Xenophon and the Ten Thousand intended to help Cyrus take the Persian throne from Artaxerxes, Cyrus’s brother. Though the Ten Thousand came out with a tactical victory, Cyrus’s death reverted this victory to a loss and the expedition failed. The exiled Spartan general, Clearchus, and other Greek officers regained relative control over the troops but met with death at the hand of the traitor Tissaphernes.
After these deaths, Xenophon and a few other officers were elected to lead the Ten Thousand back to Greece. Despite being stranded in barren deserts and difficult mountain paths, Xenophon led the men toward the Black Sea and the relative safety of the Hellenic cities there. He continued on this path despite the King’s armies’ attacks and the hostility of the natives. The men seem to favor Xenophon until they blame him for the lack of payment for their work. He defends himself and eventually returns home. Once in Greece, he is asked to help capture Asidates which, according to the soothsayer Basias, should be easy.
Cawkwell’s introduction mentioned that other historical writings of the “Persian
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Expedition” did not paint Xenophon with as much grandeur and prowess in the role he played in the war and its aftermath.
As such, it is possible that in writing his “version” of events Xenophon used The Persian Expedition as an apologia. Xenophon’s writing centers around himself and his greatness. His purpose could also have been simply to record the events and people of the expedition. As a military history, it could be seen to exemplify a Socratic philosophy while teaching the principles of leadership and government shown by an army. Both purposes are difficult to substantiate as Xenophon did not state his formal purpose for writing. However, one could argue that this book gave Philip of Macedon the belief that a small, disciplined Greek army could overtake a much larger Persian army generations after its
publication. However, in recording as much as he could, Xenophon set a standard for historical writings. He recorded not only the events that occurred but also the geography in which they occurred. Description included distance and time such as “a three days’ march of thirty-six miles” (p. 82). Rivers and cities were given in relation to one another. Xenophon writes about the Tigris river, “near which there was a large and populous city called Sittace, a mile and a half away from the river” giving future historians a clear marking as to where the Ten Thousand travelled (p.120). People were also described by where they came from, describing “Proxenus the Boeotian, Menon the Thessalian, Agias the Arcadian, Clearchus the Spartan and Socrates the Achaean” in retelling of Trissaphernes’s treachery (p. 128). The accuracy of Xenophon’s recollection is somewhat suspect. Written after the events, he seems to write with so much detail that he either had written extensive notes while on the expedition or had a photographic memory with perfect recall. Geographic details are not difficult to believe, as geography does not change extensively in a short period of time, but his role and importance seem more controversial. Writing about himself playing such an integral role in the expedition home after Cyrus’s death could very easily have been influenced to serve his own agenda.
The Role of Themistocles in the Greek Defeat of the Persians in 480 - 479 BC.
Antigone, a play written by Sophocles, and Whale Rider directed by Niki Caro are stories that taking place in different eras and location but are very similar in storylines. The text Antigone and share a similar storyline and even share major themes. Both are about a young girl whose brother dies and she tries to uphold tradition but is constrained by her gender.
In Sparta, Xeones became a helot and he was given to a Spartan soldier named Dienekes. Xeones was trained to fight like a Spartan and later became Dienekes’s battle squire. When Xeones was about twenty, the Spartan king, Leonidas, announced that three hundred Spartan men would be sent on a suicide mission to Thermopylae to hold off the invading Persian army. Dienekes was chosen to go. On the first and second day of battle, many Persians were killed, but only a few Greeks. At the end of the second day, Xerxes found a secret path where part of his army could go through and completely surround the Greeks on the next day. Leonidas was informed of this and sent a group of Spartans, including Xeones and Dienekes, on an unsuccessful mission to kill Xerxes. On the third day, the Persians surrounded the Spartans and they all were killed.
In conclusion, multiple factors led to the failure of Xerxes’ expedition into Greece. According to Herodotus, Xerxes failed due to his personal hubris, fear, and general ineptitude. He further believed that it was God’s decree. More pragmatic reasons would include strategy; the Persian’s plans were generally sound – the Greeks, with the genius of Themistocles, just did one better. Timing was also a factor – winter came on all too soon. Key to all of this was the war of morale – one which the Greeks decisively won. Luck, too, played its part, but it was relative incompetence of the Persian troops which was the crux of the matter. The failure of the infantry was the cause of the final disintegration of the campaign. Xerxes’ personal failures and errors of judgment were an accelerant towards this end. First and foremost, he was let down by his men.
The difference in Agamemnon’s and Odysseus’s approach of their homeland is a reason for their differing fates. Agamemnon, the king of Argos, returns from Troy after a safe journey. Once he lands on the shores of his native earth, his false sense of security renders him unsuspecting of the possible danger that lurks in his own home. His naiveté leads him to approach his home directly to show his people that he has returned. Since his subjects were no longer loyal to him, his exposure leads to his demise. Their disloyalty is revealed when Aegisthus, the man who plots to kill Agamemnon, gathers the town’s best soldiers to ambush the king. Agamemnon meets Aegisthus, who organized a banquet where the king and his company are mercilessly slaughtered. Because he fails to assess the danger that exists in his homeland, Agamemnon meets his end soon after his return.
