XENOPHON

 

                                        

Xenophon the Athenian military leader, philosopher, and historian was beyond doubt one of the most extraordinary figures of ancient Greece.  According to researchers, he was a “brilliant war tactician,   a great writer, an insightful philosopher and an invaluable historian of the violent time he lived in.”

 

He was certainly an intellectual and a man of action as well.  He was a person to be in the right place in the right time, being able not only to chronicle the life of one of the greatest thinkers that ever lived, Socrates, his teacher, but also led Greek troops into battle and use battle strategies that are still used today.

 

Born in Athens in 430 BC to a father named Gryllus, who was a member of the equestrian class, and died in Corinth in 354 BC, aged 77.

 

He was the author of works including Hellenica, Anabasis, Education of Cyrus, Memorabilia, the Symposium, Oeconomicus  Hiero, (Socrates’) Apology, Agesilaus and the Constitution of the Lacedemonians.  His military exploits took him far afield, as he served as a general in the army of the Persian King Cyrus the Younger.  

                                                The Ten Thousand  Army

At the age of 30, Xenophon was elected to be commander of one of the largest Greek armies “The Ten Thousand” that marched and came close to capture Babylon 401 BC.

 

As the military historian, Theodore Auyrault-Dodge wrote “The centuries since have devised nothing to surpass the genius of this warrior”.  Xenophon established precedent for many logistic operations for the military, and among the first to use “flanking manoeuvres and feints”.

 

Xenophon’s work Anabasis recounts his adventures with The Ten Thousand, Cyrus’ failed campaign to claim the throne from Artaxerxis II of Persia, and the return of the Greek army after Cyurus’ death at the battle of Cunaxa.

 

Anabasis is a work of unique genius, a first-hand account showing humility and self-awareness from Xenophon after he returned from battle. 

 

Historians believe that Anabasis inspired Alexander the Great to conquer Babylon and the Achaemenid Empire in 331 BC.

As a student and a friend of Socrates, Xenophon  recounted several Socratic dialogues,  the Symposium, a tribute to Socrates called Memorabilia and the chronicle of the philosopher’s trial in 399 BC, the Apology of Socrates to the Jury.

 

The mere reading of Xenophon’s Memorabilia inspired Zeno of Cilium to completely change his life and create the Stoic School of Philosophy.

 

For a least two millennia, Xenophon’s many talents fuelled the debate of whether to place Xenophon with history, great general, historian or philosopher. 

 

Quintilian in “The Orators’ Education” discusses the most prominent historians, orators, and philosophers and recognizes Xenophon’s work as a historian but ultimately places him next to Plato as a philosopher.

Today, Xenophon is famous for his historical writings.  The “Hellenica”  continues directly from the final sentence of Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War”, covering the last seven years of the Peloponnesian War 431-420 BC and the subsequent 42 years ending with the second battle of Mantinia.

 

Despite being born an Athenian citizen, Xenophon became associated with Sparta, the city-state that was traditionally an opponent of Athens.  Experienced as a military leader, he served under Spartan commander in Ionia, Asia Minor and elsewhere, exiled from Athens and his friendship with King Agesilaus II endeared Xenophon  to the Spartans. 

Much of what is known today about Sparta comes from Xenophon’s works, including the biography of the Spartan King Agesilaus and the “Constitution of the Lacedemonians”.

 

Recognized universally as one of the greatest writers of antiquity.  Xenophon’s span multiple genres and are written in plain Attic Greek, which is why they have often been used in translation exercises for contemporary students of the ancient Greek language.

 

In the “Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers” Diogenis observes that Xenophon was known as the “Attic Muse” because of his diction.  Several centuries later the Roman philosopher and stateman Cicero described Xenophon’s mastery of Greek composition as “the Muses were said to speak with the voice of Xenophon.”

 

In his “Lives of Eminent Philosophers” the great biographer, Diogenis Laertius, writing many centuries later, reports how Xenophon met Socrates.  Xenophon was away on the Persian campaign during the trial and death of his beloved teacher, Socrates.  But much of Xenophon’s Socratic writings especially his “Apology” concerns the very trial and  the defense Socrates made for himself answering questions that arose after the trial as well.

 

Many scholars believe that Xenophon wrote his “Apology” and “Memorabilia” as a defense for his former teacher and to further his philosophy, not to be present a literal transcript of Socrates’ response to the historical charges against him.  His devotion for his beloved teacher was clear and Xenophon must have felt he had done his duty to the brilliant philosopher in his “Apology”.

 

The Greek historian Diogenes recorded that Xenophon lived in Corinth until his death in 354 BC.