[3] As he sat on his steed, gazing into the distance, where he meant to go, a peal of thunder rang out on the right, and he cried, "We will follow thee, O Zeus most high!" So he set forth with Chrysantas on his right at the head of cavalry and Arsamas on his left with infantry.

[4] And the word went down the lines, "Eyes on the standard and steady marching." The standard was a golden eagle, with outspread wings, borne aloft on a long spear-shaft, and to this day such is the standard of the Persian king.
Before they came in full sight of the Assyrians Cyrus halted the army thrice.

[5] And when they had gone about two miles or more, they began to see the enemy advancing.

As soon as both armies were in full view of each other, and the Assyrians could see how much they outflanked the Persians on either side, Croesus halted, in order to prepare an encircling movement, and pushed out a column on the right wing and the left, so that the Persian forces might be attacked on every side at once.
[6] Cyrus saw it, but gave no sign of stopping; he led straight on as before.

Meanwhile he noticed that the turning-point where the Assyrians had pushed out on either flank was an immense distance from their centre, and he said to Chrysantas: "Do you see where they have fixed their angle ?" "Yes, I do," answered Chrysantas, "and I am surprised at it: it seems to me they are drawing their wings too far away from their centre." "Just so," said Cyrus, "and from ours too." [7] "Why are they doing that ?" asked the other.
"Clearly," said Cyrus, "they are afraid we shall attack, if their wings are in touch with us while their centre is still some way off." "But," went on Chrysantas, "how can they support each other at such a distance ?" "Doubtless," said Cyrus, "as soon as their wings are opposite our flanks, they will wheel round, and then advance at once on every side and so set us fighting everywhere at once." [8] "Well," said Chrysantas, "do you think the movement wise ?" "Yes," said Cyrus, "it is good enough in view of what they can see, but, in view of what they cannot, it is worse for them than if they had advanced in a single column.