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In "The Persian Expedition", Xenophon, a young Athenian noble who sought his destiny abroad, provides an enthralling eyewitness account of the attempt by a Greek mercenary army - the Ten Thousand - to help Prince Cyrus overthrow his brother and take the Persian throne. When the Greeks were then betrayed by their Persian employers, they were forced to march home through hundreds of miles of difficult terrain - adrift in a hostile country and under constant attack from the unforgiving Persians and warlike tribes. In this outstanding description of endurance and individual bravery, Xenophon, one of those chosen to lead the retreating army, provides a vivid narrative of the campaign and its aftermath, and his account remains one of the best pictures we have of Greeks confronting a 'barbarian' world.
An exciting masterpiece
| Customer Rating:  | While The Persian Expedition is not Xenophon's original title, it perfectly captures the balance of military grit and exotic adventure that flavor the story. Xenophon's work is unusual in ancient history in that it covers a relatively small event in great detail over a short time, rather than the sweeping narratives of Herodotus, Thucydides, or Livy. Both styles have their merits--an exciting story is the greatest merit of The Persian Expedition.
Beginning only a few years after the end of the cataclysmic Peloponnesian War, Xenophon tells the story of how he joined a Greek mercenary army of 10,000 men in a bid to help Cyrus, younger brother of the King of Persia, overthrow his brother Artaxerxes. Setting the reader up for an epic struggle between the King and his upstart brother, the story dramatically shifts direction when Cyrus is killed in battle and the Greeks find themselves stranded leaderless hundreds of miles deep in hostile territory, trapped between a river and the entire Persian army.
It's at this point that young Xenophon--narrating in third-person, like Caesar--comes to the fore. After an inspiring prophetic dream, he rallies the despondent soldiers and, with a cadre of newly-elected generals to replace those kidnapped and executed by the Persians, leads the army northward. Over the new months they pass through high mountain passes guarded by hostile barbarians, barter for supplies when their food runs out, trek through six-foot drifts of snow, and generally hack and stab their way to saftey by the Black Sea.
That's the substance of the story. After reaching the sea, the Greeks turn on each other, split the army, regroup after losing hundreds of men in an ambush, and make their way slowly home along the shores of Paphlagonia (in modern Turkey) and Thrace (modern Greece and Romania). After trying to leave the bickering army several times, Xenophon returns home and the story ends.
The Persian Expedition offers not only action but unusually well-drawn characters. Xenophon takes time, sometimes postmortem, to describe the looks and characters of the main figures in his story, from the ill-fated mercenary generals to duplicitous priests and Cyrus himself. Socrates even makes a brief but memorable appearance, reminding the reader of Xenophon's place as a pupil of the philosopher.
This translation by Rex Warner is fast-paced and readable. He simplifies the measures of distance used in the original Greek from parasangs--a Persian measure of time traveled rather than distance--to miles, which is very helpful. George Cawkwell's introduction is informative and his notes are mercifully less intrusive than those in Xenophon's A History of My Times, which he also edited.
Overall, The Persian Expedition is not only an historically significant work, it's an exciting literary masterpiece better than many modern novels. If you're interested in Greek or military history or simply need a diverting read, check this book out.
Highly recommended. |
The usual plodding classicist translation
| Customer Rating:  | Rex Warner's is a pretty sleepy translation, albeit an important, early effort (from 1950). Compare the following passage (on the first page) from Warner...
"But, after the death of Darius, when Artaxerxes was established on the throne, Tissaphernes maligned Cyrus to his brother and accused him of plotting against him. Artaxerxes believed the story and arrested Cyrus with the intention of putting him to death: but his mother by her entreaties secured his life and his recall to his province. Still, after the danger and disgrace from which he had escaped, Cyrus took measures to ensure that he should never again be in his brother's power; instead, if he could manage it, he would become king in his brother's place."
... with WHD Rouse's translation (1959). Rouse drives home the point much faster:
"But when Dareios died and Artaxerxes succeeded, Tissaphernes slandered Cyros to his brother and said he was plotting against him. The king believed him, and siezed Cyros to put him to death, but his mother begged him off and sent him back to his province. When Cyros got clear of this danger and disgrace, he determined never again to be in his brother's power, but to make himself king instead, if he could."
