Historical Figures

Xenophon

Unlike what happens with Herodotus and Thucydides, we have more information about Xenophon's biography thanks to the references to his life contained in his works and to the writings of Diogenes Laertius.

Xenophon was born in Athens in 430 BC. During the Peloponnesian War, in the bosom of a wealthy family and, like the rest of the young Athenian nobles, he received a careful education. He was a student of Socrates whom he held in great esteem, so much so that several of his books collect Socratic teachings and extol his figure. Belonging to the order of the knights, he participated as such in the Peloponnesian War and was a direct witness to the Athenian defeat and the loss of Attic hegemony. At the age of 30, the event that conditioned the rest of his life took place:after accepting Proxeno's invitation, as many other young Athenians did, he enlisted in the expedition -which history would remember as that of the Ten Thousand-. to help the Persian king, Cyrus the Younger, who disputed the throne with his uncle Artaxerxes. After winning at Cunaxa and due to internal problems, the Ten Thousand returned to Greece through the plains of Anatolia. This experience marked the life of Xenophon, who captured it in his Anábasis .

After his return he was banished, although there are discrepancies when it comes to setting the exact date of his start. One version maintains that it occurred in the year 399, just after returning from the expedition, and would be justified by his participation in the Persian conflict. The other version maintains that it will be a few years later, in 394, and as a consequence of having placed himself at the service of the Spartan king Agesilaus against the Athenians in the battle of Coronea. Regardless of the actual date, we know that thanks to his friendship with Agesilaus, the latter allowed him to settle in Escilunte, near Olympia, where, in addition to leading a quiet life as a rural owner, it seems that he began to write his works. There he remained until 371 B.C. when the Eleans, after the battle of Leuctra, forced Xenophon out of retirement from him. The last years of his life are confused and we do not know for sure if he returned to Athens after the general amnesty granted in 368 or if he went directly to Corinth where he died in 355 BC.

Xenophon's life will have a decisive influence on his writings and his experiences will shape his conception of the Greek world. He was, firstly, a man of action who actively participated in the conflicts of his time and, secondly, a writer who sought to reflect the events he had lived through. His extensive literary production covers fields as diverse as history, philosophy, home economics and even horse racing. The historical dimension of it is collected in three works: Anábasis , Hellenic and Agesilaus . In the first, which contains numerous self-references, he describes for us the expedition of the Ten Thousand. In the second search, as he himself points out, to continue the unfinished History of the Peloponnesian War of Thucydices and narrate the events that happened after the end of the war. And in the third he recounts the biography of the Spartan king Agesilaus.

Xenophon's ability as a historian has always been highly questioned, even more so in contrast to Thucydides, his immediate predecessor. There are more vices attributed to it (not being exhaustive in data collection, forgetting important issues and even premeditatedly marginalizing relevant events) than virtues attributed to it. He has also been criticized for his bias, as he adopts a highly subjective perspective in favor of Sparta and Athens, with whom he feels greater affinity, omitting certain controversial facts and instead emphasizing his achievements.

What Xenophon has as a “bad” historian, he has as a “good” writer. The simple and clear character of his stories, as well as the vividness and pleasant flow of his narration, have caused him to be praised for his writing. He highlights, especially, the drama of his speeches, much more truthful and sentimental than those recorded by Thucydides. The descriptions of the characters, through sober and precise strokes, are more credible and detailed. Finally, he is a great connoisseur of military tactics and strategies that he masterfully captures, to the point that at times he seems to be closer to the profession of journalist or war correspondent than to that of historian.

The sources he uses to prepare his works, just as Herodotus did, are his personal experiences and his travels that allowed him to know, on first-hand occasions, hand, the events he is about to narrate. And when he does not have exact knowledge of what happened, he turns to direct or indirect witnesses. We do not know if he had access to written documentation.

Xenophon will not be remembered as a great historian. The shadow of Thucydides obscures his work. Even so, his legacy helps us understand a convulsive and decadent time, in which the Hellenism that will characterize the coming centuries is making its way. This incipient Hellenism can already be observed in his books, as can be deduced from the growing importance he attributes to individual traits, the appearance of the biographies of the characters that appear in them, and the concern for idealized pedagogy and the supremacy of the Greek spirit. above the interests of the cities.


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