Book Description
Xenophon (431-355 BC), son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, was a soldier, mercenary and an admirer of Socrates. He is known for his writings on the history of his own times, the sayings of Socrates, and the life of Greece. He participated in the expedition led by Cyrus the Younger against his older brother, the emperor Artaxerxes II of Persia, in 401 BC. His record of the entire expedition against the Persians and the journey home was titled Anabasis (The Expedition or The March Up Country). He was later exiled from Athens, most likely because he fought under the Spartan king Agesilaus against Athens at Coronea. The Spartans gave him property at Scillus, near Olympia in Elis, where he composed the Anabasis. His writings are often read by beginning students of the Greek language. His Hellenica is a major primary source for events in Greece from 411 to 362 BC, and his Socratic writings, preserved complete, are the only surviving representatives of the genre of Sokratikoi logoi other than the dialogues of Plato.Download Description
To meet the case in which the horseman may chance to be leading his horse with the left hand and carrying his spear in the right, it would be good, we think, for every one to practise vaulting on to his seat from the right side also. In fact, he has nothing else to learn except to do with his right limbs what he has previously done with the left, and vice versa. And the reason we approve of this method of mounting is[8] that it enables the soldier at one and the same instant to get astride of his horse and to find himself prepared at all points, supposing he should have to enter the lists of battle on a sudden. ... Read more

Book Description
This book places the historical writing of Xenophon in the broader context of his entire corpus as well as of the intellectual climate of his day. Previously, studies of Xenophon have simply focused on the reliability of these texts for determining what happened in the Greek world from 411 to 362 B.C.

Xenophon and the History of his Times presents a more comprehensive analysis of the attitudes and methods which inform the Hellenica and the Anabasis. Xenophon is shown to be very much a man of his times, concerned with important issues ranging from panhellenismand utopia, to the role of the individual in shaping important events, to the part the divine plays in shaping human history. This discussion makes extensive use not only of Xenophon's entire corpus, but also works by a number of his contemporaries.

All those interested in the history of Greek intellectual life at the close of the fith and first half of the fourth centuries B.C., as well as the political and military history of this period, will find this study useful and stimulating. ... Read more

Book Description
12 plates20 battle plans2 maps6 x 9 Xenophon (c. 435-354BC) was a celebrated Greek historian, essayist and military commander. Born in the last, desperate years of the crumbling Athenian empire, he witnessed her fall from grace during the Peloponnesian War. It was the absence of respected command among the Greek forces-that led to the Greek vote of confidence in Xenophon as one of their new generals. He was ultimately made Commander-in-Chief. Xenophon's writing is a 'veritable treasure-house' of examples of the military practice of the ancient world. Godfrey Hutchinson is a classical historian and an expert on Greek warfare and leadership between 411-362 BC. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Impressive! It reveals how many things we can learn from the ancient Greeks
Using prime sources like Xenophon's Kyropaideia, Agesilaos, The Constitution of Lacedaemonians, Ways and Means, The Cavalry Commander, The Art of Horsemanship, On Hunting, Anabasis, Hellenika, Memorabilia and Oikonomikos and also Plutarch's Agesilaos, Pelopidas, Lysander, Alkibiades and Artaxerxes, Mr Godfrey Hutchinson does an excellent job analysing the ancient art of command, the lessons of hard experience and what they teach us today (the value of innovative thinking is proved at the case of the Thebans who smashed the famous Spartan phalanx at Tegyra, Leuctra and Mantineia). Xenophon was a really gifted person who started the campaign to Persia in the army of Cyrus the Younger, only to turn a general by the vote of his colleagues, when the Greek leadership was massacred by treachery. He not only managed to lead the Ten Thousand back to safety but also revealed a keen eye for tactics and strategy, writing down his experiences for posterity and even describing his ideal commander. Many of his suggestions found their way later in Alexander's operational art, shattering the Persian Empire for centuries. The reader will be surprised to find out how many problems of today's armies were also faced by the ancients and how they chose to solve them. Mr Hutchinson also uses heavily Sun Tzu's writings and compares them (together with modern manuals on operational art) with those of the Greeks. There are some good diagrams on the most important battles which Xenophon describes and also some black and white photos. The book is a real gem and it is certainly worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1829 edition by John Murray, London. ... Read more

Book Description

Xenophon (ca. 430 to ca. 354 BCE) was a wealthy Athenian and friend of Socrates. He left Athens in 401 and joined an expedition including ten thousand Greeks led by the Persian governor Cyrus against the Persian king. After the defeat of Cyrus, it fell to Xenophon to lead the Greeks from the gates of Babylon back to the coast through inhospitable lands. Later he wrote the famous vivid account of this 'March Up-Country' (Anabasis); but meanwhile he entered service under the Spartans against the Persian king, married happily, and joined the staff of the Spartan king, Agesilaus. But Athens was at war with Sparta in 394 and so exiled Xenophon. The Spartans gave him an estate near Elis where he lived for years writing and hunting and educating his sons. Reconciled to Sparta, Athens restored Xenophon to honour but he preferred to retire to Corinth.

