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Which regions did the Ten Thousand cross during their retreat?
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Xenophon
Xenophon, statue in front of the parliament building in Vienna.
Following the defeat of Cyrus the Younger at the Battle of Cunaxa in 401 BCE, the Greek mercenariesâlater known as the Ten Thousandâundertook a famous retreat under the leadership of Xenophon.123
To return to Byzantium, the soldiers marched through the following regions:
- Mesopotamia: The starting point of their journey near Babylon.2
- Armenia: A significant territory crossed during their long trek.2
- Northern Anatolia: The final leg of their overland journey, which concluded when they reached the Black Sea.123
This arduous march through hostile territory is the subject of Xenophon's narrative work, the Anabasis.3