Product Description

In The Persian Expedition, Xenophon, a young Athenian noble who sought his destiny abroad, provides an enthralling eyewitness account of the attempt by a Greek mercenary army – the Ten Thousand – to help Prince Cyrus overthrow his brother and take the Persian throne. When the Greeks were then betrayed by their Persian employers, they were forced to march home through hundreds of miles of difficult terrain – adrift in a hostile country and under constant attack from the unforgiving Persians and warlike tribes. In this outstanding description of endurance and individual bravery, Xenophon, one of those chosen to lead the retreating army, provides a vivid narrative of the campaign and its aftermath, and his account remains one of the best pictures we have of Greeks confronting a ‘barbarian’ world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #67889 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

About the Author
Xenophon was born c.430BC, an Athenian gentleman. Whilst fighting for Greece, he was finally banished due to his devotion to Socrates and support for Sparta. Settling near Olympia under Spartan protection, he began to write his treatises, histories and biographies.

Customer Reviews

Relevant today!
I enjoyed this book both as a serious historical account of a significant event in ancient history and as a rip-roaring boys-own annual type of adventure.
Xenophons account of the fighting return of the ten thousand Greek mercenaries, from the heart of the Persian Empire back to Greece, gripped the imagination of his Greek peers and added to the growing rumblings in the Greek agoras that Persia was ripe for invasion. This culminated with Alexanders famous conquests.
In military terms, the Greeks ability to change tactics in the face of constantly differing challenges, (from formal enemy armies to highly effective guerilla tactics), together with the obvious Greek discipline and camaraderie, could stand in army manuals today.

Fascinating True Ancient Events
Occasionally the language can be a bit turgid and it is'nt edge of the seat stuff all the way through. However, considering exactly how long ago these events took place, the clarity and detail are really impressive. You get battles, scheming, politics and some amazing feats of human endurance but above all these are real events...

Very pleasurable
A very pleasurable introduction to classical literature. Easily the best work of Xenophon. I slogged through the _Hellenica_ and found this book wonderful in comparison.

It is crisp in language and easy to digest. The Warner translation comes across better than the Loeb translation.

Highly recommended