Xenophon's Anabasis is a true story of remarkable adventures. Hellenica, a history of Greek affairs from 411 to 362, begins as a continuation of Thucydides' account. There are four works on Socrates (collected in Volume IV of the Loeb Xenophon edition). In Memorabilia Xenophon adds to Plato's picture of Socrates from a different viewpoint. The Apology is an interesting complement to Plato's account of Socrates' defense at his trial. Xenophon's Symposium portrays a dinner party at which Socrates speaks of love; and Oeconomicus has him giving advice on household management and married life. Cyropaedia, a historical romance on the education of Cyrus (the Elder), reflects Xenophon's ideas about rulers and government; the Loeb edition is in two volumes.

We also have his Hiero, a dialogue on government; Agesilaus, in praise of that king; Constitution of Lacedaemon (on the Spartan system); Ways and Means (on the finances of Athens); Manual for a Cavalry Commander; a good manual of Horsemanship; and a lively Hunting with Hounds. The Constitution of the Athenians, though clearly not by Xenophon, is an interesting document on politics at Athens. These eight books are collected in the last of the seven volumes of the Loeb Classical Library edition of Xenophon.

Book Description
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Book Description
The Oeconomicus is unique in Greek literature in combining a discussion of the proper management of an oikos (`family', `household', or `estate') and didactic material on agriculture within a Socratic dialogue.It is one of the richest primary sources for the social, economic, and intellectual history of classical Athens.It contains valuable information and raises questions of perennial interest on marriage; the innate moral, physical, and mental qualities of men and women; the functioning of domestic and public economies; rural and urban life; Greek slavery; popular religion; the role of education, and many other topics.Despite the current widespread interest in the subjects discussed in the Oeconomicus, this text has been largely neglected.In this book Professor Pomeroy provides a new translation to complement the Oxford Classical Text, and a comprehensive introduction and commentary, making the book readily accessible to those both with and without Greek.She covers a wide range of subjects including agriculture, philosophy, and social, military, intellectual, and economic history.It should be of special interest to scholars and students of classics, history, philosophy, as well as women's studies. ... Read more

Book Description
For over two millennia, the Cyropaedia, an imaginative biography of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, was Xenophon's most popular work and considered his masterpiece. This study contributes to the recent rediscovery of the Cyropaedia and Xenophon, making intelligible the high esteem in which writers of the stature of Machiavelli held Xenophon's works and the importance of his place among classical authors.
The ending of the Cyropaedia has presented a notoriously difficult puzzle for scholars. The bulk of the work seems to idealize the career of Cyrus, but the final chapter documents the swift and disastrous degeneration of the empire he founded. This conclusion seems to call his achievements into question. Nadon resolves this long-standing interpretive difficulty and demonstrates for the first time the overall coherence and unity of the Cyropaedia. He elucidates the Xenophontic critique of Cyrus contained within the whole of the work and unearths its analysis of the limitations of both republican and imperial politics.
This provocative and original treatment of the Cyropaedia will be a definitive step in restoring the status of this important work. Nadon's lively, insightful study draws upon his deep knowledge and understanding of classical political theory and reveals in the Cyropaedia a subtlety and sophistication overlooked until now. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

not impressed by this analysis
Nadon's analysis of Xenophon's masterpiece Cyropedia does not reflect the true intension of Xenophon in the original text; he claims that Cyrus was using methods of a typical tyrant to achieve his goals (to transform Persia from a Republic to an Empire).
He believes that he has solved the puzzle about inconsistencies between body of Xenophon's text and its surprising ending in chapter 8 but the truth is that the author is torn between translation and analysis of the original text and his own imagination and speculations around the subject and the analysis is not based on knowledge about Iranian history and traditions and it has lead to a need for twisting and turning the original text of Cyropedia to suit the analysis.
It can not be denied that Cyrus the Great librated Babylonians and we have texts written at end of political independence of Babylonia which vilifies Nabonidus and praises Cyrus the Great as the liberator of the oppressed sanctuaries and the king of Persians are not considered as foreign invader but the saviour.
On many occasions the authorcompletely looses his ability to return to original text of Cyropedia and his imagination takes over ,page 158 shows a clear example there he is stating `we must note he(Cyrus)
never expresses the slightest concern for Panthea's honour and his references from Cyropedia is 6.3.15
The original text does not indicate anything close to what the author himself is referring to.

