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Ten Thousand (Greek)
Encyclopedia
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
units, mainly Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, drawn up by Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia and Parysatis, was a Persian prince and general. The time of his birth is unknown, but he died in 401 B.C. The history of Cyrus and of the retreat of the Greeks is told by Xenophon in his Anabasis. Another account, probably from Sophaenetus of...
to attempt to wrest the throne of the Persian Empire
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
from his brother, Artaxerxes II. Their march to the Battle of Cunaxa
Battle of Cunaxa
The Battle of Cunaxa was fought in 401 BC between Cyrus the Younger and his elder brother Arsaces, who had inherited the Persian throne as Artaxerxes II in 404 BC. The great battle of the revolt of Cyrus took place 70 km north of Babylon, at Cunaxa , on the left bank of the Euphrates River...
and back to Greece (401 BC
401 BC
Year 401 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Tribunate of Potitus, Cossus, Camillus, Ambustus, Mamercinus and Iullus...
-399 BC
399 BC
Year 399 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Tribunate of Augurinus, Longus, Priscus, Cicurinus, Rufus and Philo...
) was recorded by Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
(one of its leaders) in his work, The Anabasis
Anabasis (Xenophon)
Anabasis is the most famous work, in seven books, of the Greek professional soldier and writer Xenophon. The journey it narrates is his best known accomplishment and "one of the great adventures in human history," as Will Durant expressed the common assessment.- The account :Xenophon accompanied...
.
Campaign
The 10,000 marched inland and fought the Battle of CunaxaBattle of Cunaxa
The Battle of Cunaxa was fought in 401 BC between Cyrus the Younger and his elder brother Arsaces, who had inherited the Persian throne as Artaxerxes II in 404 BC. The great battle of the revolt of Cyrus took place 70 km north of Babylon, at Cunaxa , on the left bank of the Euphrates River...
and then back to Greece during the years 401 BC to 399 BC. During the battle Xenophon stated that the Greek heavy troops scattered their opposition twice; only one Greek was even wounded. Only after the battle did they hear that Cyrus had been killed, making their victory irrelevant and the expedition a failure.
The 10,000 were in the middle of a very large empire with no food, no employer, and no reliable friends. They offered to make their Persian ally Ariaeus king, but he refused on the grounds that he was not of royal blood and so would not find enough support among the Persians to succeed. They offered their services to Tissaphernes
Tissaphernes
Tissaphernes was a Persian soldier and statesman, grandson of Hydarnes.In 413 BC he was satrap of Lydia and Caria, and commander in chief of the Persian army in Asia Minor...
, a leading satrap of Artaxerxes, but he refused them, and they refused to surrender to him. Tissaphernes was left with a problem; a large army of heavy troops, which he could not defeat by frontal assault. He supplied them with food and, after a long wait, led them northwards for home, meanwhile detaching Ariaeus and his light troops from their cause.
The Greek senior officers foolishly accepted the invitation of Tissaphernes to a feast. There they were made prisoner, taken up to the king and there decapitated. The Greeks elected new officers and set out to march northwards to the Black Sea through Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Order of battle
According to Xenophon, the Ten Thousand were composed of:- 4,000 hoplites under Xenias the ArcadianXenias of ArcadiaFor other persons with the same name, see XeniasXenias of Arcadian Parrhasia was a commander of mercenaries in the service of Cyrus the younger, whom he accompanied, with a body of 300 men, to court, when he was summoned thither by his father, Darius Nothus, in 405 BC...
, until he left the army in Syria - 1,500 hoplites and 500 light infantry under Proxenus of BoeotiaProxenus of BoeotiaProxenus of Boeotia was a disciple of Gorgias, and a friend of Xenophon. Being connected by the ties of hospitality with the Cyrus the younger, the latter engaged him in his service. He came to Sardes at the head of 1500 heavy armed, and 500 light armed soldiers, It was at his invitation that...
