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Cyropaedia: the education of Cyrus
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210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 361
About the author
Xenophon
1,937 books413 followersXenophon (Ancient Greek Ξενοφῶν, Modern Greek Ξενοφώντας; ca. 431 – 355 BC), son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, was a soldier, mercenary and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates. He is known for his writings on the history of his own times, preserving the sayings of Socrates, and the life of ancient Greece.
Historical and biographical works
Anabasis (or The Persian Expedition)
Cyropaedia
Hellenica
Agesilaus
Socratic works and dialogues
Memorabilia
Oeconomicus
Symposium
Apology
Hiero
Short treatises
On Horsemanship
The Cavalry General
Hunting with Dogs
Ways and Means
Constitution of Sparta
Historical and biographical works
Anabasis (or The Persian Expedition)
Cyropaedia
Hellenica
Agesilaus
Socratic works and dialogues
Memorabilia
Oeconomicus
Symposium
Apology
Hiero
Short treatises
On Horsemanship
The Cavalry General
Hunting with Dogs
Ways and Means
Constitution of Sparta
Ratings & Reviews
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June 6, 2019
دوستانِ گرانقدر، در این کتاب مورخِ بزرگ «گزنفون» اطلاعاتِ بسیار ارزشمند و اسنادِ مهم و خواندنی از «کوروش بزرگ» ارائه نموده است .. این کتاب را بسیاری از سیاستمداران و دولتمردانِ بزرگ در تاریخ خوانده و از آن درسها آموخته اند و خواندنِ آن را به فرزندانشان نیز سفارش کرده اند
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عزیزانم، این کتاب از 8 فصل تشکیل شده است که هر فصل بخش هایِ گوناگونی دارد و یکی از زیباترین و بهترین فصل های آن، فصل هفتم است که زنده یاد «کوروش» در بسترِ مرگ آرمیده است و سفارش هایِ بسیار دلنشین و زیبایی به فرزندانش میکند
البته در آغازِ کتاب به طورِ کلی در موردِ نحوۀ آموزش و پرورشِ ایرانیان و چگونگیِ آماده سازیِ فرزندانِ خود برایِ زندگی و دفاع از خاکِ سرزمینشان نیز توضیحاتی عالی ارائه نموده است که تنها میتوان افسوس خورد که چه بوده ایم و اکنون به چه اوضاع و احوالِ فلاکت باری رسیده ایم
البته دوستانِ خردگرا، تنها نظم و قدرتِ کوروش، او را بزرگ نکرده است، اگر از کوروش، که پادشاهِ هخامنشیان بود، هنوز به نیکی یاد میکنند و بزرگمردِ تاریخ لقبش داده اند و حرمت پادشاهی اش را، از دیگران متمایز کرده اند، از آن روست که او، جامعۀ روزگارِ خویش را به آموزشها و آدابی وادار کرده بود که در آن آداب و قوانین، زنان از ارزش و جایگاه بالایی برخوردار بودند و برابری انسانها در آن اموزش و آداب اهمیت زیادی داشته است... کوروش، خود نیز در زندگی شخصی بر این آداب پایبند بود.. او بدونِ اجازه و بوسه بر دستانِ همسر و مادرِ خویش، به هیچ کاری تن در نمیداد و کاری را آغاز نمیکرد
تازیانِ مسلمان و عرب پرستان و پیامبرشان، به خواب هم به آداب و بزرگداریِ ایرانیان و پادشاهانِ ایرانی دست نمیافتند، همانطور که آنقدر خرافاتی و بیخرد بودند که به تصورشان، تخت جمشید ساختۀ جن و پری بوده است... عجیب آن است که این بیابانی ها قرار بوده با دین و مذهبشان، به ما آداب انسانی بیاموزند... کسانی قرار بوده به ما روشِ زندگی را آموزش دهند که حتی ارزش و گرامشِ جنسِ زن و کرامتِ انسانی را فهم نمیکردند
در ریویوهایِ دیگر، در موردِ آدابِ کوروش نوشته ام... بنابراین در این ریویو تنها به نحوۀ فرماندهی و هوشِ بالایِ این مردِ تاریخی، میپردازم
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مورخِ گرامی، «گزنفون» نوشته است: در یک دسته که از 500 ارابۀ جنگی تشکیل میشد، 500 مردِ ورزیده و جنگی، 2000 رأس اسب و 500 ارابه ران، باید از بینِ بهترین افراد انتخاب میشدند، و چون ارابه ران ها ممکن بود در جنگ به راحتی کشته شوند... بنابراین «کوروش» چرخ هایِ ارابه ها را محکمتر و قوی تر ساخت، تا از محورِ خود خارج نشوند و نشکنند... طولِ محورِ آنها را زیاد کرد و محلِ نشستنِ ارابه ران را از چوبی ضخیم به مانندِ یک برج ساخت، تا ارابه ران به راحتی اسب ها را براند... در دو انتهایِ محورِ چرخ ها دو آهن به شکلِ داسِ تیز و بُرنده قرار داد و در زیرِ آن قطعۀ دیگری نصب کرد تا دسته هایِ دشمن را به راحتی تار و مار و پراکنده کند. دیگر اقداماتِ مهمِ وی تشکیلِ دستۀ " شتر سواران" بود، که در جنگ با پادشاهِ «لیدی» برایِ نخستین بار از آنها بهره برد. چراکه سوارانِ «کروزوس» پادشاهِ لیدی در سرتاسرِ دنیا در مهارت و چابکی مشهور بودند و لرزه بر اندامِ دشمنانشان انداخته بودند... کوروش برایِ درهم شکستنِ آنها ابتکار تازه و عجیبی بکار برد، بدین ترتیب که گروهی شتر سوارِ چابک تشکیل داد که در روزِ نبرد با شمشیرهایِ آخته و فریادکشان به سویِ سواره نظامِ لیدی هجوم بردند، و اسب هایِ لیدیایی که تا آن روز شتر ندیده بودند، با دیدنِ هیکلِ بزرگ و قیافۀ عجیبِ شترسواران، وحشت زده و دست و پا گم کرده به این سو و آن سو میگریختند و بدین ترتیب، کوروش توانست به آسانی آنها را شکست داده و به افسانۀ شکست ناپذیر بودنِ سواره نظامِ لیدی پایان بخشد
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دوستانِ بزرگوار، کارِ کوروش از آن جهت بسیار بزرگ بود که رهبریِ چنان ارتشِ بزرگ که ترکیبی از ده ها ملتِ گوناگون و با آداب و رسوم و زبان و اسلحه و روشِ جنگیِ خاص بود، کاری بسیار دشوار و بزرگ میباشد
این پادشاه بزرگ با همین تدبیر و رهبری خارق العاده، توانست سرزمین هایِ لیدیه، آسیایِ صغیر، یونان، قبایلِ وحشی در شرق ایران و بسیاری از سرزمین هایِ اطراف را تسخیر کند و در مدتی کوتاه بزرگترین امپراتوریِ جهان را تشکیل دهد
عزیزانم، گزنفون یکی از فرامینِ کوروش بزرگ را در موردِ آرایش نظامی و تدبیرِ وی در نظمِ لشگرش در کتاب آورده است و از زبانِ کوروش نوشته است که: تو ای «کیرزانتاس» به سِمتِ فرماندۀ سپرداران منصوب میشوی و باید پیشاپیشِ ستون ها حرکت کنی، چون راه هموار و باز است، باید صفوف از جبهه حرکت کنند، هر گروهان در یک صف و با سرعتِ زیاد حرکت کند.. من مایلم که سربازانِ "سبک اسلحه" پیشتاز باشند... «آرتاباز» پیاده نظام و سوارانِ "پارسی" را فرماندهی خواهد کرد و «هاندامیاس» پیاده نظامِ "ماد" را فرماندهی کرده و «امباس» فرماندۀ دسته هایِ "ارمنیان" است و «آرت سوکاس» فرماندۀ "هیرکانیان" است و «تامبراداس» پیاده نظامِ "ساسیها" را و «داتاماس» پیاده نظامِ "کادوزی" را فرماندهی خواهند کرد... همۀ سپاهیان باید به نحوی حرکت کنند که پیاده نظامِ تیرانداز در یک جبهه، در صفوفِ مقدم باشند. کمانداران در جناحِ راستِ هر ستون و تیراندازان در جناحینِ ستون ها ... پس از پیشتازان باید سربازانِ "سنگین اسلحه" حرکت کنند. بر فرماندهانِ دسته هاست که شب، کلیۀ تجهیزاتِ هر دسته