imclaugh's review against another edition
4.0
An endlessly fascinating text. A gripping adventure story with tantalizing hints of emergent pan-hellenist ideology and revealing anecdotes about the Greek relation with the Oriental "Other" (Others) as well as perceptions of the various city-states.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
This edition is Rex Warner's translation of Xenophon's Ἀνάβασις, edited by George Cawkwell. I suppose Warner & Cawkwell tend to prefer non-literal titles of their publications in order to stand out—their translation of Xenophon's Ἑλληνικά was titled "A History of My Times" instead of the more commonly accepted "Hellenika," just as this one is "The Persian Expedition" instead of "Anabasis." Despite this rather amusing eccentricity, I've really not found much to complain about with Warner's translations; they tend to be fairly literal while also preserving the poetic flair of the original (if any exists), and of course Cawkwell's notes are exemplary.
Xenophon's story of the anabasis—an ancient Greek mercenary army's march across difficult terrain to return home after being betrayed by their Persian employers—is a really fun read if you like military history or survival stories, because that's all it is. Xenophon himself was present—this is an eyewitness account—and was in fact one of the soldiers chosen to lead the retreating army. Honestly, I can't blame him for defecting to Sparta.
Xenophon's story of the anabasis—an ancient Greek mercenary army's march across difficult terrain to return home after being betrayed by their Persian employers—is a really fun read if you like military history or survival stories, because that's all it is. Xenophon himself was present—this is an eyewitness account—and was in fact one of the soldiers chosen to lead the retreating army. Honestly, I can't blame him for defecting to Sparta.
beth_jwilliams's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I greatly enjoyed how Xenophon rated each country he travelled to on their olive supply. “Greece is better because we have olive trees.”
The military dance off was definitely unexpected. A bit slow and long-winded. A good read for learning about ancient cultures and how they reacted to new places. Tourism and excitement to see mythological places (like “this is where Jason’s ship harboured!”) is clearly a tale as old as time.
The military dance off was definitely unexpected. A bit slow and long-winded. A good read for learning about ancient cultures and how they reacted to new places. Tourism and excitement to see mythological places (like “this is where Jason’s ship harboured!”) is clearly a tale as old as time.
pinoncoffee's review against another edition
5.0
If I’d had any idea how funny Xenophon’s book was, I’d have read this years ago. He is SO smooth, so epically competent. He’s a cinegraphic writer, good at showing you the scene, complete with witty dialogue.
I enjoyed Warner’s translation, but I am half tempted to learn Ancient Greek properly and loosely translate it myself into genre fiction page-turner prose: maybe military sci-fi. The ancient cultures are just as foreign to me as any alien species, so it works.
Bless his heart, Xenophon was so pious, and sacrificed for omens constantly. He needed better gods.
I enjoyed Warner’s translation, but I am half tempted to learn Ancient Greek properly and loosely translate it myself into genre fiction page-turner prose: maybe military sci-fi. The ancient cultures are just as foreign to me as any alien species, so it works.
Bless his heart, Xenophon was so pious, and sacrificed for omens constantly. He needed better gods.
kurek's review against another edition
3.0
A good story but I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more with a better translation. W.H.D. Rouse's 'plain English' translation is a bit awkward and some of his choices were a bit odd and off-putting.
abetterjulie's review against another edition
2.0
Quite the glimpse into the culture of the times. I found the behavior of almost everyone inexplicable, and therefore fascinating. I kept waiting for the story to mature, but the real story is over before it has barely begun.
hitbigbrainwithrock's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
eely225's review against another edition
5.0
Herodotus wanted to hear every story, but Xenophon wanted to see them.
The interesting part isn't really the journey, at least not for modern readers. The distance they walked is less meaningful in the airplane age. And half the place names are so obscure that editors can just make educated guesses about what the author was referring to. The interesting bit is the justifications and machinations that define the journey. No one planned it, and it's as bumbling and directionless as a military misadventure can be. Unlike Thucydides, however, Xenophon doesn't need to invent his speeches; he was there.
One might question how often Xenophon happens to portray himself as being very clever and wise, but also people turn on him and want to kill him a bunch of times, so it's not pure hagiautobiography. Instead, you get to see how people go from mercenaries to brave warriors for a just cause to brigands to mercenaries again and how they justify each step along the way. The action moves quickly, and it always seems like escape is either impossible or just around the bend.
As with all ancient history, we read this in large part to read ourselves. By focusing on the individuals trapped in an absurd misadventure, Xenophon gives readers of every age a door into the relatable foibles and heroics of human life. It's a pretty cheesy thing for me to say! But this book is all about lives lived desperately, wastefully, selfishly, and bravely. It's like reading Homer from the perspective of a Trojan onlooker. It's a darn good time.
The interesting part isn't really the journey, at least not for modern readers. The distance they walked is less meaningful in the airplane age. And half the place names are so obscure that editors can just make educated guesses about what the author was referring to. The interesting bit is the justifications and machinations that define the journey. No one planned it, and it's as bumbling and directionless as a military misadventure can be. Unlike Thucydides, however, Xenophon doesn't need to invent his speeches; he was there.
One might question how often Xenophon happens to portray himself as being very clever and wise, but also people turn on him and want to kill him a bunch of times, so it's not pure hagiautobiography. Instead, you get to see how people go from mercenaries to brave warriors for a just cause to brigands to mercenaries again and how they justify each step along the way. The action moves quickly, and it always seems like escape is either impossible or just around the bend.
