'Men, the enemy troops you can see are all that
stands between us and the place we have for so long been
determined to reach. We must find a way to eat them
alive!' The Expedition of Cyrus tells the story of the
march of the Ten Thousand. The exploits of this famous
army of Greek mercenaries in modern-day Turkey, Syria,
and Iraq were described by one of their leaders, the
Athenian historian and philosopher Xenophon. They were
recruited at the end of the fifth century BC by a young
Persian prince, Cyrus, who rose in revolt against his
brother, the king of Persia. After Cyrus' death, the
army was left stranded in the desert of Mesopotamia, a
thousand miles from home. Their long march, across
mountains and plateaux to the sight of 'The sea! The
sea!', and back to the fringes of the Greek world, is
the most exciting adventure story to survive from the
ancient world. Xenophon's gripping narrative offers a
unique insight into the character of a Greek army
struggling to survive in an alien world. It is also the
most sustained eyewitness account of the landscape of
the vast and wealthy Persian empire. ABOUT THE SERIES:
For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made
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globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's
commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate
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notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for
further study, and much more.
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