را در یک محل، پیش از آنکه به استراحت بپردازند، بی انبازند (پخش و به اشتراک گذاشتن) و پیش از طلوعِ آفتاب همۀ تجهیزاتِ خود را بردارند و پیش از طلوعِ آفتاب همه در صفوفِ خود و با نظمِ کامل قرار بگیرند. پشتِ سرِ "سنگین اسلحه ها" سواره نظامِ تحتِ فرماندهیِ «ماراتاسی» پارسی حرکت خواهند کرد... در رأسِ هر یگان سوار، یک سوارِ دیده بان خواهد بود. و همان آرایش را خواهند داشت که پیاده نظام در صفوف دارند... پشتِ سرِ گروهِ مقدمِ سواره نظام، گروهِ "متراکم سوارها" تحتِ فرماندهیِ «رامباکاس» مادی، قرار خواهد گرفت. و تو ای «تیگران» پس از آنها نوبتِ سواره نظامِ تو است. و سپس سواره نظامِ "کادوزی" و "سایس" ، که کادوزیان در صفوفِ آخر قرار خواهند گرفت... باید تمامیِ نیروها مهرِ سکوت بر لب گذارند و شب هنگام، هوشیار باشند.. شب هنگام که چشمانِ سرباز قدرتِ دیدن ندارد، باید گوشِ او مراقب باشد. مبادا هنگامِ شب نظمِ خود را بر هم زنید، زیرا مرتب کردنِ صفوف در شب به مراتب مشکلتر است از روز.. بدین لحاظ بهتر است آرایشتان را حفظ کنید و سکوت در همه جا حاکم باشد... قراولان و پاسدارانِ شب باید متعدد و هوشیار باشند و پاسدارانِ شب باید آنقدر آهسته حرکت کنند که خوابِ سربازان بی جهت مختل نشود و راحت استراحت کنند و صبح شیپورِ آماده باش از هر سو طنین انداز شود... هدفِ ما سربازانِ دلیرِ "بابل" است. جملگی به آن سو متوجه باشید و بکوشید تا پرچمِ پیروزی را برافرازید
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امیدوارم از خواندنِ این ریویو لذت برده باشید
یادِ «کوروشِ بزرگ» و «گزنفون» همیشه زنده و گرامی باد
«پیروز باشید و ایرانی»
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عزیزانم، این کتاب از 8 فصل تشکیل شده است که هر فصل بخش هایِ گوناگونی دارد و یکی از زیباترین و بهترین فصل های آن، فصل هفتم است که زنده یاد «کوروش» در بسترِ مرگ آرمیده است و سفارش هایِ بسیار دلنشین و زیبایی به فرزندانش میکند
البته در آغازِ کتاب به طورِ کلی در موردِ نحوۀ آموزش و پرورشِ ایرانیان و چگونگیِ آماده سازیِ فرزندانِ خود برایِ زندگی و دفاع از خاکِ سرزمینشان نیز توضیحاتی عالی ارائه نموده است که تنها میتوان افسوس خورد که چه بوده ایم و اکنون به چه اوضاع و احوالِ فلاکت باری رسیده ایم
البته دوستانِ خردگرا، تنها نظم و قدرتِ کوروش، او را بزرگ نکرده است، اگر از کوروش، که پادشاهِ هخامنشیان بود، هنوز به نیکی یاد میکنند و بزرگمردِ تاریخ لقبش داده اند و حرمت پادشاهی اش را، از دیگران متمایز کرده اند، از آن روست که او، جامعۀ روزگارِ خویش را به آموزشها و آدابی وادار کرده بود که در آن آداب و قوانین، زنان از ارزش و جایگاه بالایی برخوردار بودند و برابری انسانها در آن اموزش و آداب اهمیت زیادی داشته است... کوروش، خود نیز در زندگی شخصی بر این آداب پایبند بود.. او بدونِ اجازه و بوسه بر دستانِ همسر و مادرِ خویش، به هیچ کاری تن در نمیداد و کاری را آغاز نمیکرد
تازیانِ مسلمان و عرب پرستان و پیامبرشان، به خواب هم به آداب و بزرگداریِ ایرانیان و پادشاهانِ ایرانی دست نمیافتند، همانطور که آنقدر خرافاتی و بیخرد بودند که به تصورشان، تخت جمشید ساختۀ جن و پری بوده است... عجیب آن است که این بیابانی ها قرار بوده با دین و مذهبشان، به ما آداب انسانی بیاموزند... کسانی قرار بوده به ما روشِ زندگی را آموزش دهند که حتی ارزش و گرامشِ جنسِ زن و کرامتِ انسانی را فهم نمیکردند
در ریویوهایِ دیگر، در موردِ آدابِ کوروش نوشته ام... بنابراین در این ریویو تنها به نحوۀ فرماندهی و هوشِ بالایِ این مردِ تاریخی، میپردازم
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مورخِ گرامی، «گزنفون» نوشته است: در یک دسته که از 500 ارابۀ جنگی تشکیل میشد، 500 مردِ ورزیده و جنگی، 2000 رأس اسب و 500 ارابه ران، باید از بینِ بهترین افراد انتخاب میشدند، و چون ارابه ران ها ممکن بود در جنگ به راحتی کشته شوند... بنابراین «کوروش» چرخ هایِ ارابه ها را محکمتر و قوی تر ساخت، تا از محورِ خود خارج نشوند و نشکنند... طولِ محورِ آنها را زیاد کرد و محلِ نشستنِ ارابه ران را از چوبی ضخیم به مانندِ یک برج ساخت، تا ارابه ران به راحتی اسب ها را براند... در دو انتهایِ محورِ چرخ ها دو آهن به شکلِ داسِ تیز و بُرنده قرار داد و در زیرِ آن قطعۀ دیگری نصب کرد تا دسته هایِ دشمن را به راحتی تار و مار و پراکنده کند. دیگر اقداماتِ مهمِ وی تشکیلِ دستۀ " شتر سواران" بود، که در جنگ با پادشاهِ «لیدی» برایِ نخستین بار از آنها بهره برد. چراکه سوارانِ «کروزوس» پادشاهِ لیدی در سرتاسرِ دنیا در مهارت و چابکی مشهور بودند و لرزه بر اندامِ دشمنانشان انداخته بودند... کوروش برایِ درهم شکستنِ آنها ابتکار تازه و عجیبی بکار برد، بدین ترتیب که گروهی شتر سوارِ چابک تشکیل داد که در روزِ نبرد با شمشیرهایِ آخته و فریادکشان به سویِ سواره نظامِ لیدی هجوم بردند، و اسب هایِ لیدیایی که تا آن روز شتر ندیده بودند، با دیدنِ هیکلِ بزرگ و قیافۀ عجیبِ شترسواران، وحشت زده و دست و پا گم کرده به این سو و آن سو میگریختند و بدین ترتیب، کوروش توانست به آسانی آنها را شکست داده و به افسانۀ شکست ناپذیر بودنِ سواره نظامِ لیدی پایان بخشد
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دوستانِ بزرگوار، کارِ کوروش از آن جهت بسیار بزرگ بود که رهبریِ چنان ارتشِ بزرگ که ترکیبی از ده ها ملتِ گوناگون و با آداب و رسوم و زبان و اسلحه و روشِ جنگیِ خاص بود، کاری بسیار دشوار و بزرگ میباشد
این پادشاه بزرگ با همین تدبیر و رهبری خارق العاده، توانست سرزمین هایِ لیدیه، آسیایِ صغیر، یونان، قبایلِ وحشی در شرق ایران و بسیاری از سرزمین هایِ اطراف را تسخیر کند و در مدتی کوتاه بزرگترین امپراتوریِ جهان را تشکیل دهد
عزیزانم، گزنفون یکی از فرامینِ کوروش بزرگ را در موردِ آرایش نظامی و تدبیرِ وی در نظمِ لشگرش در کتاب آورده است و از زبانِ کوروش نوشته است که: تو ای «کیرزانتاس» به سِمتِ فرماندۀ سپرداران منصوب میشوی و باید پیشاپیشِ ستون ها حرکت کنی، چون راه هموار و باز است، باید صفوف از جبهه حرکت کنند، هر گروهان در یک صف و با سرعتِ زیاد حرکت کند.. من مایلم که سربازانِ "سبک اسلحه" پیشتاز باشند... «آرتاباز» پیاده نظام و سوارانِ "پارسی" را فرماندهی خواهد کرد و «هاندامیاس» پیاده نظامِ "ماد" را فرماندهی کرده و «امباس» فرماندۀ دسته هایِ "ارمنیان" است و «آرت سوکاس» فرماندۀ "هیرکانیان" است و «تامبراداس» پیاده نظامِ "ساسیها" را و «داتاماس» پیاده نظامِ "کادوزی" را فرماندهی خواهند کرد... همۀ سپاهیان باید به نحوی حرکت کنند که پیاده نظامِ تیرانداز در یک جبهه، در صفوفِ مقدم باشند. کمانداران در جناحِ راستِ هر ستون و تیراندازان در جناحینِ ستون ها ... پس از پیشتازان باید سربازانِ "سنگین اسلحه" حرکت کنند. بر فرماندهانِ دسته هاست که شب، کلیۀ تجهیزاتِ هر دسته را در یک محل، پیش از آنکه به استراحت بپردازند، بی انبازند (پخش و به اشتراک گذاشتن) و پیش از طلوعِ آفتاب همۀ تجهیزاتِ خود