Editing 401 BC (section)

==== Persian empire ====
* [[Cyrus the Younger]] uses a quarrel with [[Tissaphernes]] over the [[Ionia]]n cities as a pretext for gathering a large army and also pretends to prepare an expedition to [[Pisidia]], in the [[Taurus Mountains]]. Cyrus starts out with about 15,220 men, of whom [[Ten Thousand|10,400]] are [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] [[mercenaries]]. When he reaches the [[Euphrates River]] at [[Thapsacus]], he announces that he is marching against [[Artaxerxes II]]. He advances unopposed into [[Babylonia]]; but Artaxerxes, warned at the last moment by Tissaphernes, hastily gathers an army. The two forces meet in the [[Battle of Cunaxa]], north of Babylon, where Cyrus is slain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Battle of Cunaxa {{!}} Persian-Greek, Cyrus the Younger, 401 BC {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Cunaxa |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>