Xenophon/Ksenophont

Xenophon is a student of Socrates, a writer, historian and professional military man. The author of "Memoirs of Socrates" and other Socratic writings - the main source of information about the life and teachings of Socrates, along with Plato's dialogues. From what Xenophon wrote, almost everything has come down to posterity (although some historians believe that some of the writings are attributed to him erroneously). Xenophon was a very versatile person.

The most famous are the following literary works of Xenophon, which have become classics of Greek prose: "Apology of Socrates", "Feast", "Domostroy", "Education of Cyrus", "Anabasis", "History of Greece" (conceived as a continuation of the story of Thucydides, it describes events from 411 years to 362, the year of the battle of Mantinea), “Eulogy to Agesilaus”, “Hieron, or the Life of a Tyrant” (a philosophical dialogue, the characters of which are the Sicilian tyrant Hieron and the poet Simonides of Ceos), etc.

As a writer, Xenophon was highly valued in antiquity. Cicero said that “his speech is sweeter than honey, and the Muses speak with his voice,” and classical Greek prose is still being studied from his works.

Xenophon did not immediately find recognition. Only in the III century. BC. his works became a model for authors writing about the upbringing of the rulers. We observe acquaintance with the writings of Xenophon among many Roman and Christian writers up to the 4th century. AD Popular in Imperial Greece as an example of the Attic dialect, he became a school writer.

Xenophon - life and works

Xenophon (c. 434 BC - 359 BC) - an ancient Greek writer, historian, Athenian commander and politician, partially outlined his autobiography in the book Xenophon, "Anabasis".

He was born in Athens around 430 BC. e., in a wealthy family, possibly belonging to the estate of riders.

His childhood and youth passed in the conditions of the Peloponnesian War, which did not prevent him from receiving not only a military, but also a broad general education. Socrates was his teacher. However, the philosophical ideas of that time, including the teachings of Socrates, had only a slight influence on him. The worldview of Xenophon remained the traditional worldview of the social environment to which he belonged by birth. This was especially pronounced in his religious views, which are characterized by faith in the direct intervention of the gods in human affairs, faith in all kinds of signs, through which the gods communicate their will to mortals. The ethical views of Xenophon do not rise above ordinary morality, and his political sympathies are entirely on the side of the Spartan aristocratic state system.

The collapse of the power of democratic Athens in 404 Xenophon experienced already at a conscious age, and during the subsequent political events, he apparently supported the reaction. Anti-democratic sentiments, probably, forced him to leave his homeland in 401 and join Cyrus's expedition as a private person.

Together with the Greek mercenaries of Cyrus, he went through the entire campaign: the attack on Babylon, the battle of Kunaks and the retreat through Armenia to Trebizond and further west to Byzantium, Thrace and Pergamon. In Pergamon, Xenophon, who had been elected one of the strategists of the Greek army back in Mesopotamia, and later in Thrace was actually its commander in chief, handed over the surviving soldiers (about 5,000 people) to Fibron, a Spartan commander who was gathering an army to wage war with the satrap Pharnabazus, and Xenophon, apparently, retained command over his detachment.

The transition under the command of the Spartans was the reason for the expulsion of Xenophon from the borders of his homeland, which, in turn, determined his entire future fate. In Asia Minor, Xenophon became close to the Spartan king Agesilaus, crossed with him to Greece and served under his command, taking part in battles and campaigns against the enemies of Sparta, including against Athens. In the late 80s, he retired from public affairs, settling in the estate allotted to him by the Spartans in Skillunt near Olympia. Here he lived for ten years, doing agriculture, hunting and literature. The writing of "Anabasis" also belongs to this time. Reconciliation with his native city took place only at the end of Xenophon's life. When the war broke out between Sparta and Thebes, Athens was in alliance with Sparta and Xenophon received an amnesty. But there is no information about his return to his homeland and the date of his death.

His writings, listed by his biographer Diogenes, have all come down to us. The best of them is "Anabasis" (or "The Campaign of Cyrus"), which tells the unsuccessful expedition of Cyrus the Younger and the retreat of 10 tons of Greeks; the story is told in the third person, and Xenophon himself, in his Greek History, names Themistogenes of Syracuse as the author of it: he obviously published this work under a pseudonym. In literary merit and truthfulness, the Anabasis rivals Caesar's commentary on the Gallic War.

In addition to historical books, he also wrote a number of philosophical ones. As a student of Socrates, he sought in a popular form to give an idea of ​​his personality and teachings.

