Book 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. 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.
