ANABASIS

in full Anabasis Kyrou (Greek: Upcountry March), prose narrative, now in seven books, by Xenophon, of the story of the Greek mercenary soldiers who fought for Cyrus in his attempt to seize the Persian throne from his brother, Artaxerxes II. It contains a famous account of the mercenaries' long trek (the march of the 10,000) from near Babylon to the Euxine (Black Sea) after Cyrus' defeat at the Battle of Cunaxa (401 BC). Xenophon, who had accompanied the force in a private capacity, was largely responsible for their successful retreat through his resourcefulness and courage. The first part, written at Scillus in the Greek Peloponnese soon after 386 BC, is a lively, detailed, and vivid narrative. It was first published under a pseudonym, Themistocles of Syracuse. The second part, written about 377 BC, is marred by a self-justifying tone and was probably composed in reply to a rival public account that Xenophon considered unfair.