After him, there were also "Memoirs of Socrates", "Apology of Socrates", "Feast" in which the teachings of Socrates are presented in terms of applying it to everyday life. In these works, Socrates as a person is given much more space than his philosophy.

Among these so-called "Socratic writings" is also a very interesting treatise "Domostroy" (another, no less accurate translation is "Economics"). It is written in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and the wealthy Athenian Critobulus and is dedicated to expounding Socrates' ideas on the proper management of the household. In fact, this is the first ever essay on economics. Separate places of "Domostroy" are able to arouse the interest of an economist to this day.

ancient Greek writer, historian, Athenian commander and politician, whose main work - "Anabasis Cyrus" - was highly valued by ancient rhetoricians and had a huge impact on Latin prose

Biography

The collapse of the power of democratic Athens due to the Peloponnesian war lost to Sparta in 404 BC. e. Xenophon survived already at a conscious age, and during the subsequent political events, he apparently supported the reaction. Anti-democratic sentiments, probably, forced him to leave his homeland in 401 BC. e. and join as a private individual the Cyrus Expedition. After the death of Cyrus and the perfidious beating of the Greek generals by the Persians, Xenophon, with great courage and skill, led the retreat of ten thousand Greeks through enemy territory. Together with the Greek mercenaries, he went through the entire campaign: the attack on Babylon, the battle of Kunaks and the retreat through Armenia to Trebizond and further west to Byzantium, Thrace and Pergamon. In Pergamon, Xenophon, who was still in Mesopotamia was elected one of the strategists of the Greek army, and later in Thrace was actually his commander in chief, handed over the surviving soldiers (about 5,000 people) to Fibron, a Spartan commander who was gathering an army to wage war with the satrap Pharnabazus. Xenophon himself, together with the Spartan king Agesilaus, went to Greece.

Convicted in Athens for high treason, as having joined the enemies of the people, he was subjected to confiscation of property. This determined his future fate. In Asia Minor, Xenophon became close to the Spartan king Agesilaus, crossed with him to Greece and served under his command, taking part in battles and campaigns against the enemies of Sparta, including against Athens. He was rewarded by the Spartans, who gave him an estate near the Elidian city of Skillunta.

There he lived in seclusion, engaged in literary works, until his peace was disturbed by the struggle of the Thebans with Sparta. After the battle of Leuctra, he, in 370 BC. e., fled from Skillunt and escaped with difficulty in Corinth. From here he again entered into relations with his homeland, then allied with the Lacedaemonians against Thebes. The sentence of his exile was canceled, but soon Xenophon died.

Worldview of Xenophon

The philosophical ideas of that time, including the teachings of Socrates, had only a slight influence on him. This was especially pronounced in his religious views, which are characterized by faith in the direct intervention of the gods in human affairs, faith in all kinds of signs, through which the gods communicate their will to mortals. The ethical views of Xenophon do not rise above ordinary morality, and his political sympathies are entirely on the side of the Spartan aristocratic state system.

His writings, listed by his biographer Diogenes, have all come down to us.

• The best of them is "Anabasis of Cyrus" (or "Crossing of Cyrus" - ????? ????????), which tells about the unsuccessful expedition of Cyrus the Younger and the retreat of 10,000 Greeks. The story is told in the third person, one of the characters is Xenophon himself. In literary merit and truthfulness, the Anabasis rivals Caesar's commentary on the Gallic war. In "Greek History" (book III, ch. 1, 2), he names Themistogenes of Syracuse as its author: obviously, he published this work under a pseudonym.
• "Greek History" covers the period from 411 to the Battle of Mantinea in 362, the period of the formation and flourishing of Greek statehood.
• Of a didactic character is Cyropedia (????? ???????, "On the Education of Cyrus"), a kind of tendentious historical novel, exposing Cyrus the Elder as a model of a good ruler; from a historical point of view, many facts are conveyed incorrectly in it.

In addition to historical books, he also wrote a number of philosophical ones. As a student of Socrates, he sought to give an idea of ​​his personality and teachings in a popular form.

• After him there were also “Memories of Socrates” (????????????? ?????????), “Apology of Socrates” (?????????? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????????), "Feast" in which the teachings of Socrates are presented in terms of applying it to everyday life. In these works, Socrates as a person is given much more space than his philosophy.

• Among these so-called. “Socratic Works” also includes a very interesting treatise “Domostroy” (another translation is “Economics”). It is written in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and the wealthy Athenian Critobulus and is dedicated to expounding Socrates' ideas on the proper management of the household. In fact, this is the first ever essay on economics. Separate places of "Domostroy" are able to arouse the interest of an economist to this day.

