Xenophon

Xenophon (Greek Ξενοφῶν; * 430-425 BC in Athens; † after 355 BC in Corinth ) was an ancient Greek politician, military leader and writer in the fields of history, economics and philosophy.

Life

What is known today about Xenophon's life is taken from his own works and a philosophical-historical writing in the 3rd century essentially.

Xenophon, son of Gryllus, of the deme of Athens was Erchia. He came from a wealthy family, probably from the " knighthood ", which was disposed rather oligarchic. He was already at a young age ( 410-401 BC), a supporter of the Athenian philosopher Socrates, who had, according to an anecdote locked him in a narrow alley way and should have asked him where they could buy a variety of foods. After the young had replied Xenophon, Socrates asked him: " And where people are noble and things? " Xenophon was taken aback and Socrates should have followed ever since. Even though his acquaintance with Socrates may not have lasted long ( Xenophon left Athens 401 BC, Socrates died during his absence 399 BC ), Xenophon continued Socrates and wrote a long time later dialogues in which Socrates is the main actor discussions with other leads.

In the year 402 BC, the Greek Proxenos of Thebes had been commissioned by the Persian prince Cyrus to recruit Greek mercenaries for a campaign, whereupon he also invited Xenophon among others the army camp to Sardis. Xenophon reported to have been inconclusive, since it was not welcome in Athens with certainty that the Athenians were in the service of the Persians, especially since Cyrus had taken the side of the warring Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. He therefore decided to travel separately to Delphi and consult the local oracle. Xenophon asked the question but according to his own statement even so that he did not get to answer whether he should travel, but only to what gods he should turn to in order to survive the journey intact. So he traveled 401 BC the Achaemenid Empire.

Xenophon accompanied the Greek part of the so-called train the 10,000 initially as a civilian with no military function. The leader Cyrus fell but already 401 BC at the Battle of Cunaxa. The army broke up and the Greek mercenary squad had to try to fend for themselves to the sea. As their leader, Proxenos of Thebes fell, Xenophon, whose voice was always overweight earlier, was elected as the new commander, but rejected claims to be from. Xenophon came with the army to the Black Sea, then Byzantium to Pergamum.

In subsequent years, the unwanted in Athens Xenophon joined the Spartans and their out of Agesilaus army. This then gave him an estate in Scillus to which he retired in the 380s - years with his wife and two sons Philesia. There he took care of the business and devoted himself to spiritual pursuits. Here the historical works Anabasis and Hellenica, and an economic font and philosophical dialogues emerged. 371 BC, however, fell Scillus and Xenophon's family moved to Corinth. 367/366, the sentence of banishment was repealed on Xenophon of Athens, after which he, as one but can only assume went back there after 35 years, but then died, according to Diogenes Laertius in Corinth.

We do not know much about relationships with other students, Socrates, Plato and Aristippus of Cyrene, but he should have been in a bad relationship. Diogenes Laertius attributes it to a rivalry between the two philosophers that both Xenophon as Plato have written a banquet and a defense speech of Socrates. Furthermore, the moral treatises, the other its written Memorabilia and Plato the education of Cyrus have (there is a script to Xenophon ) dismissed as fiction. Some researchers refer to the Memorabilia of Xenophon numerous references to the Dialogues of Plato.

Aftereffect

Xenophon's works, particularly the Socratic writings and the Anabasis were ( read he was, among others, by Marcus Tullius Cicero and praised ) partly due to its sober and clear language popular; he remains to this day an important stylistic model for the Attic Greek. As Xenophon was partly eyewitness to the reported events, it is also an important source for the history of Greek 4th century BC and has again attracted the interest of research in recent times. Also for the history of philosophy it is of importance as a critical complement to the presentation of Socrates in the works of Plato. His works Hipparchikos and about the art of riding are now widely seen as the basis of Hippologie. The you can find there evidence has still still valid.

Xenophon made ​​also thought to economics, which he recorded primarily in two books: economicus ( talking about the financial management) and De Vectigalibus ( ways and means of the state to give money). In this he deals with the principles of good financial management on the one hand and on the other hand, with the economy of Athens. Tomáš Sedláček sees these works as the very first stand-alone textbooks for micro-and macroeconomics.

Moreover, Xenophon employed with subjective theory of value and division of labor.

Portraits

There are four replicas receive a non- preserved original portrait. One of these replicas, one in 1940 discovered in Cairo Herme, is now in the museum in Alexandria. The emergence period of the original BC estimated for the years 335-330, when Xenophon had already died.

Writings

It is believed that as in the case of Plato all the writings of Xenophon are obtained. Also, as with Plato is also assumed that not all of the traditional writings under his name actually comes from Xenophon. These include the Constitution of the Athenians, and probably also the treatise on hunting. Sure are spurious About Thegnis and Xenophonbriefe. The following classification of the 15 writings of Xenophon follows by Klaus Döring:

Historical writings

• Anabasis, The march of Cyrus the highlands ( autobiographical account of the " train the 10,000 " in the Persian Empire and back)
• Hellenika, History of Greece ( 411-362 BC, direct connection to the work of Thucydides )
• Agesilaus ( eulogy of the Spartan king Agesilaus )

Socratic writings

• Memorabilia, memories of Socrates
• Symposium banquet ( philosophical- literary dialogue during a banquet )
• Apology, defense speech of Socrates ( hypothetical speech for the defense of the accused Socrates in court)
• Oikonomikos, utility

Educational and political science journals

• Kyrupädie, Education of Cyrus ( writing on political education about the depicted as the ideal ruler Persian king Cyrus II )
• Hieron ( dialogue on tyranny )
• Pori, Past Revenue ( ways of raising money for the city-state of Athens )
• Political Constitution of the Lacedaemonians (description of the estimate of its Spartan constitution and way of life )

More

• Hipparchikos ( treatise on the duties of a cavalry commander )
• About the art of riding
• Kynegetikos, Treatise on Hunting
• Political Constitution of the Athenians

Total expenditure and Translations

Total expenditure

• Edgar Cardew Marchant (ed.): Opera omnia, 5 volumes, Oxonii E Typographeo Clarendoniano, Oxford from 1900 to 1920 (there are reprints ) Volume 1: Historia Graeca, 1900 ( Internet Archive )
• Volume 2: Commentarii, economicus, Convivium, Apologia Socratis, 1901 ( Internet Archive )
• Volume 3: expeditions Cyri, 1904 ( Internet Archive )
• Volume 4: Institutional Cyri, 1910 ( Internet Archive )
• Volume 5: Opuscula, 1920 ( Internet Archive )

Translations of single fonts

• Rainer Nickel ( ed.): Kyrupädie. The Education of Cyrus, Greek - German, Artemis and Winkler, Munich 1992
• Walter Müri, Bernhard Zimmermann (Eds. ): Anabasis. The train of the Ten Thousand, Greek - German, Artemis Verlag, Munich 1990
• Gisela Strasburger (ed.) Hellenika, Greek - German, 2nd edition, Munich 1988
• E. Bux (eds. ): The Socratic writings, Kröner, Stuttgart 1956
• R. Baer ( Ed.): Xenophon's Apology of Socrates, German, Greek, bear, Niederuzwil 2007
• Ekkehard starch (ed.): The Banquet, Greek / German, Reclam, Stuttgart, 1986
• Anabasis. Hellenika. Memories of Socrates, Emil Vollmer Verlag, Wiesbaden oJ ( Licensed edition of the translation of Müri, Strasburger and Järisch )