Hellenica

by Xenophon, Henry Graham Dakyns

Xenophon's Hellenica continues the history of Greece from the abrupt endpoint of Thucydides in 411 BCE to the battle of Mantinea in 362 BCE, tracing the collapse of Athenian power, Spartan ascendancy, Persian intervention, Theban resurgence, and the fragile instability of the polis world. Written in a clear, economical Attic prose, it is less analytically severe than Thucydides yet rich in moral judgment, political observation, and military detail. The work occupies a crucial place between classical historiography and memoir, preserving events otherwise imperfectly known. Xenophon, an Athenian aristocrat, soldier, and student of Socrates, brought to history the perspective of one who had lived amid war, exile, command, and shifting loyalties. His service with Greek mercenaries in Persia and his association with Sparta shaped his admiration for discipline, leadership, and practical virtue. These experiences inform the Hellenica's attention to generals, councils, campaigns, and the ethical consequences of political action. This book is essential for readers seeking to understand the Greek world after the Peloponnesian War. Historians, classicists, and thoughtful general readers will find in it an indispensable, lucid, and sometimes partisan witness to an age of brilliance, exhaustion, and transformation.

274 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2025

About the author

Xenophon (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