View source for 401 BC

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Year '''401 BC''' was a year of the [[Roman calendar|pre-Julian Roman calendar]]. At the time, it was known as the '''Year of the Tribunate of Potitus, Cossus, Camillus, Ambustus, Mamercinus and Iullus''' (or, less frequently, '''year 353 ''[[Ab urbe condita]]'''''). The denomination 401 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the [[Anno Domini]] [[calendar era]] became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

== Events ==
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=== By place ===

==== 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>

==== Greece ====
* The Greek mercenaries fighting for Cyrus are left stranded after Cyrus' defeat. They fight their way north through hostile Persians, Armenians, and Kurds to [[Trabzon|Trapezus]] on the coast of the Black Sea under [[Xenophon]], who becomes their leader when the [[satrap]] of Lydia, Tissaphernes, has [[Clearchus of Sparta]] and the other senior Greek captains captured and executed.
* [[Agesilaus II]] becomes king of [[Sparta]] on the death of his stepbrother [[Agis II]].

==== China ====
* [[Zhou an wang]] becomes king of the [[Zhou dynasty]] of [[China]].

=== By topic ===

==== Literature ====
* [[Sophocles]]' tragic play ''[[Oedipus at Colonus]]'' is performed posthumously. It is produced by his grandson (also called Sophocles) at the Festival of [[Dionysus]] in [[Athens]].
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== Births ==
== Deaths ==
* [[Agis II]], [[Eurypontid]] king of [[Sparta]]
* [[Clearchus of Sparta|Clearchus]], [[Sparta]]n general and [[mercenary]]
* [[Cyrus the Younger]], younger son of Darius II, King of Persia

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:401 BC| ]]