Battle of Cunaxa

Battle of Cunaxa
Painting of a battle
Retreat of the Ten Thousand, at the Battle of Cunaxa, by Jean Adrien Guignet
Date3 September 401 BC[1]
Location
On the banks of the Euphrates near present-day Baghdad, Iraq
33°19′30″N 44°04′48″E / 33.32500°N 44.08000°E / 33.32500; 44.08000
Result
  • Tactical draw
  • Strategic victory for Artaxerxes II
  • Thousands of Greek mercenaries march home against opposition
Belligerents
Cyrus the Younger
The Ten Thousand
Achaemenid Empire
Commanders and leaders
Cyrus the Younger 
Clearchus Executed
Cheirisophus[2]
Ariaeus
Artaxerxes II
Gobrias
Tissaphernes
Orontes
Strength
Large force of Persian soldiers
10,400 mercenary Greek hoplites
700 Spartan hoplites[2]
2,500 mercenary light infantry and peltasts
1,000 Paphlagonian cavalry
600 bodyguard cavalry
20 scythed chariots
40,000[3]
Casualties and losses
Minimal, death of Cyrus Unknown

The Battle of Cunaxa was fought in the late summer of 401 BC between the Persian king Artaxerxes II and his brother Cyrus the Younger for control of the Achaemenid throne. The great battle of the revolt of Cyrus took place 70 km north of Babylon, at Cunaxa (Greek: Κούναξα), on the left bank of the Euphrates. The main source is Xenophon, a Greek soldier who participated in the fighting.

  1. ^ Mather and Hewitt, Xenophon's Anabasis Books I–IV (University of Oklahoma Press, 1962), p. 44
  2. ^ a b "Cheirisophus the Lacedaemonian also arrived with this fleet, coming in response to Cyrus' summons, together with seven hundred hoplites, over whom he continued to hold command in the army of Cyrus." Xenophon, Anabasis 1.4.3 Archived 11 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica".