CUNAXA, BATTLE OF, 401 B.C. This battle is more famous in its sequel—The "Retreat of the Ten Thousand" under Xenophon—than in itself. Cyrus the Younger, seeking to seize the Persian throne from his brother Artaxerxes, had advanced from Sardis and at Cunaxa, beside the Euphrates, he met his brother's army. Cyrus's force was leavened with some 12,800 Greek mercenaries, under Clearchus. These he placed on his right, the post of honour, next the river. On the other side Ar taxerxes with his personal guard cavalry was, according to custom, in the centre, where also the cavalry of the satrap Tissaphernes were placed. On either flank of this cavalry centre stood Ar taxerxes's infantry and beyond them again on the two wings were the troops of the other two satraps who were present. The right extended beyond the flank of Cyrus's left. But Cyrus appears to have had an acute grasp of the fact, abundantly attested later in Alexander's invasion, that the resisting power of a Persian army lay in its royal link. For this reason Cyrus wished Clearchus with his Greeks to advance obliquely against the enemy's centre, where Artaxerxes was, for, "if we are victorious in that quarter, our object is fully achieved." M events proved, such a move would probably have decided the battle and a throne. But Clearchus demurred, on the ground that by such a lateral march he would expose his flank, at present protected by the river. The Greeks, therefore, advanced straight to their front and their superior training and armour enabled them easily to rout the opposing Persian left. Unhappily, instead of turning inwards to roll up the enemy's line they pressed straight on in pursuit of their immediate opponents. Meanwhile on the other flank, Artaxerxes's more extended right had naturally lapped round Cyrus's left. Cyrus, however, in default of Clearchus's help, put his concep tion into execution by charging with 600 cavalry at the enemy's centre. He is said to have penetrated far enough to wound Ar taxerxes with his own hand, but was then himself slain. On his fall his own army proved his insight right by dispersing—all save the Greeks. These returned from the pursuit to a battle they be lieved won and found lost, but even then, a handful adrift among enemy masses in a strange land, they were too formidable for Artaxerxes to dare an attack, except by the subsequent treachery which led to the murder of their leaders and Xenophon's (q.v.) opportunity to earn immortal fame.
See Xenophon, Anabasis.