Cyrus was at the Persian court when his father Darius died and his elder brother Artaxerxes II (r.404-358 BC) acceded to the throne. Greek sources tell us that Tissaphernes, who had been succeeded as satrap of Lydia by Cyrus, informed the new king that Cyrus wanted to dethrone him. Cyrus was arrested, but his mother Parysatis interceded and he was allowed to return to his satrapy where he began to make preparations to overthrow his brother.
Around 402/1 BC Cyrus ordered his garrison commanders to recruit more soldiers on the pretext that Tissaphernes was planning to move against the Ionian cities. On the surrender of Athens, both Cyrus and Tissaphernes had claimed jurisdiction over the Ionian cities. Most of them accepted Cyrus as their ruler but Tissaphernes took possession of Miletus, which was later besieged by Cyrus unsuccessfully.
Cyrus hired Clearchus, and he speedily enrolled a formidable force of Greek mercenaries (after the war there were many armed troops at home or abroad seeking employment). Cyrus then applied to the Spartans, offering to release them from their promise to recognize Persian suzerainty in western Asia Minor if they would help him defeat his brother. Although open support was not given, seven hundred hoplites were sent to him. However, Cyrus’ preparations were not unknown to Artaxerxes, who had plenty of time to muster an army.
Cyrus’ army reached a total of probably some fifty thousand, including thirteen thousand Greek mercenaries. In 401 BC he set out from Sardis. He marched through Mysia, Phrygia and Lycaonia then passed through the Cilician Gates to Syria. At Thapsacus he forded the Euphrates and met the Persian army, commanded by Artaxerxes and Pharnabazus, near the town of Cunaxa, seventy kilometres north of Babylon.
The Greek phalanx under Clearchus was deployed on the right, against the river; Cyrus, with six hundred cavalry, held the centre; and the Asiatic contingent under the Persian general Ariaeus (fl.401-394 BC) was deployed on the left. The Persian right attacked and enveloped the Asiatics, while on the right the Greeks crashed into the Persian left. Cyrus launched his cavalry at Artaxerxes. In the melee that followed, Artaxerxes was wounded, but Cyrus was killed. The Asiatics broke and fled; the Greeks advanced and the Persian left scattered before them.
When the Greeks heard that Cyrus had been killed, they abandoned the expedition and started homewards. Tissaphernes invited Clearchus and the other Greek commanders to a conference where they expected to discuss terms, but they were treacherously seized and executed. The ‘Ten Thousand’, as Xenophon called the Greek force, elected new commanders, one of whom was himself. They marched north to the Black Sea at Trepezus from where they sailed westwards along the coast and eventually arrived at Byzantium in spring 399 BC. Xenophon then led the remnants of the Ten Thousand to Pergamon, where they were added to the army of the Spartan general Thibron. Xenophon recorded the exploits of the Ten Thousand in his Anabasis.
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