Category Archives: xenophon

Is Fiction Useful? Note on Jefferson’s Letter to Robert Skipwith, Aug. 3rd 1771

Letter of Thomas Jefferson to Robert Skipwith, Aug. 3rd 1771 Jefferson honors a request to create a catalog of books for Skipwith’s library. We find him, strangely enough, defending the value of fiction: A little attention however to the nature of the human mind evinces that the entertainments of fiction are useful as well as …

October 30, 2012 – 11:10 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

On Leisure and Philosophy: Xenophon, Memorabilia III.9.9

For the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to express an argument more simply. I don’t need the root of Xenophon’s rhetoric, I don’t think, though it has certainly felt that way at times. What I need is a demonstration of why writing on Xenophon gets complicated and thorny in a …

September 9, 2012 – 3:30 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, xenophon | Comments (8)

On Leo Strauss’ Esotericism: Xenophon’s Socrates 76

I wish Strauss’ esoteric writing would contain awful drivel like “bomb Iraq” or “we need real men, a new aristocracy” – it probably would make reading his work a lot easier. As it stands, Strauss says none of those things. In Xenophon’s Socrates, he goes out of his way to show a Xenophon willing to …

August 30, 2012 – 2:39 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Tagged | Comments (1)

Horses, Wealth & Virtue: Xenophon, Oeconomicus 11.3-6

Socrates is speaking to the noble and good (perfect) gentleman Ischomachus, eager to learn, um, something: “‘As to that,’ said I [Socrates], ‘how could I presume to correct a perfect gentleman, I who am supposed to be a mere chatterer with my head in the air, I who am called — the most senseless of …

August 20, 2012 – 9:49 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, xenophon | Comments (5)

Quatrain: “Xenophon’s Anabasis”

Bought William Baer’s Writing Metrical Poetry: Contemporary Lessons for Mastering Traditional Forms for $6 at Half-Price Books. It’s not that I want to write terribly metrical poetry. Right now, just want the haiku to be stronger. Have a more refined ear, more command of language, more compelling and thoughtful imagery. I want something to get …

March 26, 2012 – 2:39 am | By ashok | Posted in poetry, writing, xenophon | Comments (1)

Perplexities of the City: Analysis and Discussion of Xenophon’s Memorabilia, II.7.8-9 (Part IV)

I | II | III | IV | V Why is this text worth commenting on? The question at hand: Can philosophy defend freedom? So far, it doesn’t seem so. Our last few considerations of this issue found the philosopher promoting the useful above things essential to freedom and dignity. Now it may be the …

February 24, 2012 – 5:16 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (0)

Perplexities of the City: Analysis and Discussion of Xenophon, Memorabilia II.7.6-7 (Part III)

I | II | III | IV We assume Aristarchus some combination of an aristocrat and an oligarch. In the midst of war and civil strife, relatives who have come to live with him are using up his resources rapidly. He claims he has no solution to these difficulties. When we last left the text, …

February 22, 2012 – 5:17 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (0)

Perplexities of the City: Analysis and Discussion of Xenophon’s Memorabilia, II.7.3-5 (Part II)

Part I | Part II | Part III Last time, we discussed Aristarchus and introduced his specific problem. We speculated that he might be a combination of an aristocrat and oligarch. If the Athenians wanted “noble and good” gentlemen, why not get someone noble to procure the good? His very articulation of his problem, though, …

February 17, 2012 – 5:30 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (0)

Perplexities of the City: Analysis and Discussion of Xenophon, Memorabilia II.7 (Part I)

With many thanks to Matthew Blan. Quoted passages are from Xenophon’s Memorabilila, trans. Amy Bonnette. Ithaca: Cornell, 1994. Part I | Part II | Part III Socrates seems to tell a man named Aristarchus (“best ruler?”) that the way out of his financial woes is to run a sweatshop. Why does he give such crazy …

February 15, 2012 – 9:53 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (2)

Note on Xenophon, Education of Cyrus I.3.6-7

To this Astyages said, “If you are so resolved, my child, feast at least upon these meats, so that you may go home a vigorous youth.” As he was saying this, he had a great deal of meat brought to him, of both wild and tame animals. When he saw all this meat, Cyrus said, …

August 27, 2011 – 7:11 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, politics, xenophon | Comments (6)