The Anabasis is Xenophon's historical narrative describing the retreat of Cyrus's army ("the ten-thousand") following his untimely death. It is told in the third person and filled with colorful characters and descriptions of camp life. The Greek word 'anabasis' means literally 'a going upward' but in military terms it meant taking an army inland from the shore. The narrative might well have been called "Katabasis", which means a journey to the coast from the interior since that is what the ten thousand accomplished. Xenophon was a professional soldier as well as a writer, and he was part of the mercenary army of Cyrus that was hired to attack and take over the throne of Persia from his brother, Artaxerxes II. The battle went to the Greeks, but since Cyrus was dead there was no point in keeping the field and the army marched north towards the nearest Greek settlements. After numerous hardships and adventures narrated by Xenophon in a clear, hard-edged style that reminds one of Caesar's description of his Gallic campaigns, the army finally reaches the sea at which they give a shout of joy for the Greeks are a great seafaring people and much at home upon the waves. Well worth reading in the classic Greek if you can manage it.

Good book for Greek scholar

Edition: Revised Edition // Descr: lii, 290 p. : ill. 19 cm. // Series: Call No. { 888 X2 2 } With Notes Adapted to the Latest Edition of Goodwin's Greek Grammar, and to Hadley's Greek Grammar Edited by William W. Goodwin and John Williams White. // //