The Retreat of the Ten Thousand

The Retreat of the Ten Thousand by C. Witt

The Retreat of the Ten Thousand recounts Cyrus’s attempt to seize the Persian throne from his brother Artaxerxes and the desperate return of the Hellene mercenaries who had followed him. Persia is portrayed as a vast but decaying empire ruled by the absolute Great King, whose splendour, spies, punishments, and military power conceal mutual fear, weakness, and disloyalty. Cyrus, the energetic younger son of Darius II and Parysatis, is favoured by his mother but loses the succession to Artaxerxes. After Tissaphernes accuses him of treason and Parysatis secures his pardon, Cyrus returns to Sardis resolved to win the crown by force. Cyrus secretly gathers Persian troops and Hellene soldiers, disguising his purpose as a campaign against Pisidian raiders and hostile satraps. He wins devotion through generosity, justice, courage, and lavish promises, while recruiting commanders such as the stern Spartan Clearchus. His army marches through Cilicia and Syria, crosses the Euphrates, and advances toward Babylon. The Hellenes repeatedly suspect that they are being led against the Great King, but Cyrus raises their pay and persuades them to continue. At Cunaxa, the Hellenes easily rout the Persian troops facing them, but Cyrus rashly charges Artaxerxes with his small bodyguard. He wounds his brother, then is killed by a Carian lancer. His army collapses, Arieus flees, and the victorious Hellenes find themselves deep in enemy territory, far from home, without their patron or a clear route of escape. Clearchus takes command and allies the Hellenes with Arieus, but the Persian leaders demand submission and then offer a false peace. Tissaphernes swears friendship and promises to guide them home, while secretly separating Arieus and his men from the Hellenes. He invites Clearchus, Menon, Proxenus, and other officers to a conference, where the captains and accompanying soldiers are massacred. The generals are seized; Clearchus and the others, except Menon for a time, are later executed. Parysatis, mourning Cyrus, seeks revenge on those connected with his death and poisons Statira, the Queen-consort. The surviving Hellenes are initially overcome by fear, but Xenophon, formerly a companion of Proxenus and a pupil of Socrates, rouses the captains after dreaming of lightning striking his father’s house. He urges them to trust in the gods, elect new commanders, maintain discipline, and treat the Persians as open enemies. Xenophon is chosen to succeed Proxenus, while Cheirisophus the Spartan leads alongside him. The army burns unnecessary baggage, forms a hollow square to protect its followers and animals, and begins its retreat. Pursued by Mithridates and then Tissaphernes, the Hellenes adapt quickly. They create a force of Rhodian slingers and cavalry to answer Persian arrows and horsemen, defeat attacks in ravines and hills, and repeatedly escape larger forces through discipline and daring. Xenophon’s practical leadership, including sharing the burdens of ordinary soldiers, helps preserve the army. At last they reach the Tigris, but cannot cross it because Persian cavalry guard the far bank. They therefore enter the land of the Carduchians, a fierce independent people whose mountains are more dangerous than the Persians. The march through the country of the Carduchians brings constant ambushes, snow, arrows, falling rocks, narrow paths, and severe losses. The Hellenes seize mountain passes, use prisoners as guides, recover their dead by negotiation, and eventually cross the Kentrites into Armenia. There they endure bitter winter weather, deep snow, hunger, exhaustion, and renewed Persian treachery from Tiribazus. Villages provide temporary shelter and food, and Xenophon protects the weak while driving the army onward. Beyond Armenia, the Ten Thousand fight their way through the lands of the Taochians, Chalybeans, Scythinians, and other peoples. They seize passes, storm a fortress when starvation forces them to do so, and finally reach Gymnias, where a guide promises to show them the Black Sea. From a mountain summit the soldiers see the distant water and cry, “Thalatta! Thalatta!” They weep, embrace one another, and build a trophy. After passing peacefully through the country of the Macronians and defeating the Colchians, the Hellenes reach Trebizond, a Hellene city on the Black Sea. Their original force of 13,000 has been reduced to 8,600 by battle, sickness, snow, and hardship. They offer sacrifices in fulfilment of vows made during their greatest danger and celebrate with races and contests. Xenophon remains with his comrades until many join a Spartan expedition against Tissaphernes, then later dedicates land near Olympia to Artemis, builds her a temple, and establishes yearly offerings and feasts.

By C. Witt · First published 1957 · Genre: Historical Nonfiction, Military History, Ancient History · 40 chapters · 50,513 words

First lines

From time to time, in the course of the world's history, the title of Great has been given to some monarch who has distinguished himself, either by the splendour of his victories, or by the value of his services to his fellowmen. We speak, for example, of Alexander the Great, and amongst English kings, of Alfred the Great.

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ancient Persia · classical Greece · Achaemenid Empire · Cyrus the Younger · Artaxerxes II · Parysatis · Tissaphernes · Greek mercenaries · Ten Thousand · military expedition · Persian succession crisis · imperial court

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