Ancient Greek Literary Letters by Patricia A. Rosenmeyer

Author:Patricia A. Rosenmeyer [PATRICIA A. ROSENMEYER]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2011-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

3. Chion to his father Matris

I’m very grateful to the winds that held me back and forced me to stay in Byzantium, even though at first I was frustrated and desperate to get going. But a good reason for staying even longer was the appearance of Xenophon, the disciple of Socrates. Xenophon is one of the Greeks who fought against Artaxerxes; he’s an ally of Cyrus. And at first he followed one of the generals, not at all bothered by the rank of common soldier, even though Cyrus held him in great honor. But when Cyrus died in the first battle and the Greek generals had their heads cut off in violation of the treaty, he was chosen to be general, because of his bravery and other talents; he seemed the man most capable of rescuing the Greeks. And he didn’t disappoint people’s hopes, but led his small army through the middle of enemy territory to safety, camping each day near the king’s generals.

Now all this is amazing, but even more amazing and important is what I later witnessed with my very own eyes. The Greeks were suffering from a long and harsh campaign; all they had achieved for their troubles was their own safety. So when the Byzantines received them with fear, they decided to sack the city. The Byzantines naturally became terribly anxious. When the invaders armed themselves and the trumpeter blew the signal, I grabbed my shield and spear and ran to the wall, where I saw some young men standing together. There was no real point in guarding the wall, since the enemy held the city already, but still we thought it would be easier to defend ourselves in a strategic location where we might survive a bit longer.

In the middle of all this, with the Greeks in disarray, we saw a man—long-haired, beautiful, serene—passing through the troops and curbing each man’s violent impulses. This was Xenophon. When in response the soldiers urged him to give in to their larger numbers and let them put an end to their miserable wandering, he said “Come to order and make a plan; this crisis won’t disappear while we’re debating.” Since they were ashamed not to obey him, they let Xenophon advance into the middle where he gave an amazing speech, as was evident from its results—of course we couldn’t hear clearly what he said. The same soldiers who just a short while before had decided to sack the city were now calmly strolling in the marketplace to buy provisions, just like regular citizens instead of a cruel and angry mob.

This was a display of Xenophon’s personality, his brains and eloquence. I certainly didn’t wait around quietly for the man to leave, especially since, like the Byzantines, I had been saved by him (thanks to the winds I, too, was one of those about to be attacked), but I introduced myself to him. And he remembered your friendship with Socrates and encouraged me to study philosophy. On other topics, too, he spoke not like a soldier, by Zeus, but like a very enlightened man.

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