Another ridiculous statement on page 114 is (from foot note and text): Cyrus castrated men and employed them as his personal bodyguards. How can someone harm another human in such a manner and then leave him in charge for his own security????(Again the speculation that the author made has nothing to do with the text of Cyropedia, it was his imagination).
In chapter four we can see a discussion about Xenophon's book Hiero and how the tyrant must commit various criminal acts to acquire and to preserve his rule, but a closer examination of Xenophon's Hiero reveals that Xenophon's tyrant is in fact very different from Xenophon's Cyrus.
The Tyrantlives in luxury (Hiero IV.9),instead of admiring merit the tyrantkills people with merit(Hiero V.1,2),incriminate his fatherland, to train his citizens to soldiers, confers no pleasure on him(Hiero V 4),The tyrant instead of aiding or avenging despotic lord, murders private citizens andhe sets up statues of the doers of such deeds in temples(Hiero IV 4), and finally the Tyrant relies on foreign bodyguards only ,in fear for his own security he can not trust his countrymen.
If we compare behaviour and method of rule of Xenophon's tyrant in Hiero and his Cyrus in Cyropedia,
we can see striking difference in relation to his subjects, friends and family and way of life.
In my opinion Mr Nadon's analysis is not convincing andI hope that in near future we can have a deeper and more detailed study of Xenophon's masterpiece , Cyropedia
Xenophon has described Cyrus the Great as kind, benevolent and generous and the author had to twist and turn the text to suit his own conspiracy theory .
A much better book to read is Xenophon's Cyrus the Great, the art of leadership and war by Larry Hedrick.
You can visit[...] for a preview of a documentary film about Cyrus the Great.

The heart of the text
This is an illuminating and truly original interpretation of this rich and difficult book.Most other criticism of Xenophon is ultimately condescending and assumes that the author is somehow naive in the subjects he addresses here - leadership, politics, and the nature of a republic.Nadon takes the author on his own terms, rather than try to interpret him through modern theories.By approaching Xenophon with respect and scholarship, he finds the themes that unite this book and which show the modern reader the intent of this great classic mind.

Outstanding Interpretation
Nadon's careful examination of Xenophon's Education of Cyrus is by far the best available treatment of the work: careful, concise, beautifully written. Highly recommended as an introduction not only to Xenophon, but to the reading of classical literature generally. ... Read more

Book Description
Xenophon (431-355 BC), son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, was a soldier, mercenary and an admirer of Socrates. He is known for his writings on the history of his own times, the sayings of Socrates, and the life of Greece. He participated in the expedition led by Cyrus the Younger against his older brother, the emperor Artaxerxes II of Persia, in 401 BC. His record of the entire expedition against the Persians and the journey home was titled Anabasis (The Expedition or The March Up Country). He was later exiled from Athens, most likely because he fought under the Spartan king Agesilaus against Athens at Coronea. The Spartans gave him property at Scillus, near Olympia in Elis, where he composed the Anabasis. His writings are often read by beginning students of the Greek language. His Hellenica is a major primary source for events in Greece from 411 to 362 BC, and his Socratic writings, preserved complete, are the only surviving representatives of the genre of Sokratikoi logoi other than the dialogues of Plato. ... Read more

Book Description
The classic tale of Xenophon's long march through enemy territory from Persia (Iran), through present-day Iraq and Turkey, home to Greece. ... Read more

Book Description

Xenophon (ca. 430 to ca. 354 BCE) was a wealthy Athenian and friend of Socrates. He left Athens in 401 and joined an expedition including ten thousand Greeks led by the Persian governor Cyrus against the Persian king. After the defeat of Cyrus, it fell to Xenophon to lead the Greeks from the gates of Babylon back to the coast through inhospitable lands. Later he wrote the famous vivid account of this 'March Up-Country' (Anabasis); but meanwhile he entered service under the Spartans against the Persian king, married happily, and joined the staff of the Spartan king, Agesilaus. But Athens was at war with Sparta in 394 and so exiled Xenophon. The Spartans gave him an estate near Elis where he lived for years writing and hunting and educating his sons. Reconciled to Sparta, Athens restored Xenophon to honour but he preferred to retire to Corinth.

Xenophon's Anabasis is a true story of remarkable adventures. Hellenica, a history of Greek affairs from 411 to 362, begins as a continuation of Thucydides' account. There are four works on Socrates (collected in Volume IV of the Loeb Xenophon edition). In Memorabilia Xenophon adds to Plato's picture of Socrates from a different viewpoint. The Apology is an interesting complement to Plato's account of Socrates' defense at his trial. Xenophon's Symposium portrays a dinner party at which Socrates speaks of love; and Oeconomicus has him giving advice on household management and married life. Cyropaedia, a historical romance on the education of Cyrus (the Elder), reflects Xenophon's ideas about rulers and government; the Loeb edition is in two volumes.

We also have his Hiero, a dialogue on government; Agesilaus, in praise of that king; Constitution of Lacedaemon (on the Spartan system); Ways and Means (on the finances of Athens); Manual for a Cavalry Commander; a good manual of Horsemanship; and a lively Hunting with Hounds. The Constitution of the Athenians, though clearly not by Xenophon, is an interesting document on politics at Athens. These eight books are collected in the last of the seven volumes of the Loeb Classical Library edition of Xenophon.