The Persian Cyrus the Younger recruits Greek mercenaries (12,900 to be exact, although Ten Thousand has a nicer ring to it) to help him try to claim the throne of Persia. The battle doesn’t go well, Cyrus loses a hand and a head, and the Greeks are forced to retreat to their country of origin. These events, take place between 401 - 399BC.

Anabasis means a movement upwards, but can also refer both to an advance and a retreat. Both occur in this work, with Xenophon not only authoring the work but being a main character in the history.

Xenophon was both a friend and a student of the philosopher Socrates. He was also a leader of these soldiers and he used what he learned from Socrates to try to persuade his men.

This is an action-packed thriller of a tale. The Greeks meet unique people groups with wild customs, eat some mad honey, and party with clowns. All the while, they are longing to return home, a place many of them will never see again.