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  • Published: 14 December 2021
  • ISBN: 9780307906854
  • Imprint: Knopf US
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 672
  • RRP: $130.00

The Landmark Xenophon's Anabasis



One of the greatest true-life adventure stories ever recorded, this ancient classic—also known as The March of the Ten Thousand or The March Up Country—is now brought to life in a newly translated, definitive edition that features copious illuminating annotations, maps, and illustrations

The Landmark Xenophon’s Anabasis is the definitive edition of the ancient classic—also known as The March of the Ten Thousand or The March Up-Country—which chronicles one of the greatest true-life adventures ever recorded.
 
As Xenophon’s narrative opens, the Persian prince Cyrus the Younger is marshaling an army to usurp the throne from his brother Artaxerxes the King. When Cyrus is killed in battle, ten thousand Greek soldiers he had hired find themselves stranded deep in enemy territory, surrounded by forces of a hostile Persian king. When their top generals are arrested, the Greeks have to elect new leaders, one of whom is Xenophon, a resourceful and courageous Athenian who leads by persuasion and vote. What follows is his vivid account of the Greeks’ harrowing journey through extremes of territory and climate, inhabited by unfriendly tribes who often oppose their passage. Despite formidable obstacles, they navigate their way to the Black Sea coast and make their way back to Greece.
 
This masterful new translation by David Thomas gives color and depth to a story long studied as a classic of military history and practical philosophy. Edited by Shane Brennan and David Thomas, the text is supported with numerous detailed maps, annotations, appendices, and illustrations. The Landmark Xenophon’s Anabasis offers one of the classical Greek world’s seminal tales to readers of all levels.

  • Published: 14 December 2021
  • ISBN: 9780307906854
  • Imprint: Knopf US
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 672
  • RRP: $130.00

About the authors

Xenophon

Xenophon was an Athenian country gentleman born about 430 BC. He may have helped to publish Thucydides' History, and certainly wrote his own Hellenica as a continuation of it. By his own (probably reliable) account he was a fine officer and outstanding leader, but his admiration for Sparta and devotion to Socrates, among other causes, led to his banishment. He was given an estate at Scillus and settled down to enjoy the life of a landed aristocrat, and it was during this period that he began to write histories, biographies, memoirs and specialist treatises. The defeat of Sparta in 371 forced him to move to Corinth where he probably lived for the rest of his life.

Praise for The Landmark Xenophon's Anabasis

PRAISE FOR THE LANDMARK HERODOTUS:

  • "A real service . . . Considerably improves accessibility by integrating hundreds of maps and extensive timelines . . . [and] amplifies [Herodotus's] epic accomplishment." --Forbes
  • "The most densely annotated, richly illustrated, and user-friendly edition of [Herodotus's] Histories ever to appear." --Daniel Mendelsohn, The New Yorker