Xenophon

Xenophon (c. 430 BC - 354 BC) was a Greek historian, philosopher, and military commander, born at Athens, son of an Athenian of good position. He was a pupil and friend of Socrates. He joined the expedition of Cyrus against his brother Artaxerxes, and on the failure of it conducted the ten thousand Greeks - "the Retreat of the Ten Thousand" - who went up with him back to the Bosphorus. He served afterwards in several military adventures, brought himself under the ban of his fellow-citizens in Athens, and retired to Elis, where he spent 20 years of his life in the pursuits of country life and in the prosecution of literature.

The principal of his literary works, which it appears have all come down to us, are the "Anabasis," being an account in seven books of the expedition of Cyrus and his own conduct of the retreat; the "Memorabilia," in four books, being an account of the life and teaching and in defence of his master Socrates; the "Helenica," in seven books, being an account of 49 years of Grecian history in continuation of Thucydides to the battle of Mantinea; and "Cyropædeia," in eight books, being an ideal account of the education of Cyrus the Elder.

Xenophon wrote pure Greek in a plain, perspicuous, and unaffected style, had an eye to the practical in his estimate of things, and professed a sincere belief in a divine government of the world.

Wisdom & Quotes

• The despot, be assured, lives night and day like one condemned to death by the whole of mankind for his wickedness.

- Hiero

• The most delightful of all music, that of your own praises.

- Hiero

• It is only for those to employ force who possess strength without judgment; but the well advised will have recourse to other means. Besides, he who pretends to carry his point by force hath need of many associates; but the man who can persuade knows that he is himself sufficient for the purpose; neither can such a one be supposed forward to shed blood; for, who is there would choose to destroy a fellow citizen rather than make a friend of him by mildness and persuasion?

- Memorabilia of Socrates

• When the interests of mankind are at stake, they will obey with joy the man whom they believe to be wiser than themselves. You may prove this on all sides: you may see how the sick man will beg the doctor to tell him what he ought to do, how a whole ship’s company will listen to the pilot.

- Cyropaedia

• Anything forced is not beautiful.
• Whatever you determine to be right, with diligence endeavour to perform.
• Moderation in all things healthful; total abstinence from all things harmful.
• Battles are decided more by the morale of the troops than by their bodily strength.
• People often say what is right and do what is wrong; but nobody can be in the wrong if he is doing what is right.
• He who eats with most pleasure is he who least requires sauce.
• Most people, when they are set upon looking into other people's affairs, never turn to examine themselves.
• The man who doesn't know his own ability is ignorant of himself.
• Success Should Never Breed Complacency.
• Excess of grief for the dead is madness; for it is an injury to the living, and the dead know it not.
• In my experience, men who respond to good fortune with modesty and kindness are harder to find than those who face adversity with courage. For in the very nature of things, success tends to create pride and blindness in the hearts of men, while suffering teaches them to be patient and strong.

- Cyrus the Great: The Arts of Leadership and War

• Remember the lessons of history. Remember how often whole peoples have allowed themselves to be persuaded to go to war by ‘wise’ men—and then been utterly destroyed by the very enemy they agreed to attack! Remember how many statesmen have helped raise new leadership to power—and then been overthrown by their own protégés! Remember how often leaders have chosen to treat their friends like slaves—and then perished in the revolutions caused by their idiotic methods! How many powerful men have craved to dominate the world—and by overreaching have lost everything they once possessed!

- Cyrus the Great: The Arts of Leadership and War

• "Truly, men often fail to understand their own weaknesses,” I said neutrally, “and their lack of self-knowledge can bring terrible disasters down on their own heads.”

- Cyrus the Great: The Arts of Leadership and War

• My study of history had taught me that humanity has always been full of illusions about its own possibilities, and that ambitious leaders have led their people into deep affliction more often than wide empire.

- Cyrus the Great: The Arts of Leadership and War

Plato