The Persian Cyrus the Younger recruits Greek mercenaries (12,900 to be exact, although Ten Thousand has a nicer ring to it) to help him try to claim the throne of Persia. The battle doesn’t go well, Cyrus loses a hand and a head, and the Greeks are forced to retreat to their country of origin. These events, take place between 401 - 399BC.

Anabasis means a movement upwards, but can also refer both to an advance and a retreat. Both occur in this work, with Xenophon not only authoring the work but being a main character in the history.

Xenophon was both a friend and a student of the philosopher Socrates. He was also a leader of these soldiers and he used what he learned from Socrates to try to persuade his men.

This is an action-packed thriller of a tale. The Greeks meet unique people groups with wild customs, eat some mad honey, and party with clowns. All the while, they are longing to return home, a place many of them will never see again.

I love experiencing a book for the first time. There’s the rush of discovering a new story, an intoxicating idea, or a memorable character. By the time I’ve finished the book, I’m ready to get that hit again with a new book. I actually fear the high won’t be as good if I go back and read a book for a second time, even if it’s a book I really enjoyed.

But that’s not how books work. Re-reading a book creates a new experience, not a recreation of the first reading. I’ve changed during readings. Life experience clues me into things I missed the first time around. I’m reminded of people, places, and things that stuck out the first time that made an indelible mark on my life.

Many experiences in life can deteriorate with continued exposure. Reading a great book multiple times over the years is not one of those experiences.

What I hope to do in this podcast episode is to encourage you begin re-reading certain books as part of your reading life.

It took me 5 comedy plays by Aristophanes to begin to enjoy them. This was the 5th. It wasn’t as crude or banal as the first four I read (Clouds, Birds, Lysistrata, Women of the Assembly). I really enjoyed this one. Dionysus journeys to Hades to meet Euripides. A verbal contest ensues between the great tragedians Aeschylus and Euripides to determine who is the Best Tragic Poet. On the way to Hades, Dionysus hears the song of the Frogs, the title for this play.

The Frogs was first performed at the City Dionysus festival in 405BC. It won first prize. This was one year after the death of Euripides and 51 years after the death of Aeschylus.

In this episode, I talk about The Frogs, discuss aspects of comedy that had bothered me just a week ago, and share the one thing the stuck out the most. Enjoy!