- 1,000 hoplites under Sophaenetus the Stymphalian
- 500 hoplites under SocratesSocrates of AchaeaSocrates was a Greek mercenary general from Achaea who traveled to Persia to fight at the Battle of Cunaxa. Xenophon describes him as brave in war and a reliable friend. Socrates was summoned by Cyrus, with whom he was already connected, to bring as many troops as he could muster under the...
the AchaeaAchaeaAchaea is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. The capital is Patras. The population exceeds 300,000 since 2001.-Geography:...
n (not to be confused with the philosopher) - 300 hoplites and 300 peltasts under Pasion the MegaraMegaraMegara is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King...
n, until he left the army in Syria - 1000 hoplites, 800 ThracianThraceThrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
peltasts, and 200 CretanCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
archers (and more than 2,000 men who came from Xenias and PasionPasionPasion was an ancient Greek slave from the 4th century BC. He was owned by the bankers Antisthenes and Archestratus, located at Piraeus, the harbor five miles out of Athens. During his slavery, he quickly rose to chief clerk in charge of a money-changing table at the port , and proved so valuable...
when they deserted) under Clearchus of SpartaClearchus of SpartaClearchus or Clearch , the son of Rhamphias, was a Spartan general and mercenary.Born about the middle of the 5th century BC, Clearchus was sent with a fleet to the Hellespont in 411 and became governor of Byzantium, of which town he was proxenus...
, - 300 hoplites under Sosis the SyracusanSyracuse, ItalySyracuse is a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in...
(Anabasis book 1, chp 2, IX) - 1,000 hoplites under Sophaenetus the ArcadiaArcadiaArcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
n - 700 hoplites under Chirisophus the Spartan
- 1,000 hoplites and 500 Thessalian peltasts under MenonMenon III of PharsalusMenon , son of Alexidemus, was a Thessalian, probably from Pharsalus and is famous for appearing in Plato's dialogue the Meno and for being among the generals killed by Artaxerxes after the Battle of Cunaxa as detailed in Xenophon's Anabasis.-Biography:Menon is reported, by both Xenophon and...
(Anabasis book 1, chp 2, XI) - 400 Greek deserters from Artaxerxes' army
In addition, they were backed up by a fleet of 35 triremes under Pythagoras the Spartan and 25 triremes under Tamos the Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, as well as 100,000 Persian troops under Ariaeus
Ariaeus
Ariaeus was a Persian general who fought alongside Cyrus the Younger at the Battle of Cunaxa and later was involved in the assassination of Tissaphernes.-Life:...
the Persian (although Xenophon lists them as 100,000, most modern historians believe Ariaeus' troops were only around 20,000).
Until shortly after the Battle of Cunaxa, the Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
n general Clearchus
Clearchus of Sparta
Clearchus or Clearch , the son of Rhamphias, was a Spartan general and mercenary.Born about the middle of the 5th century BC, Clearchus was sent with a fleet to the Hellespont in 411 and became governor of Byzantium, of which town he was proxenus...
was recognized as the commander of the army. When Tissaphernes
Tissaphernes
Tissaphernes was a Persian soldier and statesman, grandson of Hydarnes.In 413 BC he was satrap of Lydia and Caria, and commander in chief of the Persian army in Asia Minor...
arrested and executed Clearchus, Proxenus, Menon, Agias (possibly the same person as Sophaenetus), and Socrates, their places were taken by Xenophon, Timasion, Xanthicles, Cleanor, and Philesius, with the Spartan Chirisophus as the general commander.
When the Ten Thousand start their journey in 401, Xenophon tells us that they number somewhere around 10,400. At the time Xenophon leaves the Ten Thousand in 399, their numbers had dwindled to nearly 6,000.
Cultural influences
Andre NortonAndre Norton
Andre Alice Norton, née Alice Mary Norton was an American science fiction and fantasy author under the noms de plume Andre Norton, Andrew North and Allen Weston...
's 1955 science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel Star Guard
Star Guard
Star Guard is an early science fiction novel by Andre Norton, published in 1955.In 3956, young Kana Karr is about to go on his first mission as an Arch, or archaic mercenary, one of a company of mercenaries hired out by Terra to fight on primitive worlds with primitive weapons: small arms, but no...
appears to have been the first speculative fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
transliteration of the Anabasis theme, in which a body of human mercenaries hired out of a future Terra to fight in a dynastic war among autochthon
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
s on a distant planet are betrayed in much the same way as were the Hellenic mercenaries of Xenophon's account, and left leaderless to negotiate and battle their way across hostile country to safety.
