Editing Xenophon (section)

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[[File:Xenophon and the ten thousand hail the sea.jpg|thumb|19th-century illustration of Xenophon leading his Ten Thousand through Persia to the Black Sea]]
The [[mercenary|mercenaries]], known as the [[Ten Thousand (Greek mercenaries)|Ten Thousand]], had no leadership in territory near [[Mesopotamia]]. They elected new leaders, including Xenophon himself. Dodge says of Xenophon's generalship, "Xenophon is the father of the system of retreat [...] He reduced its management to a perfect method."<ref>Dodge, pp. 105–106</ref>

Xenophon and his men initially had to deal with volleys by a minor force of harassing Persian missile cavalry. One night, Xenophon formed a body of archers and light cavalry. When the Persian cavalry arrived the next day, now firing within several yards, Xenophon unleashed his new cavalry, killing many and routing the rest.<ref>Witt, p. 123</ref>  Tissaphernes pursued Xenophon, and when the Greeks reached the [[Great Zab]] river, one of the men devised a plan: goats, cows, sheep, and donkeys were to be slaughtered and their bodies stuffed with hay, sewn up, laid across the river, and covered with dirt so as not to be slippery and be used as a bridge to cross the river. This plan was discarded as impractical.

Dodge notes, "On this retreat also was first shown the necessary, if cruel, means of arresting a pursuing enemy by the systematic devastation of the country traversed and the destruction of its villages to deprive him of food and shelter. And Xenophon is moreover the first who established in rear of the phalanx a reserve from which he could at will feed weak parts of his line. This was a superb first conception."<ref>Dodge, p. 107</ref>