را بردارند و پیش از طلوعِ آفتاب همه در صفوفِ خود و با نظمِ کامل قرار بگیرند. پشتِ سرِ "سنگین اسلحه ها" سواره نظامِ تحتِ فرماندهیِ «ماراتاسی» پارسی حرکت خواهند کرد... در رأسِ هر یگان سوار، یک سوارِ دیده بان خواهد بود. و همان آرایش را خواهند داشت که پیاده نظام در صفوف دارند... پشتِ سرِ گروهِ مقدمِ سواره نظام، گروهِ "متراکم سوارها" تحتِ فرماندهیِ «رامباکاس» مادی، قرار خواهد گرفت. و تو ای «تیگران» پس از آنها نوبتِ سواره نظامِ تو است. و سپس سواره نظامِ "کادوزی" و "سایس" ، که کادوزیان در صفوفِ آخر قرار خواهند گرفت... باید تمامیِ نیروها مهرِ سکوت بر لب گذارند و شب هنگام، هوشیار باشند.. شب هنگام که چشمانِ سرباز قدرتِ دیدن ندارد، باید گوشِ او مراقب باشد. مبادا هنگامِ شب نظمِ خود را بر هم زنید، زیرا مرتب کردنِ صفوف در شب به مراتب مشکلتر است از روز.. بدین لحاظ بهتر است آرایشتان را حفظ کنید و سکوت در همه جا حاکم باشد... قراولان و پاسدارانِ شب باید متعدد و هوشیار باشند و پاسدارانِ شب باید آنقدر آهسته حرکت کنند که خوابِ سربازان بی جهت مختل نشود و راحت استراحت کنند و صبح شیپورِ آماده باش از هر سو طنین انداز شود... هدفِ ما سربازانِ دلیرِ "بابل" است. جملگی به آن سو متوجه باشید و بکوشید تا پرچمِ پیروزی را برافرازید
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امیدوارم از خواندنِ این ریویو لذت برده باشید
یادِ «کوروشِ بزرگ» و «گزنفون» همیشه زنده و گرامی باد
«پیروز باشید و ایرانی»
June 2, 2010
I could not disagree with KC's review of this work more strongly. Cyrus is not meant to be a hero for the reader, although on first blush he is very attractive. Instead, Xenophon intends to point us, ever-so subtly, to Socrates and his teachings (the speech Cambyses gives to Cyrus on the way out of Persia, the teacher of Tigranes, etc., etc.). Indeed, I believe the title alludes neither to the education Cyrus received nor the education he gave. Instead, it refers to the education Cyrus lacks: the Socratic education.
This book does not discuss atoms, gravity, genes, etc., etc. because it concerns itself with the human things. Indeed, the frequent mention of the gods in the Education is prefaced by the fact that Cyrus interpreted his own signs from the gods, so as always to get favorable prophesies. In its search of the human things, Xenophon's work is subtle, beautiful, and deep.
Moreover, KC's review is remarkably ironic in its reference to The Prince. In The Prince, Machiavelli chastises Scipio for reaching the very same conclusion as KC does about the Education of Cyrus. Scipio too thinks Cyrus a sterling example, and this leads to his eventual downfall. Machiavelli points this out so that we may know how to read not only the ancient books, but The Prince as well.
The Education of Cyrus is an utterly serious look at the life of action in its highest form, as well as the inherent deficiencies of this life when viewed within the larger context of the philosophical life. The issues surrounding the question of what the best sort of life one may live continues to be relevant and meaningful in a way that atoms and gravity never will.
When paired with the Socratic works of Xenophon, the Education of Cyrus offers a distinct presentation by which to judge what the best life is, and how we might live it.
This book does not discuss atoms, gravity, genes, etc., etc. because it concerns itself with the human things. Indeed, the frequent mention of the gods in the Education is prefaced by the fact that Cyrus interpreted his own signs from the gods, so as always to get favorable prophesies. In its search of the human things, Xenophon's work is subtle, beautiful, and deep.
Moreover, KC's review is remarkably ironic in its reference to The Prince. In The Prince, Machiavelli chastises Scipio for reaching the very same conclusion as KC does about the Education of Cyrus. Scipio too thinks Cyrus a sterling example, and this leads to his eventual downfall. Machiavelli points this out so that we may know how to read not only the ancient books, but The Prince as well.
The Education of Cyrus is an utterly serious look at the life of action in its highest form, as well as the inherent deficiencies of this life when viewed within the larger context of the philosophical life. The issues surrounding the question of what the best sort of life one may live continues to be relevant and meaningful in a way that atoms and gravity never will.
When paired with the Socratic works of Xenophon, the Education of Cyrus offers a distinct presentation by which to judge what the best life is, and how we might live it.
September 28, 2021
Oh, Xenophon. I loved spending time with you when you talked about horses and I thought I would love this book too. Or at the least be more interested in it than I turned out to be. I mean, this is one of the books Alexander The Great carried with him while he conquered the world! How cool is it to be able to read the same book as someone who lived so long ago?!
But I'm sorry, my friend. This book may have been fascinating, educational and helpful to our man Alexander, but for me it quickly became dull. I'm so sorry. I was okay through Book One, when Cyrus was a boy and learning how to behave like both a man and a King. But in Book Two when the fighting began, you lost me. I began to skim. And after that I simply could not recapture the enthusiasm I had when I started to read. Alexander needed to read this book, and according to the tales told about him, he took your lessons to heart. Most of them, anyway.
But I am not a ruler. I don't have a queendom outside the walls of my own house, and I do not plan on conquering the world any time soon. (Although of course I do think I could run it better than some of the people in charge at the moment, but these days who doesn't feel that way?) So I am giving up with this book. I will try some of your other titles soon, Xenophon. And if for some reason I end up feeling the same way when I read them, well, I will go back to the barn and we will sit and gossip once again about horses. I could do that with you all day long.
