Summary |
Xenophon of Athens was a contemporary of Plato and a fellow student of Socrates. His writings span a range of genres but those with a greater philosophical focus provide important evidence for the development of Socratic ethics in the first half of the fourth century BCE, and perhaps also for the wider thought of the historical Socrates. While Xenophon’s ethical thought (mostly found in his Socratic dialogues, the Memorabilia) was highly valued during the early modern period, his philosophical acuity was questioned in the twentieth century. However, political philosophers in the Straussian tradition have asserted his importance, seeing important political lessons on autocracy in his Cyropaedia and Hiero, and on leadership in his Anabasis, his historical works (Hellenica, Agesilaus), and various minor works of military instruction. Xenophon’s Symposium and Oeconomicus provide playful views of Athenian gender norms, while his Apology gives an honest appraisal of Socrates’ impact on his fellow citizens. |