The Two Great Retreats of History

The two following selections contain, first, Grote's account of the Retreat of the Ten Thousand Greeks, taken from his "History of Greece," and, secondly, an abridgment of Count Ségur's narrative of Napoleon's retreat from Russia.

Grote's History, based on Xenophon's, is given entire, with the exception that, in a very few instances, some slight verbal change has been made in order to better adapt the work to school use.

Two maps are furnished, an introduction is prefixed to each selection, and all needed notes subjoined.

D. H. M.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

I. Retreat of the Ten Thousand. PAGE Sketch of Cyrus the Younger (Introductory to the Retreat of the Ten Thousand) v

§ 1. Effect of the death of Cyrus on the Greeks; they resolve to retreat 1

§ 2. Commencement of the retreat 6

§ 3. Negotiations with Tissaphernês 10

§ 4. Treachery of Tissaphernês 19

§ 5. Xenophon's dream and its results 29

§ 6. The Greeks cross the Zab 42

§ 7. The Greeks fight their way across the Karduchian Mountains 50

§ 8. March through Armenia; great suffering from cold and hunger 60

§ 9. The Greeks come in sight of the Black Sea 70

§ 10. The Greek cities on the Black Sea; their feelings toward the Ten Thousand 75

§ 11. Plans of the army for the future 79

§ 12. The Ten Thousand begin their march westward 82

§ 13. Plan of Xenophon for founding a city on the Black Sea 88

§ 14. Xenophon defends himself against false accusations 95

§ 15. The army passes by sea to Sinôpê 104

§ 16. The army crosses the Bosphorus to Byzantium; false promises of Anaxibius and their results 116

§ 17. Mutiny of the army in leaving Byzantium 120

§ 18. Xenophon's speech to the soldiers 123

§ 19. The army finally leaves Byzantium; Seuthês offers to hire them 128

§ 20. The army enters the service of Seuthês 135

§ 21. Xenophon crosses over with the army to Asia 138

§ 22. Xenophon takes leave of the army. Conclusion 143

II. Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow.

Sketch of Napoleon (Introductory to the Retreat from Moscow) 152

§ 1. Description of Moscow; arrival of the Czar 157

§ 2. Alarm in Moscow at the advance of the French army; preparations for the destruction of the city 162

§ 3. Departure of the Russian governor from Moscow 168

§ 4. Napoleon's first view of Moscow; the French enter the city 175

§ 5. Napoleon takes up his quarters in the Kremlin; the city discovered to be on fire 182

§ 6. The fire compels Napoleon to leave the city 190

§ 7. Napoleon returns to the Kremlin; plunder of the city 195

§ 8. Rostopchin sets fire to his country-seat; anxiety of Napoleon at not hearing from the Czar 201

§ 9. Napoleon determines to leave Moscow 215

§ 10. Departure from Moscow; the first battle 224

§ 11. Napoleon holds a council of war, and decides to retreat northward 233

§ 12. Napoleon's attempt to destroy the Kremlin; view of the battle-field of Borodino 238

§ 13. Napoleon reaches Viazma; battle near that place 243

§ 14. Dreadful snow-storm on the 6th of November; its effect upon the troops 247

§ 15. Defeat and entire dissolution of Prince Eugene's corps at the passage of the Wop 253

§ 16. The Grand Army reaches Smolensk 257

§ 17. Napoleon leaves Smolensk; battle of Krasnoë 263

§ 18. Napoleon reaches Dombrowna and Orcha; he holds a council 267

§ 19. Arrival of Marshal Ney 272

§ 20. Capture of Minsk by the Russians 277

§ 21. March through the forest of Minsk; passage of the Berezina 280

§ 22. Napoleon abandons the Grand Army, and sets out for Paris 291