SASA Mini Reading Group: Gifts, Leadership, and Survival: A Journey Through the Persian Empire with Xenophon

Previous participation and previous knowledge not required.

Xenophon of Athens wrote about his experiences serving under the Persian dynast Cyrus the Younger in his attempt to overthrow his brother Artaxerxes for the Persian throne. Cyrus was killed in the fighting despite the success of his troops. In the wake of this disaster, Xenophon finds himself in the middle of the hostile Persian Empire with the remnants of the “Ten Thousand”. How were the Greek mercenaries able to escape and return to Greece? Or did they?

In this reading group, we will journey with Xenophon through the Persian Empire by reading his exciting Anabasis, sometimes translated in English as The March Up Country. We will focus in particular on episodes of gift-giving, lessons on leadership, and how the Ten Thousand survived. The Anabasis is a sophisticated text that has been many things to many people. Michael Flower (2012, 40) recently summed up its variety: “It has been called a war memoir, a coming-of-age story (in which the character Xenophon makes the journey from innocence to experience), an adventure story, a travelogue, a political (panhellenist) tract, and an extended personal apology.” Come take a journey with us as we follow Xenophon’s account of ancient Persia.

3-Week Text-In-Translation Reading Group

Thursdays @ 4pm EST

Jan. 14th

Jan. 21st

Jan. 28th

Participants only need to register for each Reading Group once, you will recieve links to our Live Syllabus where readings and discussions are posted in the confirmation email.

SASA Mini Reading Group Certificates are available after completion of the full 3-week reading group.