Imperial Grandeur and Imperial Hollowness: Xenophon's Cyrus the Great
Imperial Grandeur and Imperial Hollowness: Xenophon's Cyrus the Great
Chapter:
(p.127)
Chapter Five Imperial Grandeur and Imperial Hollowness: Xenophon's Cyrus the Great
Source:
The Case for Greatness
Author(s):
Robert Faulkner
Publisher:
Yale University Press
DOI:10.12987/yale/9780300123937.003.0005
This chapter examines Xenophon's Education of Cyrus, particularly the character of Cyrus the Great, who founded the Persian empire in the middle of sixth century bc. Xenophon's account of Cyrus, however, is more mode-based than history-based, treating Cyrus's achievements as politically paradigmatic. Xenophon doubted the ability of one superior man to enduringly rule over many people, cities, and nations. It's not clear from Xenophon's beginning, however, whether this greatness and this art is good, either for the community or for the individual. The chapter thus aims to argue that Education of Cyrus is not a history, but rather an investigation of great political ambition at its most rational. The chapter then attempts to clarify Cyrus's genuine superiority of soul and the deterioration of some of his best qualities due to his overarching ambition.
Yale Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
