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 & 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 & under constant attack from the unforgiving Persians & warlike tribes. In this outstanding description of endurance & individual bravery Xenophon one of those chosen to lead the retreating army provides a vivid narrative of the campaign & its aftermath & his account remains one of the best pictures we have of Greeks confronting a barbarian world."