Xenophon’s Anabasis
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Scholarly Pursuits
Forum Name: Literary Pursuits
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URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3751
Printed Date: 28-Apr-2024 at 09:02
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Topic: Xenophon’s Anabasis
Posted By: Byzantine Emperor
Subject: Xenophon’s Anabasis
Date Posted: 01-Jun-2005 at 20:44
Has anyone here read Xenophon's Anabasis in the ancient Greek? I have been studying my old text of it and have learned to appreciate it again. It is straight-forward in the grammar, not flowery like poetry or drama. I really like his descriptions of the exotic places, animals, and plants. It is interesting to see how an ancient Greek writer like Xenophon tried to write about new and unfamiliar things and the words he used for them in Greek. The descriptions of the battles and the military equipment of the Greeks and Persians are fascinating too. Any thoughts?
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Replies:
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 04-Sep-2007 at 22:37
I have actually pawed at The Anabasis in the ancient Greek. It was delightful, really. It was always interesting to look at maps and examine the time to took to march so many parasangs from one location to the other. Also the unique interactions between Cyrus and his Greek mercenaries are completely fascinating!
Funny story: My mild-mannered Greek prof who loves his accursed Athenians and who knows how much of a shameless Laconophile I am took an amusingly vindictive turn when he had me translate the passage (aloud in class) where the Spartan Clearchus cries. "Aww... looks like the poor Spartan is crying" GRR!
It is fascinating to compare the historians of antiquity. Herodotus is very entertaining because he has the most completely random digression... "... and then Arrian was rescued by a dolphin" Xenophon has much more relevant digressions that give a background and context to the individuals and situations that he is outlining. He colors his canvas rather than making an endless landscape of bizarre digressions.
Then there is Thucydides ... my beloved Thucy who is, well a bit of an arrogant thing, but bloody brilliant. "Possession for all time", indeed! He's amazing and he knows it. The Greek is incredible and intimidatingly complex! The cynicism in his writing is an unparalleled delight. He seems rather fond of Brasidas, really. Is that because he hated Kleon so much or did he actually truly admire Brasidas? Then I suppose his analysis of justice in the Melian dialogue would make in a bit of a philosopher as well. Thucydides is a curious one to paw at.
While I do enjoy Xenophon very much, my heart will always belong to exclusively Thucydides. *sigh* My darling Thucy (and yes, I am aware that he is Athenian... one of the few redeeming qualities of Athens... Thucydides)...
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Posted By: Efraz
Date Posted: 28-Apr-2008 at 00:08
Xenophon is plain and straightforward, yes.
Also another of his works is quite interesting. Kyrou Paideia. Kyros' Education. well, interesting but nowhere accurate... This reading may prove interesting for the examples distorted views on Persians. And ofcourse another delightful Xenophon reading.
He respected Kyros very much. Both the elder and the younger.
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