With a vividness that is unparalleled in ancient literature, Xenophon depicts the adventurous coup attempt of the young Persian prince Cyrus against his brother, the Great King Artaxerxes II. Xenophon, himself one of the commanders in the war of 401 BC, compellingly narrates the events and authentically describes the land and its people, customs, and traditions. In doing so, he lays the foundation for memoir literature: Caesar's Gallic War or Arrian's campaign of Alexander are inconceivable without Xenophon.