34 Facts About Xenophon

Today, Xenophon is recognized as one of the greatest writers of antiquity.

Xenophon wrote Cyropaedia, outlining both military and political methods used by Cyrus the Great to conquer the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 539 BC.

Xenophon was born c in the deme of Erchia in Athens; his father was called Gryllus and belonged to an Athenian aristocratic family.

Accounts of events in Hellenica suggest that Xenophon personally witnessed tumultuous political events such as the return of Alcibiades in 407 BC, the trial of the generals in 406 BC, and the overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants in 403 BC.

Personally invited by Proxenus of Beotia, one of the captains in Cyrus's mercenary army, Xenophon, sailed to Ephesus to meet Cyrus the Younger and participate in Cyrus's military campaign against Tissaphernes, the Persian satrap of Ionia.

Xenophon describes his life in 401 BC and 400 BC in the memoir Anabasis.

Xenophon writes that he asked Socrates for advice on whether to go with Cyrus and that Socrates referred him to the Pythia.

When Xenophon returned to Athens and told Socrates of the oracle's advice, Socrates chastised him for asking so disingenuous a question.

One night, Xenophon formed a body of archers and light cavalry.

Xenophon's scouts found another ford, but the Persians blocked this as well.

Xenophon sent a small force back toward the other ford, causing the Persians to detach a major part of their force parallel.

Xenophon ordered small parties of his men to appear on the hill road, and when the defenders shot at them, one soldier would leap into the trees.

Xenophon ordered his men to deploy the line extremely thin so as to overlap the enemy.

The Colchians divided their army to check the Greek deployment, opening a gap in their line through which Xenophon rushed in his reserves.

Xenophon's Anabasis ends in 399 BC in the city of Pergamon with the arrival of the Spartan commander Thimbron.

Xenophon describes Dercylidas as a significantly more experienced commander than Thimbron.

Xenophon received an estate in Scillus where he spent the next twenty-three years.

Diogenes writes that Xenophon lived in Corinth until his death in 354 BC, at around the age of 74 or 75.

Xenophon took a keen interest in political philosophy and his work often examines leadership.

Xenophon wrote the Cyropaedia to outline his political and moral philosophy.

Xenophon did this by endowing a fictional version of the boyhood of Cyrus the Great, founder of the first Persian Empire, with the qualities of what Xenophon considered the ideal ruler.

Xenophon relates that at this time the Medes were the strongest of the kingdoms that opposed the Babylonians.

However, following the lead of Leo Strauss, David Johnson suggests that there is a subtle layer to the book in which Xenophon conveys criticism of the Persians, the Spartans, and the Athenians.

Xenophon plays upon the post-Persian-war propagandistic paradigm of using mythological imagery to represent the Greco-Persian conflict.

Xenophon cites the regression of the Persians directly after the death of Cyrus as the result of this instability, a union made possible only through Cyrus.

Xenophon is depicted as not subject to the foibles of others.

Xenophon used the example of the Persians to decry the attempts at empire made by Athens and Sparta.

Xenophon goes on to describe in detail the main aspects of Laconia.

The author, often called in English the "Old Oligarch" or Pseudo-Xenophon, detests the democracy of Athens and the poorer classes, but he argues that the Periclean institutions are well designed for their deplorable purposes.

Xenophon's works include a selection of Socratic dialogues; these writings are preserved.

Xenophon was not present at the trial of Socrates, having been on campaign in Anatolia and Mesopotamia.

Xenophon asserts that Socrates dealt with his prosecution in an exceedingly arrogant manner, or at least was perceived to have spoken arrogantly.

Xenophon framed Socrates' defense, which both men admit was not prepared at all, not as a failure to argue, but as striving for death even in the light of unconvincing charges.

Xenophon's days were likely spent in relative leisure here, and he wrote these treatises about the sorts of activities he spent time on.