List of works

The works of Xenophon listed by Diogenes Laertes have been preserved almost completely. They are usually divided into several types

• historical

• "Anabasis"
• "Greek History"
• "Kyropedia"
• "Agesilaus"

• Philosophical (Socratic works and dialogue "Hieron")

• "Memories of Socrates"
• "Defending Socrates at Trial"
• "Feast"
• "Domostroy"
• "Hieron"

• "Lacedaemonian polity"
• "Athenian polity" (spuria; anonymous composition, does not belong to Xenophon, included in the corpus of his writings by mistake in antiquity)
• "Revenues of the city of Athens"
• "About the cavalry"
• "Hunting"
• "Hipparchus"

What little we know about the life of Xenophon has to be taken from the book of Diogenes Laertius "On the Life, Teachings and Sayings of Famous Philosophers", written in the 3rd century. AD Some indications can be found in the writings of Xenophon himself. Philosophy Xenophon studied with the Sophists, he also received good cavalry training - both of which are evidence that Xenophon's father, Grill, had a considerable fortune (most likely as a landowner).

Be that as it may, we can confidently judge the factors that determined the formation of Xenophon's personality, influenced his worldview, gave direction to his political activity and writing. Aristocratic origin and upbringing constituted a very definite foundation, and on this basis the impressions from the fierce political struggle in which Xenophon himself took a direct part, and from the instructions of the newest sages, who generously sowed the seeds of rationalistic criticism around themselves, erected a whole edifice, a whole complex of interconnected ideas. Knowing the subsequent activities and work of Xenophon, we can say with confidence that among these ideas were the idea of ​​the incompatibility of the democratic system with the principles of justice, understood in the spirit of aristocratic rationalism, and the growing conviction of the failure of the polis republic in general, and faith in the unlimited possibilities of a strong personality, commander and politician, endowed with a perfect mind and will and having real power in the person of, say, a devoted army. This belief in the primacy of strength and in the possibility of a perfect personality constitutes the main thing that the future author of the Cyropaedia had to endure from the years of his apprenticeship, on the basis of personal experience and under the influence of the latest philosophical doctrines.

It is not known to what extent Xenophon tried to follow these beliefs in the first, Athenian, period of his life. He was undoubtedly looking for an excuse to advance; he was drawn to ambitious people like himself, and we know that he became close friends with the young Boeotian Proxenus, who went to Cyrus the Younger, hoping in his service and with his help "to become famous, gain great influence and get rich" (Xenophon, Anabasis, II 6, 17).

However, Xenophon did not have a real opportunity for promotion in his homeland, in Athens. The Athenian democratic polis still had fairly strong foundations and traditions and, despite all the hardships that fell to its lot during the Peloponnesian War, managed to cope with both oligarchic actions and the intrigues of individual ambitious people. And then followed the process of the teacher Xenophon Socrates, which so vividly demonstrated the strength of the protective aspirations of Athenian democracy.

Thus, in post-war Athens, the field of free activity for ambitious aristocrats, like Xenophon, was closed. It is not surprising, therefore, that Xenophon readily agreed to the invitation of his friend Proxenus to take part in the expedition of Cyrus the Younger. This was in the summer of 401. By that time, Proxenus was already in Asia, putting together one of the mercenary detachments on behalf of Cyrus.

In 401 BC Xenophon joined a large army of Greek mercenaries, which Cyrus the Younger recruited in order to take the throne from his brother Artaxerxes. Cyrus died in the first battle.

Then began a long retreat of the Greek mercenaries. Xenophon, elected one of the new strategists, managed to distinguish himself as a talented organizer and commander, and at the final stage of the campaign he single-handedly led the Greek army. Using his position as de facto commander in chief, he twice at this time tried to persuade his associates to stay in Pontus and found a new city. As the founder of the city, Xenophon could count on a leadership position in the new state. However, his intention ran into the stubborn unwillingness of the other mercenaries to stay.

At the end of the return campaign, in view of the hostile actions of the Spartan authorities, who thus wanted to demonstrate a good attitude towards the Persian king, Xenophon with the surviving soldiers was hired to serve the Thracian king Sevf. According to the agreement, Seuth had to provide Xenophon with asylum in case he was persecuted by Sparta, and in addition, cede to him part of the coastal possessions. Never had Xenophon come so close to having his own domain. Nevertheless, this possibility did not come true: Seuthes, having established power over the Thracian tribes with the help of Xenophon and his mercenaries, turned out to be prudent enough not to give up his fortresses to a foreigner who had an impressive military force.