DNF after Book 2 of 8.
But I'm sorry, my friend. This book may have been fascinating, educational and helpful to our man Alexander, but for me it quickly became dull. I'm so sorry. I was okay through Book One, when Cyrus was a boy and learning how to behave like both a man and a King. But in Book Two when the fighting began, you lost me. I began to skim. And after that I simply could not recapture the enthusiasm I had when I started to read. Alexander needed to read this book, and according to the tales told about him, he took your lessons to heart. Most of them, anyway.
But I am not a ruler. I don't have a queendom outside the walls of my own house, and I do not plan on conquering the world any time soon. (Although of course I do think I could run it better than some of the people in charge at the moment, but these days who doesn't feel that way?) So I am giving up with this book. I will try some of your other titles soon, Xenophon. And if for some reason I end up feeling the same way when I read them, well, I will go back to the barn and we will sit and gossip once again about horses. I could do that with you all day long.
DNF after Book 2 of 8.
May 19, 2010
How to use people instrumentally
July 15, 2015
"Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." This was the interpretation of the handwriting on the wall during the feast of Belshazzar according to the Old Testament book of Daniel. The Education of Cyrus also contains an account of this event. My curiosity on this topic is what led me to read this book. While the prophet Daniel records what happened inside the walls of Babylonia, Xenophon records what took place outside the walls leading up to this particular conquest. While Xenophon does not write of Daniel and the handwriting on the wall, he does, like Daniel, give an account of the arrogance, revelry, and then incredulity of the Babylonians as Cyrus and his soldiers successfully capture this powerful kingdom. As fascinating as it was to read this account from a Greek Historian, this book contains so much more that is also worthwhile.
If Cyrus was indeed the kind of man portrayed by Xenophon, it is no wonder he was called 'The Great.' The way Cyrus motivated the soldiers, the way he trained them, the way he treated those conquered, the way he tried to inspire his men to virtue as opposed to forcing them to obey: Xenophon goes into detail about all of these things. In addition to Cyrus's rise to prominence, the Historian also writes about the education of Persian boys. There are also a couple of short love stories.
P.S. That Cyrus allowed the Jews to return home and allowed for their religious freedom is also a testimony to his leadership. But that is another story.
This is a book I will revisit.
If Cyrus was indeed the kind of man portrayed by Xenophon, it is no wonder he was called 'The Great.' The way Cyrus motivated the soldiers, the way he trained them, the way he treated those conquered, the way he tried to inspire his men to virtue as opposed to forcing them to obey: Xenophon goes into detail about all of these things. In addition to Cyrus's rise to prominence, the Historian also writes about the education of Persian boys. There are also a couple of short love stories.
P.S. That Cyrus allowed the Jews to return home and allowed for their religious freedom is also a testimony to his leadership. But that is another story.
This is a book I will revisit.
September 30, 2015
I support what the author is saying but it was extremely boring and difficult to pick out the good stuff. Like a crab leg and you have to pick the meat off.
August 28, 2016
Passer-by, I am Cyrus, who founded the Persian Empire, and was king of Asia.
Grudge me not therefore this monument.
An amazing book by the Greek historian Xenophon, student of Socrates.
It was hard to stop reading, well into the night each segment ended with the beginning to the next.
It's focus is not on the campaign, but the people and the conduct and resolve of the campaign. Every event has something for the reader to think about, to learn and take with them into their daily life and into the understanding of events well outside of their daily life such as war. How to gain respect and trust, how to treat prisoners of war, using diplomacy to spare the hardship of civilians and how to rule with virtue are some of the topics Cyrus the Great has to understand in order to forge this new empire. Instead of conquering people, forcing them by violence to do his bidding, he engages them with respect for their freedom to choose and forge alliances based on mutual understanding and give them as allies the benefit of partaking in the decision making.
An easy read, short read, amazing read.
Grudge me not therefore this monument.
An amazing book by the Greek historian Xenophon, student of Socrates.
It was hard to stop reading, well into the night each segment ended with the beginning to the next.
It's focus is not on the campaign, but the people and the conduct and resolve of the campaign. Every event has something for the reader to think about, to learn and take with them into their daily life and into the understanding of events well outside of their daily life such as war. How to gain respect and trust, how to treat prisoners of war, using diplomacy to spare the hardship of civilians and how to rule with virtue are some of the topics Cyrus the Great has to understand in order to forge this new empire. Instead of conquering people, forcing them by violence to do his bidding, he engages them with respect for their freedom to choose and forge alliances based on mutual understanding and give them as allies the benefit of partaking in the decision making.
An easy read, short read, amazing read.
November 26, 2018
۹۷
میشه گفت یه کتاب داستانی روانشناسی آموزنده در زمینه مدیریت هست.
خیلی عالیه
میشه گفت یه کتاب داستانی روانشناسی آموزنده در زمینه مدیریت هست.
خیلی عالیه
Read
March 9, 2020I have an abridged paperback that I can’t find on Goodreads; using this as a reminder that I’ve read the abridged but should track down the full text.
January 13, 2009
At some point in the past six months, I read a passing reference to Cyrus in a book review as having been favorable noted by Machiavelli. No matter, I noted it long enough to park in my Amazon shopping cart until it could come home. Eventually when I re-read The Prince, I may come back and include that reference here.
I wasn’t impressed. As I get older and hopefully wiser, I have less and less patience with reading the ancients. Yes, humans are murderous and conniving, gracious and noble, sometimes all at once. However, every fifth grader should know more than an Aristotle or Augustine, literally. Xenophon is ever and finally ignorant of gravity, or genes, or germs just to stick with the letter ‘g’. Whatever insights into human nature the ancients gained and can share with us are forever leavened with fatal misunderstandings of the world, attributable to ill humors, the gods, and fates instead of electrons and Brownian motion.
According to Xenophon, writing a hundred years after his reign, in the 5th century BC, Prince Cyrus grew up in a semi-Platonic society. The best and brightest (or at least the children of the well-to-do) were kept apart and drilled hours a day on their way to becoming full citizens, or peers. The King raised an army to answer the call of an ally, and chose his son Cyrus to lead. Cyrus first instructed the peers take several commoners under their wings to whip into shape for the campaign. Cyrus would cajole, bribe, and ferociously fight his way to uniting the middle east while giving all credit to the gods and fates and sacrifices – presumable goats I guess, not prisoners. The text never really states what is being sacrificed. Cyrus also democratically shared the spoils of his campaign with his troops, increasing their loyalty and determination.
Here then is an ancient after Machiavelli’s lead heart. He carefully and completely attributed his meticulously planned successes to the whims of fate and the beneficence of the gods, and then grew into the comforts of his office until death, at which point his kingdom dissolved into the various factions he had united. Xenophon thought this a sterling example. Men with little will risk it to gain everything. A politician who can subvert the greed of others, thus multiplying his own, wins all.
This can only be seen as noteworthy if contrasted with the essentialist absurdities of Plato. A shorter review might be that Thrasymachus was right and Socrates wrong. We will not succeed in a given fight if we are the most gracious or morally correct, but instead only if the most powerful. Strategic underdogs can win tactical victories through dash and daring but only because they won the field between the two competitors on the given day, not because they possessed the purest form of dash and dare.
Two starts for describing phalanx warfare.
I wasn’t impressed. As I get older and hopefully wiser, I have less and less patience with reading the ancients. Yes, humans are murderous and conniving, gracious and noble, sometimes all at once. However, every fifth grader should know more than an Aristotle or Augustine, literally. Xenophon is ever and finally ignorant of gravity, or genes, or germs just to stick with the letter ‘g’. Whatever insights into human nature the ancients gained and can share with us are forever leavened with fatal misunderstandings of the world, attributable to ill humors, the gods, and fates instead of electrons and Brownian motion.
