Xenophon's March: Into the Lair of the Persian Lion
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
An unforgettable personal retracing of one of the most extraordinary expeditions of all time, when two great ancient civilizations, and two great armies, clashed.
The year is 403 B.C. The Athenian philosopher Xenophon finds himself with an army of Greeks marching to what is now Turkey. Their mission: to aid the Persian pretender Cyrus in a war against his brother Artaxerxes. At a great battle, Cyrus is killed and his army destroyed-except for the Greeks holding his right flank. Xenophon and the Greeks are now stranded in the heart of the Persian Empire, outnumbered a hundred to one.
The story of Xenophon's march to escape the Persian noose is an intensely personal and human tale, replete with clashes of arms and desperate hardships. It is also the tale of two civilizations at mortal odds with each other. With their turbulent mix of anarchy and democracy, Xenophon's men resembled a mobile Greek city, cutting both a military and a cultural slash through the Persian Empire. Though Xenophon's journey would end badly, his experience in the East would prove invaluable for those who followed, for sixty years later, the Greeks would return to Persia-under Alexander. John Prevas brings this epoch-shaping story to life with a compelling narrative vivified by his personal retracing of much of the route trod by Xenophon and his men in one of history's great adventures.
From the Publisher
John Prevas holds degrees in history, political science, psychology and forensics, and has taught Greek at Maryland's Towson University. His previous book, Hannibal Crosses the Alps: The Enigma Re-examined, was highly acclaimed in both the US and UK. A Japanese edition of the book was published and a French edition is being prepared. He currently lives in Washington, DC.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Xenophon's March: Into the Lair of the Persian Lion
Xenophon's March: Into the Lair of the Persian Lion,John Prevas,Da Capo Press,0306811170,Ancient - Greece,History,History - General History,Military,Military - General,Ancient Greece,Ancient Near East,BCE to c 500 CE,European history: BCE to c 500 CE,Persian Empire,Philosophy,Warfare & Defence
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