“Anabasis” is the Xenophon’s account of the expedition for Cyrus against Persian and the marching home of Greeks. The Greek title of Xenophon’s work, “Anabasis”, referred to a march up country, away from the coast. The title applies only to the first of its seven books. It all ends with the death of Cyrus at the Battle of Cuxana. The Greek mercenary soldiers were left stranded in the “barbarian” world. The rest of the books involves with tales of the Greeks’ discipline, leadership and courage during their journey home. Xenophon’s narrative offers an insight of the character and their political life of a Greek army. Although Xenophon seems to write about the account between the Greek and the barbarian, he presents himself as an important role in the Greek army throughout the rest of the books. He uses a third-person form when describing his own actions as a character. It might suggest that Xenophon is writing an apologia to defend himself and to show his vital role in the expedition.
In the years that follow Persia grows its empire. Then king Darius decides to force the Ionians to settle their differences by sending his son-in-law Mardonius to suppress the tyrants and set up a democracy. Along with those objectives Mardonius also had another motive for his trip. King Darius instructed him to “subjugate as many Greek towns as he could” (p. 338). Herodotus shows a big difference between his beliefs and the beliefs of most modern day historians while describing Mardonius’ journey. Herodotus gives a report of a wreck in Athos and says that those who did not drown were eaten because “the sea in the neighbourhood of Athos is full of monsters” (p. 338). This is contrary to what I think a modern day historian would say happened in this ship wreck. According to Herodotus this wreck does not stop the Persians from subduing the Brygi,a Macedonian tribe that attacked the Persian fleets. This account exemplifies the brute strength of the Persian army because even after a loss they are able to overpower a tribe of people. The Persians are known for their organization so it was only right that they return back to Asia in order to regroup after losing so much during the shipwreck and battle with the Brygi. The Persians battle tactics appear to involve large fleets of ships. These fleets include
For people of ancient times the laws of gods often prevailed over the laws of man. In both Sophocles’ Antigone and Exodus in the Bible, a character brazenly challenges the laws of a government in favor of laws from a hypothetical higher power. Antigone claims to have an instinctive understanding of what the gods have decreed, while in Exodus, God speaks directly to Moses via different miracles. Since the reader of the Bible knows exactly how Moses is receiving his instructions, Moses’ motives and actions are more plausible and relatable. Antigone, on the other hand, does not seem to have any justification except claiming that she knows what the Gods expect her to do.
The three day Battle of Thermopylae took place in 480 B.C. in the present country of Greece. This was a battle between the invading army of the Persian Empire against the alliance of the city-states of the Greeks. The scene of the battle took place on a very narrow passage on the north side of the Kallidromos Mountain range that almost dropped immediately into a rough coastline into the Malian Gulf. The narrow passage was approximately three miles long from west to the east and close to 15 meters wide in some areas between the steep cliffs of the mountains and coastline. This was also a battle of epic proportions; the numbers that the Persian army had brought with them compared to the small but highly organized army of the Greeks were staggering. This site was selected by the Greeks because they lacked in numbers compared to the Persians and would be able to use the terrain to their advantage. This battle is also known today as the “Last Stand of the 300.”
It turns out that the Persians were retreating for good, and the battle had concluded. The late September seas were too rough, the sailing season was coming to an end, and Xerxes did not want to take the risk of losing any more triremes, and, or, troops. The Greek underdogs had done it. Although they did not understand the significance of that day at the time, it was one of the most important days in history, and significantly changed the course of the world we live in today.
After the Trojan War, Odysseus lands on the island of Cicones where his men raid the city of Ismarus. While doing this they also attack their people and rob them of their belongings. Once the goods were divided and shared, Odysseus advised his men that they depart. The crew goes against him and stay. As the team of men enjoys the Cicones sheep and wine, the Cicones become tougher and greater in size. They become so good to where they are able to take down Odysseus’s men. He loses seventy-two men and quickly sails away before more are killed.
Destiny & Character - Discuss in relation to the stories of Gilamesh. Oedipus the King, and The Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam. Destiny can be defined as a predetermined course of events that is beyond human power or control. It is considered a force which creates, shapes, guides, rewards, and afflicts human life.
He provided the ships and the money for Spartans, so they could beat the Athens. Cyrus developed this huge army and recruited more than 10,000 Greek mercenaries essentially from Peloponnesian prior to his mercenaries from Persia. We began marching toward the Persian empire. Although we were getting closer to Persians’ land, we found out that we were fighting a civil war between Persians. We demanded for more money to be paid for us. Cyrus agreed and we continued with our march. When we reached the battlefield closer and closer. We received orders from our general Clearchus that we the Greek mercenaries with the help of cavalry need to be on the right side of the river. Cavalries were carrying more weight than us because they had their shield, spears, and holding the their horses. Cyrus knew that general Clearchus was one of the best general because he trained us the mercenaries under the Spartans army. General Clearchus was very proficient at his training for example, he wanted make sure each of us the mercenaries knew how to use our weapons during the battle and follow orders. Cyrus the young himself
After the mysterious death of the great conquer Phillip the second, Alexander the III came and took the throne and was left with his father’s dream to conquer the Persian Empire. His journey started when he was 20 years old. In 335 B.C., According to “The Parallel Lives” when Alexander came to Thebes he asked for Phoenix and Prothytes, the authors of the rebelli...
Xenophon’s banishment was revoked and he died in 354 BC. While Xenophon was born and raised in Athens, he was familiar with the two groups the Athenians themselves considered their enemies: Spartans and Non-Greeks. He had lived in this city and out in the country. He had been a soldier, a mercenary, and an exile. He was familiar with kings as well as slaves. This myriad of life experiences enabled him to accurately depict the different aspects of Athenian domestic economy.