The Waving Flag: The First Four Books Of Xenophon's Anabasis

Monday 9 July 2007

The First Four Books Of Xenophon's Anabasis

Project Gutenberg have just released a new translation of the first four (of seven) books of this seminal work of ancient history in html format as well as other formats. If you're not familiar with the Xenophon or the Anabasis:
The Anabasis ("March Up Country"), perhaps Xenophon's most famous and most exciting work, in seven books, was originally published under the pen name Themistogenes of Syracuse. It is a history of the expedition of the Greek mercenaries of the younger Cyrus through the Persian Empire.
Source: Bookrags

Xenophon accompanied the Ten Thousand, a large army of Greek mercenaries hired by Cyrus the Younger, who intended to seize the throne of Persia from his brother, Artaxerxes II. Though Cyrus' army was victorious in a battle at Cunaxa in Babylon, Cyrus himself was killed in battle and the expedition rendered moot. Stranded deep in enemy territory, the Spartan general Clearchus and most of the other Greek generals were subsequently killed or captured by treachery on the part of the Persian satrap Tissaphernes. Xenophon played an instrumental role in encouraging the Greek army of 10,000 to march north to the Black Sea.
Source: Wikipedia
The book is free, nicely laid out and well worth checking out. Follow the Wikipedia link for access to other works by Xenophon. Finally, the excellent Livius neatly places Xenophon in the context of other Greek historians.

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