A history of the legacy of the famous “Thalatta! Thalatta!” shout uttered by the famous Ten Thousand army of Greek mercenaries traces how the cry has played a lasting role in European and American cultural traditions throughout the past two hundred years. Here Tim Rood tells its story for the first time, taking in literary masterpieces by writers such as Heine, Shelley and Joyce, books of travel and adventure set in the Middle East and elsewhere, articles in Victorian periodicals, etc. “The Sea! The Sea!” covers a broad canvas, from the modern use of classical scholarship to postmodern puns.

“We will explore the emotions of travelers and adventurers who have followed, literally or figuratively, in Xenophon’s footsteps, and the emotions fostered by the sea itself – the sea of youth, the romantic sea, the sea that stands for eternity, the sea to which we all long to return.”

Tim Rood “The Sea! The Sea! The Shout of the Ten Thousand in the Modern Imagination”. Published by Duckworth Overlook in 2004. Bought by the Sea Library 💙

Photos by Anna Iltnere / Sea Library