According to Xenophon, writing a hundred years after his reign, in the 5th century BC, Prince Cyrus grew up in a semi-Platonic society. The best and brightest (or at least the children of the well-to-do) were kept apart and drilled hours a day on their way to becoming full citizens, or peers. The King raised an army to answer the call of an ally, and chose his son Cyrus to lead. Cyrus first instructed the peers take several commoners under their wings to whip into shape for the campaign. Cyrus would cajole, bribe, and ferociously fight his way to uniting the middle east while giving all credit to the gods and fates and sacrifices – presumable goats I guess, not prisoners. The text never really states what is being sacrificed. Cyrus also democratically shared the spoils of his campaign with his troops, increasing their loyalty and determination.
Here then is an ancient after Machiavelli’s lead heart. He carefully and completely attributed his meticulously planned successes to the whims of fate and the beneficence of the gods, and then grew into the comforts of his office until death, at which point his kingdom dissolved into the various factions he had united. Xenophon thought this a sterling example. Men with little will risk it to gain everything. A politician who can subvert the greed of others, thus multiplying his own, wins all.
This can only be seen as noteworthy if contrasted with the essentialist absurdities of Plato. A shorter review might be that Thrasymachus was right and Socrates wrong. We will not succeed in a given fight if we are the most gracious or morally correct, but instead only if the most powerful. Strategic underdogs can win tactical victories through dash and daring but only because they won the field between the two competitors on the given day, not because they possessed the purest form of dash and dare.
Two starts for describing phalanx warfare.
July 23, 2011
La vie de du fondateur de l'empire Perse, qui fut le plus formidable adversaire des grecs, est le sujet de cet ouvrage de Xénophon. Tout est mis en œuvre dans ce texte pour magnifier les qualités morales de Cyrus qui depuis l'enfance est présenté comme un modèle pour son entourage, et qui deviendra à même de soumettre l'Asie plus encore en inspirant une amitié et une affection sincère à ses amis, sujets et vassaux à force de bontés et d'attentions, que par ses talents militaires, sa tempérance, son courage et son sens de la justice. C'est donc un ouvrage moral que Xénophon propose à ses concitoyens en leur présentant un exemple à suivre et à méditer. On trouvera donc un portrait plus proche de vies de Plutarque que des mythes historiques de Hérodote, lequel est plus riches en anecdotes diverses, et qui embrasse un période bien plus large. Mais le propos de Xénophon et aussi de montrer la cruelle décadence de l'empire Perse, qui trahissant l'héritage de son fondateur, a oublié les vertus qui lui ont permis de bâtir sa grandeur, alors qu'elle se vautre de son temps dans le luxe, les intrigues, les injustices et la violence. Il la connait bien, ayant participé à la retraite des 10000 qu'il relate dans l'Anabase. Ces textes annoncerons pour les grecs que le temps est venu de fondre sur ce fruit malade, et Alexandre sera celui qui le cueillera, en poussant jusqu'à l'Inde une expédition d'une audace sans équivalents. Si j'ai été ravi de mettre la main sur ce texte difficile à trouver, j'ai été outré de colère par le nombre invraisemblable de coquilles qui entrelardent le texte, et qui par l'irritation qu'elles inspirent nuisent véritablement au plaisir du texte. Est ce si difficile de soumettre à la censure d'un relecteur compétent un ouvrage que l'on prétend soumettre à ce prix aux jugements du public ?
February 5, 2020
In dit boek beschrijft Xenophon het leven van de Perzische koning Cyrus de Grote (ca. 600-530 v. Chr.) en laat hij zien waarom die zo'n groot staatsman was. Xenophon staat bekend als historisch schrijver, maar het is duidelijk dat hij voor zijn Cyropaedia veel uit zijn eigen duim heeft gezogen. Dat blijkt niet alleen uit enkele anachronismen of het feit dat Xenophons relaas op veel punten afwijkt van andere bronnen, maar ook uit de enorme detaillering - Xenophon schrijft soms alsof hij er zelf bij was. Maar eigenlijk is dat ook het leukste aan het boek, het leest voor een groot deel als een echte historische roman (Cyrus stierf 160 jaar voor Xenophon diens biografie schreef).
Xenophon vertelt met veel verve over Cyrus' jeugd en zijn veldtochten, die het grootste deel van het boek beslaan. Maar als leerling van Socrates wil de schrijver ook laten zien wát nu een goede leider maakt en hij lardeert zijn bijna hagiografische biografie met filosofieën over o.a. goede opvoeding, goede oorlogstactieken en goed bestuur. Xenophon schetst Cyrus als een vorst die regeert op basis van eerlijke behandeling, wederzijds vertrouwen en respect, als iemand die zelf het goede voorbeeld geeft en - opvallend - als iemand met wie je kan lachen. Zo worden er hele tafelgesprekken inclusief grappen opgetekend. Deze passages zijn dan ook uitermate onderhoudend.
En passant leren we over allerlei vernieuwingen uit die tijd (bijv. het voorzien van strijdwagens van draaiende messen en een postsysteem op basis van paardenwisselstations). Ook wordt pijnlijk duidelijk dat vrouwen in de tijd van Xenophon geheel niet terzake deden. Er is er slechts één die een enkele rol van betekenis speelt, de door Cyrus gevangen genomen vorstin Pantheia, die een eigen tragisch verhaaltje heeft.
Xenophon vertelt met veel verve over Cyrus' jeugd en zijn veldtochten, die het grootste deel van het boek beslaan. Maar als leerling van Socrates wil de schrijver ook laten zien wát nu een goede leider maakt en hij lardeert zijn bijna hagiografische biografie met filosofieën over o.a. goede opvoeding, goede oorlogstactieken en goed bestuur. Xenophon schetst Cyrus als een vorst die regeert op basis van eerlijke behandeling, wederzijds vertrouwen en respect, als iemand die zelf het goede voorbeeld geeft en - opvallend - als iemand met wie je kan lachen. Zo worden er hele tafelgesprekken inclusief grappen opgetekend. Deze passages zijn dan ook uitermate onderhoudend.
En passant leren we over allerlei vernieuwingen uit die tijd (bijv. het voorzien van strijdwagens van draaiende messen en een postsysteem op basis van paardenwisselstations). Ook wordt pijnlijk duidelijk dat vrouwen in de tijd van Xenophon geheel niet terzake deden. Er is er slechts één die een enkele rol van betekenis speelt, de door Cyrus gevangen genomen vorstin Pantheia, die een eigen tragisch verhaaltje heeft.
September 1, 2022
I'm not quite sure how the ending makes sense - since this seems to be the translation of Cyrus' own thoughts. I'm in the mind of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" as, spoilers, Cyrus tells us his final thoughts at the end of his life - he dies on the last page - so, I'm thinking of course of the "Castle Aaaaa" - "he wouldn't take the time to carve Aaaa as he was dying" - "maybe he was dictating"....it's an odd image that sullies an otherwise interesting book. I mean, I'm picturing him telling his sons and followers his final words as he's dying, ready to breathe his last breath, and then he tells everyone to go away so he can call in his chronicler and tell him what he just told everyone else and his final thoughts as he dies...it works in a piece of fiction, but it seems oddly out of place in a memoir.
All that being said, however, Cyrus the Great's chief message is: Don't be a dick! Be nice to people. Treat your friends well. Be humble and thankful. And just, you know, don't be an asshole, and you'll be an overall great leader and person.
All that being said, however, Cyrus the Great's chief message is: Don't be a dick! Be nice to people. Treat your friends well. Be humble and thankful. And just, you know, don't be an asshole, and you'll be an overall great leader and person.
August 10, 2017
Those who dream to be the best leaders/people should pick up this book and complete it.