As with all ancient history, we read this in large part to read ourselves. By focusing on the individuals trapped in an absurd misadventure, Xenophon gives readers of every age a door into the relatable foibles and heroics of human life. It's a pretty cheesy thing for me to say! But this book is all about lives lived desperately, wastefully, selfishly, and bravely. It's like reading Homer from the perspective of a Trojan onlooker. It's a darn good time.
notwellread's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
The Anabasis (or The Persian Expedition, as Penguin has rechristened it in English for this edition) is Xenophon’s eyewitness account of an army of 10,000 Greek mercenaries’ travel out of Persia after fighting in one of her royals’ many power struggles. They encounter betrayal by the Persians, difficult and unfamiliar terrain, and regular attacks by the Persians and other Near-Eastern peoples along the way. The Greek title literally just means ‘going up’, sometimes called The March Up Country in English for a more faithful translation: this plays mind games with aspiring classicists because in Greek this would usually mean going inland from the sea, but here means the opposite, since the story begins with Cyrus leading his forces inland but the bulk of the narrative focuses on their return.
Although widely renowned for its depiction of military life in the fourth century BC, the grit and courage displayed by the troops, and even the demonstration of Socratic principles of statesmanship and politics (for instance, the principles upon which they elect their leaders after their appointed general is killed), the reader should be forewarned that this is essentially a rather dry account of military movement; the (very gradual) journey of an army from one place to another. In other words, they will only find it interesting if they are already interested in this sort of thing; otherwise you are largely trudging through repetitive expedition narrative of , without even many real battles to break it up.
One should also keep in mind that this “outstanding description of endurance and individual bravery” (as the blurb puts it) is Xenophon’s account of his own exploits as a fearless and noble leader of men, and should be read accordingly. It was Xenophon who inspired Julius Caesar to write about his campaigns in the same style, cementing his own glorious achievements within the minds of ordinary Romans, and Xenophon may even have attempted to attribute this work to a third party, ‘Themistogenes of Syracuse’ (a person otherwise lost to history), to make his intentions less obvious. Some have even speculated that Philip II of Macedon was inspired by the narrative to believe that a Greek army could defeat a much larger Persian force. While the story of the Ten Thousand certainly is extraordinary, perhaps we should not give him all the credit.
Nevertheless, it is crucial to remember the intrinsic value of the text: it is not always a gripping read, nor a perfectly objective historical source, yet it is one of a kind, firstly in what it reveals about Greek culture and behaviour ca. 370 BC: in their daily routines, attitudes and values, religious beliefs and sacrifices, and their response to the unknown; secondly in the extent of its influence, having been highly regarded since Antiquity (hence my examples of its influence above); and thirdly in the reminder it provides of how much of the expanse of the Near East was still wilderness during this time, with only pockets of civilisation imposed on the landscape. These days, it can be difficult to make a case for a classic text that is, in all honesty, neither effusively entertaining nor an easy, engaging read, but I nevertheless feel that it is these things that make the account unique, and signify that its value endures.
The Anabasis (or The Persian Expedition, as Penguin has rechristened it in English for this edition) is Xenophon’s eyewitness account of an army of 10,000 Greek mercenaries’ travel out of Persia after fighting in one of her royals’ many power struggles. They encounter betrayal by the Persians, difficult and unfamiliar terrain, and regular attacks by the Persians and other Near-Eastern peoples along the way. The Greek title literally just means ‘going up’, sometimes called The March Up Country in English for a more faithful translation: this plays mind games with aspiring classicists because in Greek this would usually mean going inland from the sea, but here means the opposite, since the story begins with Cyrus leading his forces inland but the bulk of the narrative focuses on their return.
Although widely renowned for its depiction of military life in the fourth century BC, the grit and courage displayed by the troops, and even the demonstration of Socratic principles of statesmanship and politics (for instance, the principles upon which they elect their leaders after their appointed general is killed), the reader should be forewarned that this is essentially a rather dry account of military movement; the (very gradual) journey of an army from one place to another. In other words, they will only find it interesting if they are already interested in this sort of thing; otherwise you are largely trudging through repetitive expedition narrative of , without even many real battles to break it up.
One should also keep in mind that this “outstanding description of endurance and individual bravery” (as the blurb puts it) is Xenophon’s account of his own exploits as a fearless and noble leader of men, and should be read accordingly. It was Xenophon who inspired Julius Caesar to write about his campaigns in the same style, cementing his own glorious achievements within the minds of ordinary Romans, and Xenophon may even have attempted to attribute this work to a third party, ‘Themistogenes of Syracuse’ (a person otherwise lost to history), to make his intentions less obvious. Some have even speculated that Philip II of Macedon was inspired by the narrative to believe that a Greek army could defeat a much larger Persian force. While the story of the Ten Thousand certainly is extraordinary, perhaps we should not give him all the credit.
Nevertheless, it is crucial to remember the intrinsic value of the text: it is not always a gripping read, nor a perfectly objective historical source, yet it is one of a kind, firstly in what it reveals about Greek culture and behaviour ca. 370 BC: in their daily routines, attitudes and values, religious beliefs and sacrifices, and their response to the unknown; secondly in the extent of its influence, having been highly regarded since Antiquity (hence my examples of its influence above); and thirdly in the reminder it provides of how much of the expanse of the Near East was still wilderness during this time, with only pockets of civilisation imposed on the landscape. These days, it can be difficult to make a case for a classic text that is, in all honesty, neither effusively entertaining nor an easy, engaging read, but I nevertheless feel that it is these things that make the account unique, and signify that its value endures.