Anabasis: 3

Synopsis

Xenophon (ca. 430 to ca. 354 bce) was a wealthy athenian and friend of socrates. He left athens in 401 and joined an expedition including ten thousand greeks led by the persian governor cyrus against the persian king. After the defeat of cyrus, it fell to xenophon to lead the greeks from the gates of babylon back to the coast through inhospitable lands. Later he wrote the famous vivid account of this 'march up-country' (anabasis); but meanwhile he entered service under the spartans against the persian king, married happily, and joined the staff of the spartan king, agesilaus.