Cyrus the great is not only one of the greatest kings lived in this world. He had great virtues, valour and he lived in his own principles. He stood strong for his values. He made great allies everywhere he went. He kept everyone under him very happy. He governed his whole empire with his own army. He stressed the fact in order to eat evening bread, you need to have worked to earn it through your hard work or workout. His another interesting principle is that his army should have a strong discipline in order to succeed big time. He very much understood the fact unless he could give to his people, he didn't earn the right to question his people, that too in 500 BC.
This book has whole of lot of lessons to aspiring leaders.
Cyrus the great is not only one of the greatest kings lived in this world. He had great virtues, valour and he lived in his own principles. He stood strong for his values. He made great allies everywhere he went. He kept everyone under him very happy. He governed his whole empire with his own army. He stressed the fact in order to eat evening bread, you need to have worked to earn it through your hard work or workout. His another interesting principle is that his army should have a strong discipline in order to succeed big time. He very much understood the fact unless he could give to his people, he didn't earn the right to question his people, that too in 500 BC.
This book has whole of lot of lessons to aspiring leaders.
July 19, 2022
In Cyropaedia Xenophon investigated leadership by presenting the life story of Cyrus II, founder of the Persian Empire. Because the story differs flagrantly from other sources and the narrative’s pace and texture are unlike those of ordinary Greek historiography, many analysts have classed the work as fiction. Story line is certainly subordinate to didactic agenda, but Xenophon may have drawn opportunistically on current versions of the Cyrus story rather than pure imagination. The result is fictive history, more analogous to Socratic literature than to the Greek novel (to which it is sometimes pictured as antecedent). In the Cyropaedia, techniques of military and political leadership are exposed both through example and through direct instruction.
July 1, 2016
“What!" cried Cyrus, "can one solitary speech fill the hearer's soul on the selfsame day with honour and uprightness, guard him from all that is base, spur him to undergo, as he ought, for the sake of glory every toil and every danger ... ? If such thoughts are ever to be engraved in the hearts of men and there abide, we must begin with the laws ... And then we ought to have tutors and governors to instruct and teach and train our citizens until the belief is engendered in their souls"
February 3, 2017
I liked it. It felt a bit like a fantasy novel -- the plot was "boy rises from obscurity to greatness, via hard work, winning personality, and some opportune trickery, all while exploring strange lands and recruiting allies." Unlike most fantasy novels, though, Xenophon knew a lot about war, politics, and horses. It shows.
It also has a very Platonic feel to it -- there are many long digressions about ethics, the good society, the nature of virtue, about the ideal life, and so forth. Unlike Socrates, Cyrus is a man of action. His goal is not to explain the good, it is to encourage it, using both persuasion and power.
The ending feels very different from the body of the text -- the first seven books are about the rise of Cyrus, accomplished by his virtue; the last book is about his legacy and the creation of the Persian empire. The implication, particularly of the epilogue, seems to be that his virtue largely died with him -- "no sooner was he dead than his sons were at strife, cities and nations revolted, and all things began to decay"
I thought the translator's remarks in the Gutenberg edition weren't particularly insightful or helpful.
It also has a very Platonic feel to it -- there are many long digressions about ethics, the good society, the nature of virtue, about the ideal life, and so forth. Unlike Socrates, Cyrus is a man of action. His goal is not to explain the good, it is to encourage it, using both persuasion and power.
The ending feels very different from the body of the text -- the first seven books are about the rise of Cyrus, accomplished by his virtue; the last book is about his legacy and the creation of the Persian empire. The implication, particularly of the epilogue, seems to be that his virtue largely died with him -- "no sooner was he dead than his sons were at strife, cities and nations revolted, and all things began to decay"
I thought the translator's remarks in the Gutenberg edition weren't particularly insightful or helpful.
October 15, 2017
It's . . . Okay. There's obvious value in Xenophon's base text, but Hedrick repeatedly harms the work. From his ham-handed attempts to "freshen" the language to his repeated insistence that Cyrus, a fifth-century Persian, was somehow a secret believer in a Judeo-Christian conception of God, to his treatment of the text as if Xenophon was writing about a real person rather than projecting his now beliefs about an idealized ruler onto Cyrus, Hedrick constantly makes the book worse. Even so, it remains a worthwhile read, though perhaps better to get Hedrick's subheadings in a list, as those are at least somewhat worthwhile, and bring those with you to a better translation.
October 30, 2014
call me a philistine but this is really just self-important white guy rambling. I mean yeah there's some basic wisdom in there - Cyrus seems pretty legit for the time - but nothing not covered by modern, better written books. As a historical item it's interesting, but not worth it unless you're really interested in a biased view of the times.
October 31, 2016
من این کتاب رو به این خاطر خوندم که اسم این کتاب تویه کتاب شهریار ماکیاوولی اومده بود و توقع خیلی بالایی از این کتاب داشتم ولی متاسفانه اگر نکته ای هم کتاب مدیریت کوروش داشته باشه همه و همه در کتاب شهریار ماکیاوولی آمده است
اگر می خواهید راجع به کوروش بیشتر بدانید کتاب شهریار بیشتر بدردتان میخورد تا این کتاب
اگر می خواهید راجع به کوروش بیشتر بدانید کتاب شهریار بیشتر بدردتان میخورد تا این کتاب
December 5, 2020
I can hardly imagine a better book on people management. A fundamental study of human relationships that will definitely survive for another 2000 years. Some of the bits may seem a little simplistic if you are particularly concerned about its application in today's world, but even these could serve as useful reference points when judging people's motives. Truly a masterpiece.
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October 29, 2014Providence College faculty reading group, Spring 2014
November 13, 2016
cyrus is annoying and self-righteous and a bit of a douchebag lol
August 8, 2017
Honestly this was pretty underwhelming. The classic works by von Clausewitz, Liddell Hart, Luttwak, etc. are far more lucid and instructive.
August 15, 2022
How should a despot rule? Virtuously, while making use of underhand tactics.
April 1, 2018
Cyrus the Great was the founder of the first Persian Empire, the one that was destroyed two centuries or so later by Alexander the Great. He was not only a great military leader who conquered a good part of Asia, but a wise and tolerant leader -- at least in the telling of Xenophon of Athens, a Greek soldier, author and student of Socrates. Xenophon wrote his book a century after Cyrus, and other than spending some months in Persia as a Greek mercenary, had little direct knowledge of Persia and almost certainly no knowledge of the language. (Xenophon also wrote a book about his fighting days in Persia, called Anabaxis). Although Xenophon follows the broad outlines of the history of Cyrus' era, his book is essentially a piece of historical fiction. But it was fiction with a purpose, and that purpose was to lay out Xenophon's vision of an enlightened warrior-king. Larry Hedrick's version of Xenophon takes an original translation from the Greek published in 1906, and paraphrases it in modern idiomatic English, while taking considerable liberties with the text -- including adding in some material from the Bible about Cyrus freeing the Jews from their exile in Babylon and allowing them to return to Israel and Judea. He also changes the original text from the third person to the first, so that it reads as an autobiography instead of a history. The text is highly readable but is no masterpiece of elegant prose. If you're a purist, read the 1906 translation, and if you're a very scholarly purist, read it in the original Greek. I'm not much of a purist myself.
A good part of the text consists of imagined dialogue between Cyrus and his father, and Cyrus and his troops, much of it dealing with advice on how to inspire, how to rule, how to lead, how to mislead the enemy, and sometimes just on how to deal with critical details such as military logistics. In between these flights of rhetoric, exhortation and advice-giving, we see Cyrus at war. One by one, he wins over some of the subject peoples of the Assyrian empire to the west and joins his forces to theirs. He then leads the armies of the Persians and their allies against the rest of the Assyrian empire. First, he deals with the Assyrians' ally King Croesus of Lydia and, having defeated him, rolls over the Phrygians and the Cappadocians. Only then, from a position of great strength, does he assault the Assyrian capital, Babylon. But he doesn't waste his strength on frontal assaults against the fortifications of the walled city. Instead, he diverts the flow of the Euphrates river that flows through the city, and then his army makes its way into the city along the muddy riverbed, quickly overcoming the city's defenders and killing the Assyrian king. And so was born the first great Persian Empire.
