Killing the King: Cyrus’ Attack on his Brother in Anabasis, and its Reception in Cyropaedia
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Gabriel Danzig
Abstract
This paper investigates Xenophon’s mode of apologetics in presenting the story of Cyrus in Anabasis and its reception by him in Cyropaedia. I focus on the central crime of Cyrus’ expedition, the effort to kill Cyrus’ brother, the king of Persia, arguing that Xenophon adopts two strategies in Anabasis: on the one hand, he seeks to downplay the act and to distract the reader from thinking about it; on the other hand, he offers direct and indirect justifications for Cyrus’ actions. In Cyropaedia, Xenophon is able to express his discomfort with the behaviour of the younger Cyrus more freely because he does not speak about it directly. I compare Xenophon's apologetics for Cyrus with his apologetics for Socrates, and, in the appendix, comment on the verb diaballo.
Abstract
This paper investigates Xenophon’s mode of apologetics in presenting the story of Cyrus in Anabasis and its reception by him in Cyropaedia. I focus on the central crime of Cyrus’ expedition, the effort to kill Cyrus’ brother, the king of Persia, arguing that Xenophon adopts two strategies in Anabasis: on the one hand, he seeks to downplay the act and to distract the reader from thinking about it; on the other hand, he offers direct and indirect justifications for Cyrus’ actions. In Cyropaedia, Xenophon is able to express his discomfort with the behaviour of the younger Cyrus more freely because he does not speak about it directly. I compare Xenophon's apologetics for Cyrus with his apologetics for Socrates, and, in the appendix, comment on the verb diaballo.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements VII
- Contents IX
- Abbreviations XIII
- List of Figures XV
- Introduction 1
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Part I: New Readings of Xenophon’s Anabasis
- Starting and Restarting the Anabasis 13
- Killing the King: Cyrus’ Attack on his Brother in Anabasis, and its Reception in Cyropaedia 43
- Xenophon’s Moral Luck: Crisis and Leadership Opportunity in Anabasis 3 63
- The Reception and Interpretation of Xenophon’s Discussion with Socrates in the Anabasis (3.1.4–8) 85
- From the Tigris to the Sea: The Problematic Geography of Anabasis Book 4 105
- A Universalist Moral Compass: Depicting Greeks and Foreigners in Anabasis 5 and 6 131
- Xenophon’s Woes in Thrace: The Very Model of a Modern Mercenary Commander? 157
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Part II: Themes in Xenophon’s Anabasis
- Friendship (φιλία) in Xenophon’s Anabasis 183
- Beyond Xenophon: Other Speakers in Xenophon’s Anabasis 205
- Rumour and Misrepresentation in Xenophon’s Anabasis 233
- Emotions and Narrative in Xenophon’s Anabasis: Leaders Handling Negative Emotions 257
- The Human Body in Xenophon’s Anabasis 287
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Part III: The Reception of Xenophon’s Anabasis from Antiquity to Modern Times
- Anabasis as Monument: Arrian, Xenophontic Space, and Literary Authority 311
- Xenophon and Arrian: Aspects of Leadership in their Anabases 329
- The Anabases of Chariton’s Callirhoe and Heliodorus’ Charicleia 345
- The Siren’s Song: Xenophon’s Anabasis in Byzantium 367
- The Reception of Xenophon’s Anabasis in the 15th and 16th Centuries 395
- The Anabasis Illustrated 423
- Voltaire: Questions on the Anabasis 455
- Scillus and After: The Historian’s Retreat from Xenophon to Toynbee 477
- The Anabasis in Paramount’s Promotion of The Warriors (1979): From the Gang Streets to The New York Times 499
-
Envoi
- Teaching the Anabasis in the Twenty-First Century: Challenges and Prospects 523
- List of Contributors 531
- General Index 535
- Index of Key Passages 547
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements VII
- Contents IX
- Abbreviations XIII
- List of Figures XV
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: New Readings of Xenophon’s Anabasis
- Starting and Restarting the Anabasis 13
- Killing the King: Cyrus’ Attack on his Brother in Anabasis, and its Reception in Cyropaedia 43
- Xenophon’s Moral Luck: Crisis and Leadership Opportunity in Anabasis 3 63
- The Reception and Interpretation of Xenophon’s Discussion with Socrates in the Anabasis (3.1.4–8) 85
- From the Tigris to the Sea: The Problematic Geography of Anabasis Book 4 105
- A Universalist Moral Compass: Depicting Greeks and Foreigners in Anabasis 5 and 6 131
- Xenophon’s Woes in Thrace: The Very Model of a Modern Mercenary Commander? 157
-
Part II: Themes in Xenophon’s Anabasis
- Friendship (φιλία) in Xenophon’s Anabasis 183
- Beyond Xenophon: Other Speakers in Xenophon’s Anabasis 205
- Rumour and Misrepresentation in Xenophon’s Anabasis 233
- Emotions and Narrative in Xenophon’s Anabasis: Leaders Handling Negative Emotions 257
- The Human Body in Xenophon’s Anabasis 287
-
Part III: The Reception of Xenophon’s Anabasis from Antiquity to Modern Times
- Anabasis as Monument: Arrian, Xenophontic Space, and Literary Authority 311
- Xenophon and Arrian: Aspects of Leadership in their Anabases 329
- The Anabases of Chariton’s Callirhoe and Heliodorus’ Charicleia 345
- The Siren’s Song: Xenophon’s Anabasis in Byzantium 367
- The Reception of Xenophon’s Anabasis in the 15th and 16th Centuries 395
- The Anabasis Illustrated 423
- Voltaire: Questions on the Anabasis 455
- Scillus and After: The Historian’s Retreat from Xenophon to Toynbee 477
- The Anabasis in Paramount’s Promotion of The Warriors (1979): From the Gang Streets to The New York Times 499
-
Envoi
- Teaching the Anabasis in the Twenty-First Century: Challenges and Prospects 523
- List of Contributors 531
- General Index 535
- Index of Key Passages 547
