Synopses & Reviews
The Anabasis of Cyrus is Xenophon's counterpart to Machiavelli's Prince. The work explores the political life at its peak, examining whether morality and advantage can be reconciled in and through rule. Of the three model rulers presented in the work, the most important is Xenophon himself. He is depicted as leaving his teacher Socrates to become the leader of Ten Thousand Greek mercenaries. How did his Socratic education help him reconcile morality with advantage? The Anabasis is an exciting chronicle of the march to 'The Sea! The Sea!' It is also a searching analysis of the political significance of the Socratic education as well as an introduction to the comparative merits of the political and the philosophic lives.
Synopsis
An interpretation of Xenophon's Anabasis of Cyrus, paralleling the text to Machiavelli's The Prince, and focusing on the question: How did the Socratic education help Xenophon reconcile morality with effectiveness, the noble with the good, as a ruler?
About the Author
Eric Buzzetti is Principal and Associate Professor in the Liberal Arts College at Concordia University, Canada.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Political Life and the Socratic Education
PART I: THE KINGSHIP OF CYRUS
1. 'The Godlike King' (Book One)
PART II: THE KINGSHIP OF KLEARCHOS
2. 'The Pious King' (Book Two)
PART III: THE KINGSHIP OF XENOPHON
'The Socratic King' (Books Three through Seven)
3. Book Three: Piety
4. Book Four: Courage
5. Book Five: Justice
6. Book Six: Gratitude
7. Book Seven: The Love of the Soldier (PHILOSTRATIOTES)
Conclusion: The Argument of the Anabasis of Cyrus