The usual rendering in English of the title of Xenophon's book is Cyropaedia (meaning, "The Education of Cyrus") and was for several centuries a much-studied book in the West, both as a means of studying classical Greek and as a work of political theory disguised as a biography. Writers as varied as Rousseau, Montaigne, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were influenced by it. Most notably, it had a particularly marked effect on Machiavelli, who in effect created an updated vision of the enlightened warrior-prince, in his book The Prince. In Machiavelli's telling, virtue was mainly a means of gaining and keeping power, and was to be discarded in favor of deceit and deception when virtue no longer served that purpose. In a sense, Xenophon's book is similar, but places a much heavier stress on character, virtuous behavior and inspirational leadership, and reserves a much larger scope for them. Deception is only to be used against enemies, not against colleagues and fellow countrymen.
Some sample quotations:
"You must never arouse hopes you can't fulfill. When a leader arouses false expectations too often, he loses his power to inspire -- even when success is really within reach."
"[Discipline] can result in the obedience of compulsion. There's a shorter way to a higher goal -- the goal of voluntary obedience ... But if people think that obedience will lead them to disaster, then nothing -- not punishments, no persuasion, not even bribes -- will get them to come along. For no sane man can be lured to his own destruction."
" The more I'm persuaded of my own superiority and the high morale of my troops, the more I'm inclined to stand on my guard and make sure that I've thrown the enemy off balance. The if a leader wants to guarantee success, he has to outwit his opponent at every turn... I've trained you to be as honest as any man who ever lived, but if virtue serves to guide our actions with our friends and allies, every sort of trick can be used against our enemies." (Words of advice of to Cyrus from his father, King Cambyses)
"I deeply believe that leaders, whatever their profession, are wrong to allow distinctions of rank to flourish within their organizations. Living together on equal terms helps people develop deeper bonds and creates a common conscience."
"Leaders must always set the highest standard. In a summer campaign, leaders must always endure their share of the sun and the heat, and, in winter, the cold and frost. In all labors, leaders must prove tireless if they want to enjoy the trust of their followers."
"Know yourself, O King, and then happiness will be yours."
A good part of the text consists of imagined dialogue between Cyrus and his father, and Cyrus and his troops, much of it dealing with advice on how to inspire, how to rule, how to lead, how to mislead the enemy, and sometimes just on how to deal with critical details such as military logistics. In between these flights of rhetoric, exhortation and advice-giving, we see Cyrus at war. One by one, he wins over some of the subject peoples of the Assyrian empire to the west and joins his forces to theirs. He then leads the armies of the Persians and their allies against the rest of the Assyrian empire. First, he deals with the Assyrians' ally King Croesus of Lydia and, having defeated him, rolls over the Phrygians and the Cappadocians. Only then, from a position of great strength, does he assault the Assyrian capital, Babylon. But he doesn't waste his strength on frontal assaults against the fortifications of the walled city. Instead, he diverts the flow of the Euphrates river that flows through the city, and then his army makes its way into the city along the muddy riverbed, quickly overcoming the city's defenders and killing the Assyrian king. And so was born the first great Persian Empire.
The usual rendering in English of the title of Xenophon's book is Cyropaedia (meaning, "The Education of Cyrus") and was for several centuries a much-studied book in the West, both as a means of studying classical Greek and as a work of political theory disguised as a biography. Writers as varied as Rousseau, Montaigne, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were influenced by it. Most notably, it had a particularly marked effect on Machiavelli, who in effect created an updated vision of the enlightened warrior-prince, in his book The Prince. In Machiavelli's telling, virtue was mainly a means of gaining and keeping power, and was to be discarded in favor of deceit and deception when virtue no longer served that purpose. In a sense, Xenophon's book is similar, but places a much heavier stress on character, virtuous behavior and inspirational leadership, and reserves a much larger scope for them. Deception is only to be used against enemies, not against colleagues and fellow countrymen.
Some sample quotations:
"You must never arouse hopes you can't fulfill. When a leader arouses false expectations too often, he loses his power to inspire -- even when success is really within reach."
"[Discipline] can result in the obedience of compulsion. There's a shorter way to a higher goal -- the goal of voluntary obedience ... But if people think that obedience will lead them to disaster, then nothing -- not punishments, no persuasion, not even bribes -- will get them to come along. For no sane man can be lured to his own destruction."
" The more I'm persuaded of my own superiority and the high morale of my troops, the more I'm inclined to stand on my guard and make sure that I've thrown the enemy off balance. The if a leader wants to guarantee success, he has to outwit his opponent at every turn... I've trained you to be as honest as any man who ever lived, but if virtue serves to guide our actions with our friends and allies, every sort of trick can be used against our enemies." (Words of advice of to Cyrus from his father, King Cambyses)
"I deeply believe that leaders, whatever their profession, are wrong to allow distinctions of rank to flourish within their organizations. Living together on equal terms helps people develop deeper bonds and creates a common conscience."
"Leaders must always set the highest standard. In a summer campaign, leaders must always endure their share of the sun and the heat, and, in winter, the cold and frost. In all labors, leaders must prove tireless if they want to enjoy the trust of their followers."
"Know yourself, O King, and then happiness will be yours."
May 24, 2021
I don't even know how to classify this. Is it historical fiction? A treatise on government? Is it a hagiography or a satire? Does it answer Thucydides, or Plato, or Aeschylus? I've opted for 'biography' in my shelving system, but that decision comes with many asterisks. Certainly it's not striving for historical accuracy, but neither is it all conclusively fictitious -- for all we know, this is partly spun from tales told in Persia and Greece in Xenophon's time that may even be correct. What it is, anyway, is Xenophon's story of Cyrus. Not, I hasten to add, Cyrus the Younger, the leader of the ill-fated expedition covered in Xenophon's Anabasis, whom Xenophon actually met and knew; this Cyropaedia is a biography of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, who died about 100 years before Xenophon was born.
Given that it is difficult to always have a good king, there is a school of political thought that we should limit their powers, or replace the kings with assemblies of the people, as while these systems are less beneficial than a good king, they are less terrible than a bad one (and some in this school might even say that monarchy in itself is for some reason bad). The other school of thought is we should just teach princes to be good kings. This is a function of Cyropaedia -- to use an (extremely dubious) biography of Cyrus the Great as a way to illustrate the virtues of a good leader. Xenophon's Cyrus is bold yet always invites counsel, honourable yet possessed of fierce cunning, inspirationally majestic yet keenly attentive to the smallest details. He is generous with all his worldly goods, but rich beyond measure because of the friendship he inspires.
The reason this doesn't become dull despite being an eight-volume book about kingly virtue is because Xenophon knows what the hell he's doing. The story he presents is pretty entertaining because it's a story that a restless young man might actually want to read. The main character grows and gains skills, there are lots of battle scenes, there's humorous conversation over drinks. Then there are practical discussions, of logistics, of how an army should be trained, of how to march in good order, how to arrange a camp, how to divide spoils. And scattered throughout all of this are just these occasional startling gems of philosophic insight and human detail. Xenophon describes and remedies the bystander effect; Cyrus and a random guardsman dive suddenly and casually into a debate on the nature of love; Cyaraxes makes passionately clear how kindness can be ill-service. There are powerful lines lurking in here, sermons mixed with strategy.
It is, to be sure, not a real historical project, and it does not take a classicist's insight to notice that Cyrus is unlikely to have actually worshipped Zeus, or that much of the behaviour Xenophon attributes to the Persians is actually the behaviour of the Spartans. In many ways Xenophon's Cyrus is a hybrid, of the histories that Xenophon knew of the man, of the Spartan military machine that he bore arms alongside, and of Xenophon himself, as a military leader and orator with first-hand experience of the lands and peoples discussed.
