Xenophon’s Anabasis: The Persian Expedition, an Ancient Greek Adventure Story

What can we learn by reflecting on Xenophon’s Anabasis, the Persian Expedition?

The Anabasis is Xenophon’s remarkable eyewitness account of the Greek mercenary army hired by Cyrus the Younger. Cyrus was challenging his brother Artaxerxes for the throne of Persia.

Although the Ten Thousand Greek hoplites won the battle militarily, this win was wasted when a spear ran through their patron Cyrus, killing him in battle.

Stranded behind enemy lines, the Greek army of Ten Thousand had to march for many miles and many months through enemy territory before they reached the Greek colonies on the shores of the Black Sea.

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We also reflect on:
• How King Darius appointed Cyrus to administer provinces in Ionia.
• How Cyrus provided funds to help Lysander and the Spartans win the Peloponnesian Wars.
• Plutarch’s Greek Lives for notable biographical sketches.
• How Cyrus and the Greeks fought Darius near the Euphrates River, near Babylon at the Battle of Cunaxa.
• Similarities between Cyrus the Younger and Cyrus the Great in Cyropaedia.
• How Tissaphernes double-crossed the Greeks, murdering general Clearchus.
• How Socrates warned Xenophon against joining Cyrus’ mercenary army.
• How the Greeks crossed Armenia and other Persian lands.
• When the Greeks reached the Black Sea, they yelled, ‘Thalatta! Thalatta! The sea! The sea!”

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This is original content based on research by Bruce Strom and his blogs. Images in the Public Domain, many from Wikipedia, some from the National Archives, are selected to provide illustration. When images of the actual topic or event are not available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. The ancient world was a warrior culture out of necessity, to learn from the distant past we should not only judge them from our modern perspective but also from their own ancient perspective on their own terms.