Ancient Greek History Question

[Osborne Russell]

There was a guy who led an expedition and made it into present Turkey, maybe even to the Euphrates. Then he had to fight a retreat for several years all the way back to Greece. Who was he and what was the deal?

[paladin]

perhaps you speak of Cyrus and the retreat of the 10,000?

[WillW]

That would be Xenophon, justly famous for the Anabasis, an account of their exploits: (He apparently was the inspiration for Alexander the Great, since he demonstrated what the Greeks could do against the Persians in their own territory.) Also the subject of the epic-style poem by St.Jean Perse.

Xenophon accompanied the Ten Thousand (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Thousand_%28Greek%29), a large army of Greek mercenaries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercenary) hired by Cyrus the Younger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the_Younger), who intended to seize the throne of Persia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Empire) from his brother, Artaxerxes II (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artaxerxes_II). Though Cyrus' army was victorious in a battle at Cunaxa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cunaxa) in Babylon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon), Cyrus himself was killed in battle and the expedition rendered moot. Stranded deep in enemy territory, the Spartan general Clearchus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearchus_of_Sparta) and most of the other Greek generals were subsequently killed or captured by treachery on the part of the Persian satrap (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satrap) Tissaphernes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissaphernes). Xenophon played an instrumental role in encouraging the Greek army of 10,000 to march north to the Black Sea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea). Now abandoned in the middle of the hostile Anatolian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatolia) plateau, without communications and supplies other than what they could obtain by force as they went, the 10,000 had to fight their way northward, making ad hoc decisions as to their destiny. Ultimately this "marching republic" managed to reach the shores of the Black Sea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea), a destination they greeted with their famous cry of joyous exultation on the mountain of Madur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madur) in Surmene (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surmene) : "thalatta, thalatta" (Greek (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language): the sea, the sea![2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabasis_(Xenophon)#_note-1)). "The sea" meant that they were at last able to communicate their position and buy board on the merchant ships that would bring them back to Greece, and safety. This is the story Xenophon relates in this book.
The Greek (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language) term anabasis (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anabasis) referred to an expedition from a coastline into the interior of a country. The term katabasis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katabasis) referred to a trip from the interior to the coast. Since most of Xenophon's narrative is taken up with the march from the interior of Babylon to the Black Sea, the title is something of a misnomer. Socrates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates) makes a cameo appearance when Xenophon asks whether he ought to accompany the expedition. The short episode demonstrates the reverence of Socrates for the Oracle of Delphi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_of_Delphi).

[George.]

Xenophon.

He and 9,999 other Greeks were working as mercenaries in Persia. This was 100 years after the defeat of the Persian invasion at Salamis - the invasion where the 300 got killed.

Xenophon & c. were working for the wrong side in a civil war. They had to march from Mesopotamia all the way back to Greece, with no outside support, no lines of supply, and the (winning) Great King's whole army out to get them.

They made it easily, because of their superior tactics, armour, discipline, etc. Xenophon wrote about it. Alexander read about it and realized that a small Greek force could defeat the huge Persian army even in a home game, deep in the Persian empire itself, with no naval support.

The rest is history. Actually, so is this. :D

[Vince Brennan]

Thanks George and WillW, but didn't that guy also invent a musical instrument? (Red Norvo thought so...)

[WillW]

You're thinking of Pythagoras, who invented a one-stringed instrument called a monochord that was used to demonstrate musical intervals. (octaves, fifths, fourths, third) For example, a string that is divided in half emits a tone that is 1 octave above.

[ahp]

Of the 10,000 only 7,000 made it back. Most of the deaths were due to exposure. They had to cross a high mountain range in winter.

A distinguishing feature of the 10,000 was that the officers listened to their men. Amoung the asians, the ordinary soldier was a slave driven into battle with whips.

[Osborne Russell]

Thanks for the info, gents.

Sounds like the classic exit strategy:

We gotta get outta this place
If it's the last thing we ever do.

[George.]

You think the Blackwater guys will be marching to the Black Sea? ;)

[Osborne Russell]

You think the Blackwater guys will be marching to the Black Sea? ;)

Their version will be more like the movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."