Two or three years later, Xenophon joined the Spartan army, which fought against the Persians in Asia Minor. This happened not least because of the sympathy that inspired him who arrived here in 396 BC. command the troops of the Spartan king Agesilaus (c. 444-360 BC). Probably, under Agesilaus, Xenophon was in his time in the Spartan service, including in Greece. Thus, in his pro-Spartan sympathies, Xenophon crossed all permissible limits. Finally, after in 394 BC. Xenophon took the side of Sparta against Athens at the battle of Coronea, his fellow citizens sentenced him to eternal exile, and all his property was confiscated.

After that, Xenophon moved to Sparta and received a land allotment in Skillunt near Olympia. Here he lived, no longer taking an active part in the war and state affairs, devoting himself entirely to creativity. The fall of Elis from Sparta after the defeat inflicted by Thebes on Sparta at Leuctra in 371 BC forced Xenophon to leave these places too, and he settled in Corinth. Now Xenophon stopped relying on Sparta, and felt a burning hatred for Thebes, the strongest participant in the endless inter-Greek conflicts at that time, which equally weakened all states. Since Athens by that time had entered into an anti-Theban coalition with Sparta, Xenophon managed to achieve reconciliation with his homeland. The law for the expulsion of Xenophon was repealed. However, apparently, Xenophon did not return to his homeland and continued to live in Corinth, until his death.

A kind of life training, a combination of theoretical knowledge gained in the school of Socrates, with personal military experience and the associated unity of political and military interests allowed Xenophon to significantly enrich both military art and political theory, looking at them from mutually opposite points of view. It was he who first began to interpret military affairs not only from a technical point of view - others did it - but also from a social one, establishing that the army is also a social organism that must be led, and that, consequently, any commander should be not just a commander but also as an organizer. On the other hand, having transferred his military experience to politics, he also singled out the central problem of leadership here, and, moreover, not only in politics, but also in economics, thus being the forerunner of modern sociological science.

The vast majority of Xenophon's writings are works of acute socio-political orientation. True, not all of them have the characteristic form of a political treatise: four works - Anabasis, Cyropedia, Greek History and Agesilaus - can be attributed to the historical genre, two - Economics and Hieron" - to the genre of philosophical dialogue, two more - "On the duties of a hipparchus" and "On equestrian art" - to the category of special instructions, and only the other two - "Lacedaemonian polity" and "On incomes" - undoubtedly have form of political treatise. However, in essence all these works are political, and this is true even for such a seemingly purely historical work as the Greek History. The author gives here an overview of the events of the recent past (from 411 to 362), setting as his goal the glorification or justification of Sparta and its king - his friend Agesilaus.

All these writings are imbued with the topic of the day; their extreme relevance is explained by the nature of the author, for whom literary creativity was primarily a means of settling accounts with reality. The struggle thus continued was carried out both for purely personal purposes (protection and exaltation of one’s own actions in Anabasis), and from more general positions, reflecting the reaction of the wealthy and aristocratic elite of Greek society, to which Xenophon belonged, to the socio-political situation, established by the middle of the 4th century.

The most famous works of Xenophon are: “Memories of Socrates”, “Defense of Socrates at trial”, “Feast”, “Domostroy”, which, along with dialogues Plato, are the main source of knowledge about life and teaching Socrates who left no written works...

“People understood the benefits of specialization a long time ago. Here is what the Greek writer and historian Xenophon said about it in the 4th century BC: “... In small towns, the same master makes a bed, a door, a plow, a table, and often the same person builds a house, and he , if at least it finds enough customers to feed itself. On the contrary, in large cities, due to the fact that many people are in need of each item, each craftsman is enough for his livelihood and one craft ... And sometimes even a person earns his living solely by sewing blanks for shoes, another - by cuts out the soles, the third - only by cutting out the fronts, and the fourth - without doing any of this, but only sewing everything together. Of course, one who spends time in such a limited work is able to do it in the best possible way.

Bilenkin D.A., The Way of Thought, M., "Children's Literature", 1982, p. 209.

