Xenophon c.435-c.354BC
Greek historian, essayist and soldier

He was born in Attica, the son of Gryllus, an Athenian knight, and disciple of Socrates. He was a skilled soldier and inspirational leader of his armies, and saw action in several campaigns, including the 401BC campaign with 10,000 Greek mercenaries under the Persian prince, Cyrus, the Younger, before returning to Scillus, near Olympia. He went there in 391 with his wife Philesia and his two sons, Gryllus and Diodorus, and spent the next 20 years of his life there, writing his books and indulging in the pursuits of a country gentleman. But the break-up of Spartan ascendancy after the Battle of Leuctra (371) drove him from his retreat, when Elis reclaimed Scyllus. The Athenians, who had now joined the Spartans against Thebes, repealed the sentence of banishment against him, but he settled and died in Corinth. His writings give the impression of having been written with great singleness of purpose, modesty and love of truth. They may be distributed into four groups: (1) historical - the Hellenica (Eng trans History of My Times, 1966, the history of Greece for 49 years serving as a continuation of Thucydides), Anabasis (Eng trans The March Upcountry, 1947, the story of the expedition with Cyrus) and Encomium of Agesilaus; (2) technical and didactic - De Praefectura Equestri (on horsemanship), the Hipparchicus ('guide for a cavalry commander') and the Cynegeticus ('guide to hunting'); (3) politico-philosophical - Respublica Lacedaemoniorum ('The Spartan Constitution'), Cyropaedia ('the education of Cyrus', rather a historical romance) and The Revenues (on Athenian finance); (4) ethicophilosophical - Memorabilia Socratis (sketches and dialogues illustrating the life and character of his master), Symposium (Eng trans 1970), Oeconomicus (Eng trans 1970), Hieron and Apologia (Eng trans Socrates' Defence Before the Jury, 1965). The Respublica Atheniensium, an anonymous work written about 415BC, is now known not to be by Xenophon. Xenophon's style and language are unaffected, simple and clear, without any attempt at ornamentation.

Bibliography: F Delebrecque, Essai sur la vie de Xenophon (1957)