A military expedition or march, especially one involving an advance inland or a strategic retreat; famous from Xenophon's account of the Greek 10,000's escape from Persia.
From Greek 'ana-' (up, back) + 'basis' (a going). Xenophon used this term for the 5th-century BCE retreat of Greek mercenaries from the heart of Persia, and the word became synonymous with dramatic military narratives.
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