The 2001 novel The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford
Michael Curtis Ford
Michael Curtis Ford is an American historical novelist, writing novels about Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. He has worked variously as a laborer, a ski patrolman, a musician, a consultant, a banker, a Latin teacher, and a translator. He holds degrees in Economics and Linguistics and lives in...
is a fictional account of this group's exploits.
The 1979 film The Warriors transposed Xenophon's story to the gang scene of New York. After a gang meet ends with an assassination, the falsely accused nine man Warriors gang have to get home to Coney Island by travelling through territory controlled by hostile gangs like The Orphans, The Baseball Furies, The Boppers, The Hi-Hats and even The Hoplites.
Harold Coyle
Harold Coyle
For the Irish architect, see Harold Edgar Coyle.Harold Coyle is an American author of historical, speculative fiction and war novels including Team Yankee, a New York Times best-seller. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1974 and spent seventeen years on active duty with the U.S...
's 1993 novel The Ten Thousand shows the bulk of the US Forces in modern Europe fighting their way across and out of Germany instead of laying down their weapons when the Germans stole nuclear weapons that were being removed from Ukraine. The operational concept for their move was based on Xenophon's Ten Thousand.
Shane Brennan's In the Tracks of the Ten Thousand: A Journey on Foot through Turkey, Syria and Iraq (London: Robert Hale, 2005) is an account of his 2000 journey to re-trace the steps of the Ten Thousand.
Valerio Massimo Manfredi
Valerio Massimo Manfredi
Valerio Massimo Manfredi is an Italian historian, writer, archaeologist and journalist.-Biography:He was born in Piumazzo di Castelfranco Emilia, province of Modena and is married to Christine Fedderson Manfredi, who translates his published works from Italian to English...
's 2007 novel L'armata perduta (The Lost Army) tells the story of the army told through Abira, a Syrian girl, who decides to follow a Greek warrior named Xeno (Xenophon).
Paul Kearney
Paul Kearney
Paul Kearney is a Northern Irish fantasy author. He is noted for his work in the epic fantasy subgenre and his work has been compared to that of David Gemmell.-Life:...
's 2008 novel The Ten Thousand is set in fantasy world which is based on Xenophon's record of the historical Ten Thousand.
Jack Campbell
Jack Campbell
Jack Campbell may refer to:* Jack Campbell , pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry* Jack M. Campbell , American politician* Jackie Campbell, Scottish footballer for Partick Thistle...
's Lost Fleet novel series is set in the distant future but uses the concept of the 10,000 as a backdrop for the story of the Alliance fleet that is outmatched in the home system of the enemy and must fight their way back to Alliance space and freedom.
David Drake
David Drake
David Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the premier authors of the military science fiction subgenre.-Biography:...
's 1988 novel The Forlorn Hope
The Forlorn Hope
- Plot introduction :Set in the Hammer's Slammers universe, The Forlorn Hope follows the fortunes of a different mercenary company named "Fasolini's Company". On the planet Cecach, a civil war has raged between the secular Federals and their religious zealot adversaries, the Republicans. Fasolini's...
features a plot revolving around a group of mercenaries caught behind enemy lines, who must fight their way to freedom. Drake's own writings describe Xenophon's Anabasis
Anabasis (Xenophon)
Anabasis is the most famous work, in seven books, of the Greek professional soldier and writer Xenophon. The journey it narrates is his best known accomplishment and "one of the great adventures in human history," as Will Durant expressed the common assessment.- The account :Xenophon accompanied...
as being the model for the first segment of the book.
John Ringo
John Ringo
John Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
's 2008 novel The Last Centurion
The Last Centurion
The Last Centurion is a 2008 stand-alone novel by John Ringo. It is written in "blog style" from the point of view of a US Army officer known as "Bandit Six"...
tells the story of a U.S. Stryker company that is left in Iran after a worldwide plague, and must repeat the journey of the Ten Thousand to return home. The Ten Thousand and Anabasis are frequently mentioned.
Further reading
- The Project Gutenberg EText
- Anabasis at The University of Adelaide
- The Greek military camp in the ten thousand´s army