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What was Xenophon known for?

What was Xenophon known for?

Xenophon (430—354 B.C.E.) Xenophon was a Greek philosopher, soldier, historian, memoirist, and the author of numerous practical treatises on subjects ranging from horsemanship to taxation.

Why is Xenophon important today?

Today, Xenophon is best known for his historical works. Much of what is known today about the Spartan society comes from Xenophon’s works – the royal biography of the Spartan king Agesilaus and the Constitution of the Lacedaemonians. Xenophon is recognized as one of the greatest writers of antiquity.

Who exactly was Xenophon and what’s he famous for essentially?

Xenophon, (born c. 430 bce, Attica, Greece—died shortly before 350, Attica), Greek historian and philosopher whose numerous surviving works are valuable for their depiction of late Classical Greece.

What did Xenophon say about Socrates?

In his Lives of Eminent Philosophers, the Greek biographer Diogenes Laertius reports how Xenophon came to be associated with Socrates. “They say that Socrates met him in a narrow lane, and put his stick across it and prevented him from passing by, asking him where all kinds of necessary things were sold.

How did Xenophon defend Socrates?

His gen- eral intent was to defend Socrates by portraying him as encouraging young men to become gentlemen like Xenophon himself—free from subjection to their own desires or the authority of an employer, men- tally and physically self-disciplined, willing to follow their own good sense where applicable and oracles and …

Did Xenophon known Socrates?

Xenophon (430-354 BCE) was an early disciple of Socrates and a contemporary of Plato. Xenophon’s other famous work, Memorabilia, deals in part with his memories of Socrates, and in the passage below, he addresses Socrates’ trial and execution by the Athenians in 399 BCE.

What effect did the Olympics have on the Greek city states?

The Olympic Games became so popular that they helped spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean and Black Seas area, to Greek colonies and beyond. Because the Games were held to honor Zeus and other gods; the Games also featured many religious celebrations, rituals, cultural and artistic competitions.

What did Herodotus do for Greece?

Herodotus has been called the “father of history.” An engaging narrator with a deep interest in the customs of the people he described, he remains the leading source of original historical information not only for Greece between 550 and 479 BCE but also for much of western Asia and Egypt at that time.

Does xenophanes believe in God?

Xenophanes espoused a belief that “God is one, supreme among gods and men, and not like mortals in body or in mind.” He maintained there was one greatest God. More particularly, the Methaphysics of Aristotle referred that for him “the All is God” (Metaph. 986b=A19).

Is Xenophon a reliable source?

Since the height of the Roman Empire, Xenophon has won praise for his detailed and reliable information on military matters, for his style, which is simple, straight-forward, and concise, and for his aptitude as a storyteller.

What does Xenophon say about Socrates?

Who was Xenophon and what did he do?

Xenophon was a Greek philosopher, soldier, historian, memoirist, and the author of numerous practical treatises on subjects ranging from horsemanship to taxation.

What kind of Education does Xenophon give his students?

Xenophon’s only explicit portrayal of Socratic education occurs not in a dialogue between Socrates and a promising young student, but between Socrates and the slow-witted, easy-going Euthydemus.

When did Xenophon witness the return of Alcibiades?

Detailed accounts of events in Hellenica suggest that Xenophon personally witnessed 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. Detailed account of Xenophon’s life starts 401 BC.

What kind of work did Xenophon write about Socrates?

Xenophon wrote four works about Socrates: the Memorabilia, the Oeconomicus, the Symposium, and the Apology of Socrates. What immediately distinguishes these Socratic writings from those of Plato is the more plebian character of their interlocutors.