες δʼ οἱ τῶν βαρβάρων ἄρχοντες μέσον ἔχοντες τὸ αὑτῶν ἡγοῦνται, νομίζοντες οὕτω καὶ ἐν ἀσφαλεστάτῳ εἶναι, ἢν ᾖ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτῶν ἑκατέρωθεν, καὶ εἴ τι παραγγεῖλαι χρῄζοιεν, ἡμίσει ἂν χρόνῳ αἰσθάνεσθαι τὸ στράτευμα. καὶ βασιλεὺς δὴ τότε μέσον ἔχων τῆς αὑτοῦ στρατιᾶς ὅμως ἔξω ἐγένετο τοῦ Κύρου εὐωνύμου κέρατος. ἐπεὶ δʼ οὐδεὶς αὐτῷ ἐμάχετο ἐκ τοῦ ἀντίου οὐδὲ τοῖς αὐτοῦ τεταγμένοις ἔμπροσθεν, ἐπέκαμπτεν ὡς εἰς κύκλωσιν.

I can see how Steadman might have misunderstood things, as Cyrus has just defeated everyone in front of him, and the part from καὶ γὰρ ᾔδει αὐτὸν ... to ... τοῦ Κύρου εὐωνύμου κέρατος reads sort of like an aside, which might finish by returning the subject to Cyrus.

But the first sentence of 24 seems to leave no doubt. The King has begun bending around for an envelopment, and Cyrus, afraid lest the King get behind and split up the Greeks, drives [his cavalry] out to meet him.

[Pianophile]

Many thanks Joel - Glad I got something right at last. :-)