Among many others, giants such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Gustavus Adolphus have counted Cyropaedia one of their favourite works. Good may be debated, but great leaders certainly. And what might each of them have thought, I wonder, of that humbling epilogue?
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December 23, 2020Please just look at the original publication year. That publication year is almost miraculous, I love it.
Cyropaedia is categorized as a philosophy book, written by Xenophon to use historical characters to showcase his opinions on generalship and honor and gallantry. Ergo it is a rather preachy kind of book. I’m not a fan of those. However, the names of cities and places, civilizations, and the kings are historical, and that part, I enjoy. Assyrians, Hyrcanians, the Medes, and the Persians were discussed.
Two points stood out to me. That Cyrus kept praying to the god Zeus, and that he had meticulous methods to treat his slaves. Worshiping Olympian gods, and keeping slaves goes against much of what I have been taught about Cyrus the Great. But this is just the beginning, I think I will learn more about him in the following year. The Greeks, after all, were the enemy of Persians. Why bother portray them as honorable, and indeed why bother with accuracy in the telling of their tale?
Greek values come through by and large. For example, the orderly way that a Greek chorus would perform in a play, and how the army would benefit from copying the method. “And when they were all out of range, they halted and reformed their ranks, better than any chorus could have done, every man of them knowing exactly where he ought to be.” That soldiers were given prizes to recite plays was a fun fact I had learned only days before.
This paragraph captured my attention in that it mentions places I have been to and it makes me feel the weight of history (I would love to visit them again after reading this). Time passes, but the land stays the same.
“Then, seeing that all was got together, he set out for that campaign of his, on which, the story says, he subdued the nations from the borders of Syria as far as the Red Sea, after that there followed, we are told, the expedition against Egypt and its conquest. From that time forward his empire was bounded on the east by the Red Sea, on the north by the Euxine, on the west by Cyprus and Egypt, and towards the south, by Ethiopia. Of these outlying districts, some were scarcely habitable, owing to heat or cold, drought or excessive rain. But Cyrus himself always lived at the centre of his dominions, seven months in Babylon during the winter season, where the land is warm and sunny, three months at Susa in the spring, and during the height of summer in Ecbatana, so that for him, it was springtime all the year.”
In conclusion, nice read.
Cyropaedia is categorized as a philosophy book, written by Xenophon to use historical characters to showcase his opinions on generalship and honor and gallantry. Ergo it is a rather preachy kind of book. I’m not a fan of those. However, the names of cities and places, civilizations, and the kings are historical, and that part, I enjoy. Assyrians, Hyrcanians, the Medes, and the Persians were discussed.
Two points stood out to me. That Cyrus kept praying to the god Zeus, and that he had meticulous methods to treat his slaves. Worshiping Olympian gods, and keeping slaves goes against much of what I have been taught about Cyrus the Great. But this is just the beginning, I think I will learn more about him in the following year. The Greeks, after all, were the enemy of Persians. Why bother portray them as honorable, and indeed why bother with accuracy in the telling of their tale?
Greek values come through by and large. For example, the orderly way that a Greek chorus would perform in a play, and how the army would benefit from copying the method. “And when they were all out of range, they halted and reformed their ranks, better than any chorus could have done, every man of them knowing exactly where he ought to be.” That soldiers were given prizes to recite plays was a fun fact I had learned only days before.
This paragraph captured my attention in that it mentions places I have been to and it makes me feel the weight of history (I would love to visit them again after reading this). Time passes, but the land stays the same.
“Then, seeing that all was got together, he set out for that campaign of his, on which, the story says, he subdued the nations from the borders of Syria as far as the Red Sea, after that there followed, we are told, the expedition against Egypt and its conquest. From that time forward his empire was bounded on the east by the Red Sea, on the north by the Euxine, on the west by Cyprus and Egypt, and towards the south, by Ethiopia. Of these outlying districts, some were scarcely habitable, owing to heat or cold, drought or excessive rain. But Cyrus himself always lived at the centre of his dominions, seven months in Babylon during the winter season, where the land is warm and sunny, three months at Susa in the spring, and during the height of summer in Ecbatana, so that for him, it was springtime all the year.”
In conclusion, nice read.
November 16, 2020
Only understood this book because of Ambler's intro. Highly recommend reading that before or after you finish. The whole time I was reading it I was pretty convinced that Cyrus was a pretty great king, because he seemed to care about virtue and doing right by his subjects. I was under the impression that Xenophon wrote this as to give Socrates' philosopher king trope a real life example.
But I was wrong, and even without the introduction, it is pretty clear that Cyrus falls into greed at the end of the book, which results in the fracturing of his empire. The introduction clarified that this was apparent even early in the book. Like the Milgram marshmellow experimenters, Cyrus still desires wealth/power/etc, he is just really good at playing the long game.
Xenophon's thesis is thus that even this behavior in the long run leads to ruin. I'm not sure if he was a stoic, but I think like Socrates and the stoics, he would have agreed with the idea that virtue is the sole good. A ruler has to care about virtue above all else, and this "politicking" for power, wealth, etc, is not a stable foundation for a state.
There was also a thread of Marxist analysis in here. One of Cyrus's key innovations is the meritocracy, which elevates the lower classes out of poverty if they are competent. But like the other good things that Cyrus wrought, they do not last after his death, because he does not have a virtuous philosophy of rulership.
The history in this book was weird, and totally inaccurate (at least if you are taking the histories as true). The conflict between Media and Persia does not exist, the war with Lydia is far less interesting, as is the siege of Babylon. Cyrus also dies in a completely different way according to Herodotus, who claims he was killed by Tomyris of the Massagetae. It's no wonder the two historians choose a different method of death to fit their narrative. Herodotus's central thrust is not to mess with the gods, and thus Cyrus, who conquered too much of the world, had to die for his greed. Xenophon, who thinks Cyrus's biggest flaw is lack of inherent virtue, of course has to have him die indolently in vice.
I would certainly be interested in learning more about the historiography of this book. I know Machiavelli references it in the prince, but I wonder if Alexander read it and/or the histories. Contrasting the two tales of Cyrus' life has been super interesting to me, and I can imagine that it would be even more so to someone who was in a position to rule.
But I was wrong, and even without the introduction, it is pretty clear that Cyrus falls into greed at the end of the book, which results in the fracturing of his empire. The introduction clarified that this was apparent even early in the book. Like the Milgram marshmellow experimenters, Cyrus still desires wealth/power/etc, he is just really good at playing the long game.
Xenophon's thesis is thus that even this behavior in the long run leads to ruin. I'm not sure if he was a stoic, but I think like Socrates and the stoics, he would have agreed with the idea that virtue is the sole good. A ruler has to care about virtue above all else, and this "politicking" for power, wealth, etc, is not a stable foundation for a state.
There was also a thread of Marxist analysis in here. One of Cyrus's key innovations is the meritocracy, which elevates the lower classes out of poverty if they are competent. But like the other good things that Cyrus wrought, they do not last after his death, because he does not have a virtuous philosophy of rulership.
The history in this book was weird, and totally inaccurate (at least if you are taking the histories as true). The conflict between Media and Persia does not exist, the war with Lydia is far less interesting, as is the siege of Babylon. Cyrus also dies in a completely different way according to Herodotus, who claims he was killed by Tomyris of the Massagetae. It's no wonder the two historians choose a different method of death to fit their narrative. Herodotus's central thrust is not to mess with the gods, and thus Cyrus, who conquered too much of the world, had to die for his greed. Xenophon, who thinks Cyrus's biggest flaw is lack of inherent virtue, of course has to have him die indolently in vice.
I would certainly be interested in learning more about the historiography of this book. I know Machiavelli references it in the prince, but I wonder if Alexander read it and/or the histories. Contrasting the two tales of Cyrus' life has been super interesting to me, and I can imagine that it would be even more so to someone who was in a position to rule.
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