“The most beautiful woman is rather arrogant than envious: she rarely meets rivals, and if her claims to primacy are noticeable, then who is able to argue with her charms, with her charming look? But a man of genius exists only in the opinion of the world; another's rivalry will darken it [existence], and another's superiority will completely destroy it. The life of writers and artists is a sad example of such envy, which feverishly tunes the soul. Why Plato avoids mentioning Xenophon, and why Xenophon, speaking of Plato, tries to dissolve all sorts of absurdities, is it not with the aim of overshadowing his glory? They even wrote in these forms. everlasting inclination Aristotle disagrees with the system of his teacher Plato, while he actually followed it, it led him to noticeable abstractions and contradictions to himself ... "

Isaac D "Israeli, Literary character, or the history of a genius, Dubna," International University of Nature, Society and Man "Dubna", 2000, pp. 162-163.

Xenophon - student Socrates. Here is what he - including - wrote about the trial of the Teacher: ““...Socrates,” said the accuser, “taught to treat fathers contemptuously: he inspired his interlocutors with the conviction that he was making them wiser than their fathers, and pointed out that, according to the law, one can even put his father in chains, if his insanity is proved: this served him as evidence in favor of the legality of an educated person keeping an uneducated person in fetters.
In fact Socrates was of the opinion that a man who puts another in chains for his lack of education can legally be put in chains by people who know what he does not know. In view of this, he often examined the question of the difference between ignorance and madness: madmen, he thought, should be kept in chains, both for their own benefit and for the benefit of their friends; and as for those who do not know what needs to be known, justice requires that they learn from those who know.

Xenophon, Socratic Writings. Kiropedia, M., "Ast"; "Ladomir", 2003, p. 41.

- (Xenophon) (born c. 450 - d. 354 BC) - ancient Greek. writer, historian, Athenian commander and politician. In addition to historical books, he also wrote a number of philosophical ones. As a student of Socrates, he sought to give in a popular form ... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

Xenophon- Xenophon, son of Grill, an Athenian, from the case of Erchia. He was extremely modest and extremely good-looking. They say that Socrates met him in a narrow alley, blocked his way with his staff and asked where he could buy such and such food? Having received… About the life, teachings and sayings of famous philosophers

A, husband. Father: Ksenofontovich, Ksenofontovna; unfold Xenofontych. Derivatives: Xenofontushka; Xena (Xenya); Senya; Foch; Fonya. Origin: (From the Greek xenos stranger, foreigner and phone voice.) Name day: February 8, July 11 Dictionary of personal names. Xenophon... ... Dictionary of personal names

Xenophon- Xenophon (Ξενοφῶν) (c. 445, Athens c. 355 BC, Corinth), student of Socrates, writer, historian and professional military man; author of the Memoirs of Socrates and other Socratic writings, which, along with the dialogues of Plato, are for us ... ... ancient philosophy

- (Xenophon, Ξενοφω̃ν). Greek historian and thinker, student of Socrates. Genus. about 444 BC and lived for more than 90 years. He took part in the campaign of Cyrus the Younger against Artaxerxes, and when Cyrus was killed in the battle of Kunax, Xenophon took the lead ... Encyclopedia of mythology

Stranger, foreigner Dictionary of Russian synonyms. xenophon n., number of synonyms: 2 name (1104) historian ... Synonym dictionary

Xenophon, Ksenophon, c. 430 ok. 355 BC e., Greek historian. The son of a wealthy Athenian Grill, a student of Socrates. In 401 he joined the army of Cyrus the Younger. He took part in the battle of Kunaksa, and after the death of Cyrus and the treacherous ... ... Ancient writers

- (about 430 355 or 354 BC), Greek writer and historian. The author of Greek history (in 7 books) a presentation of the events of 411 362 BC from pro-Spartan and anti-democratic positions ... Modern Encyclopedia

- (c. 430 355 or 354 BC) ancient Greek writer and historian. The main historical work Greek history (in 7 books) a summary of the events of 411 362 BC. e. from pro-Spartan and anti-democratic positions… Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (about 430 355 or 354 BC) an ancient Greek writer and historian. Participated in the Corinthian War (395 387) on the side of Sparta. In Athens, he was sentenced to death in absentia. About 369 he was restored to civil rights, but to his homeland in ... ... Historical dictionary

Books

• Xenophon. Cyropaedia, Xenophon. 1976 edition. Among the Greek writers of the classical period (5th - 4th centuries BC), it is difficult to find another whose work would be to such an extent conditioned by personal and social ...
• Xenophon. Greek History, . Xenophon of Athens is one of the great authors of the period of Greek classics. Consistent in affections, all his life remaining true to once chosen principles, he poured out his ...