Now if only Stanley Lombardo would put the Anabasis on his to-do list. He had an incredible touch with the Iliad. |
The Persian Expedition
| Customer Rating: | I bought the book because I had to read it for one of my classes. But I was pleasantly surprised. Xenophon provides an interesting Greek perspective on the Persian Empire. And while the writing is a bit boring to read in places, overall it is a page turner. (if you enjoy reading history that is)
I would recommend this for anyone interested in the ancient world. But be warned, it is a translation of ancient writing, so it reads accordingly. |
A classic of Greek military conduct
| Customer Rating: | I went into this with great anticipation. I'm a huge fan of Steven Pressfield's military historical fiction, and thought that Xenophon was likely an influence on Pressfield's writing. The results held up well, although with a minor drawback.
The story stumbles a little in the beginning through the march into Persia. There are maybe one or two too many asides too early on. but soon Xenophon finds his narrative footing and the books relentless battles and skirmishes begin to grip the reader. This initial pace is my only real qualm, and it is minor. On to the good!
One way in which the book excels is in it's portrayal of an army travelling through exotic locales and cultures (from a Greek's point of view as it would seem at the time). I had heard ahead of time that Xenophon had the politically incorrect perspective of a 'civilized' man who was touring 'barbarian' lands. While there is certainly some of that slant, I found it not nearly as prejudiced as noted. Xenophon seems, for his time, to be fairly open to foreign ideas, and judges men on their conduct and honor, not what country they happen to be from.
While the battles are done well enough, what makes this book timeless and an essential look into the philisophy of the ancient world is it's portrayal of what it means to keep your honor and dignity, and never compromise your values no matter how dire your situation looks. This is where Xenophon as his own protagonist in the story works so effectively (a somewhat unconventional style; third person of his own life). He is a man of straight moral bearings, which is essential to liking what is, basically, a group of marauders who don't hesitate to enslave women and children if they can sell them at market for some bushels of barley.
Xenophon, through council of his fellow warriors, as well as his diplomatic skills with foreign powers, displays what is fundamentally the supreme virtues Greek Philosophy idealized. Being an Athenian, who spent a lot of time with Spartans, Xenophon displays the words and action representing the best of both cities, as well as additional ethics he picks up on from other leaders such as Noble Prince Cyrus.
That is not to say that Xenophon is historically representing himself as he always acted, but this is mostly irrelevant. What has echoed through in his writing from antiquity is that THIS is what he believed every leader should aspire to behave as, both to honor his peers, and to also do honor to himself and his house. And it is just as true today. Live by a moral code in all you do, and everything else is up to the Fates.
As a final note, to anyone reading the edition with the George Cawkell introduction, I advise that you skip it until after reading the story. Cawkell seems to me, a man of backhanded compliments to Xenophon. In fact most of his intro consists of borderline character assassinations on Xeno. Some of it may be true about his inaccuracies in geography and a few events to which we have other historians' versions, but a note to take it with a grain of salt is sufficient, not a full-on devalue of the work as a whole. He has many interesting things to say about the times it portrays, but I think he forgets that his job is ONLY to do this, not sneak in his own criticisms to people before they even get to the first page of the book to form their own impressions objectively.
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Easy to read and entertaing view of the ancient world.
| Customer Rating: | This was an entertaining glimpse into the capabilities of a Greek mercenary army. The army starts by fighting its way through enemy territory (Persia) to get back home. Once they do arrive home, the army is perceived as a threat by their own people due to the fact that they are a large, well trained and very experienced standing army with no employer. So Xenophon tells the tale of this Army and its ups and downs as they try and find their niche in the ancient world.
If you are like me and AGI (Ancient Greece Ingnorant), I recommend reading through the introduction quickly or not at all before you start the book. Turn back to it and read it more in depth as you proceed through the book. I was unfamiliar with the goings-on of ancient Greece before I started the book so much of the subject matter in the introduction confused me. When I read the introduction again after I completed the book I understood it much better.
**I do not have a lot of knowledge on the subjest of ancient Greece nor have I read extensively any literature prior to this pertaining to the time period other than The Illiad and The Oddysey. My grammer sucks too** |
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