Battle of Cunaxa

The 401 BCE battle near Babylon in which Cyrus the Younger rebelled against his brother, Artaxerxes II, and was killed. Its aftermath left thousands of Greek mercenaries stranded deep inside the Persian Empire.

Cyrus the Younger: A Persian prince who rebelled against his brother Artaxerxes II and died at Cunaxa. His death during the battle ended the rebellion’s claim to the Persian throne.
Anabasis (Xenophon): Xenophon’s account of the Greek mercenary army’s expedition and retreat after Cyrus’s death. It narrates the army’s journey home after the battle left it without its employer.
Darius II: Achaemenid king of Persia from 423 to 404 BCE and father of Artaxerxes II and Cyrus the Younger. His death opened the succession struggle that culminated at Cunaxa.
Ctesias: A Greek physician and historian who served at the Persian court and wrote about its kings. His account offers a Persian-court perspective on the battle, distinct from Xenophon’s.
Artaxerxes II: Achaemenid king of Persia from 404 to 358 BCE and brother of Cyrus the Younger. His survival at Cunaxa preserved his rule despite the defeat of Cyrus’s forces.
Xenophon: Athenian soldier and writer whose works include an account of the Greek retreat from Persia. He joined Cyrus’s expedition and later recorded the retreat that followed Cunaxa.
Sparta: A Greek city-state known for its militarized social order and dominant land army. Cyrus recruited Greek soldiers with Spartan connections and support.
Diodorus Siculus: A Greek historian of the first century BCE who composed a universal history. His surviving narrative provides a later account of Cunaxa and its political stakes.
Clearchus of Sparta: A Spartan general who commanded Greek mercenaries in Cyrus the Younger’s campaign. He led the Greek contingent, whose battlefield success could not save Cyrus.
Ten Thousand: The Greek mercenary force that marched inland with Cyrus and retreated after his death. Cunaxa transformed this expeditionary army into a stranded force seeking a way home.

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SatrapBroader topic: Cyrus's revolt drew on the resources and support of western satraps.