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Xenophon (ca. 430 to ca. 354 BCE), a member of a wealthy but
politically quietist Athenian family and an admirer of Socrates,
left Athens in 401 BCE to serve as a mercenary commander for Cyrus
the Younger of Persia, then joined the staff of King Agesilaus II
of Sparta before settling in Elis and, in the aftermath of the
battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE, retiring to Corinth. His historical
and biographical works, Socratic dialogues and reminiscences, and
short treatises on hunting, horsemanship, economics, and the
Spartan constitution are richly informative about his own life and
times. This volume collects Xenophon's portrayals of his associate,
Socrates. In Memorabilia (or Memoirs of Socrates) and in
Oeconomicus, a dialogue about household management, we see the
philosopher through Xenophon's eyes. Here, as in the accompanying
Symposium, we also obtain insight on life in Athens. The volume
concludes with Xenophon's Apology, an interesting complement to
Plato's account of Socrates' defense at his trial.
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," inpraise 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.
This school/university student edition of "Thucydides: Book I" by
E.C. Marchant, consisting of Greek text, extensive philological
notes and indexes, is supplemented by a useful later introduction
and bibliography by Thomas Weidemann, covering the context and aims
of the work and giving essential background to the events
described.
This book, like its companions on Thucydides books I and IV, is
published primarily for students approaching a book of Thucydides
for the first time or studying the Peloponnesian War in a more
general way. The Greek text and notes are those of E.C. Marchant,
originally published in 1891, and the introduction is by Thomas
Wiedemann, who takes into account the needs of the modern student
and up-to-date research on Thucydides.
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