Xenophon's Anabasis by Shane Brennan;

Author:Shane Brennan;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Hubris (5.8.1)

As we saw in the last chapter, following purification of the army the generals were brought to account for their conduct on the retreat (5.8). Xenophon himself is accused by several of the men of hubris, violent assault intended to humiliate the victim (‘Some laid accusations against Xenophon, asserting that he hit them, and they set about prosecuting the case on the basis he had acted through arrogant wilfulness’, Ξενοφῶντος δὲ κατηγόρησάν τινες φάσκοντες παίεσθαι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὡς ὑβρίζοντος τὴν κατηγορίαν ἐποιοῦντο, 5.8.1).14 Such a charge, if proven, would doubtless have damaged his standing as a leader in the eyes of the men. While Klearchos before him seems not to have suffered any diminution in his ability to lead on account of his proclivity for beating soldiers, his obituary confirms that this trait ultimately did not breed loyalty among those he was in charge of (2.6.12). Xenophon, cultivating willing obedience from the outset, must have sought to defend himself against the accusation, considering as well that the task of leading would otherwise then have become even more difficult.

The author does deal comprehensively with the charge made against his character. In Socratic fashion, ‘Xenophon’ systematically questions one of his accusers and demonstrates that he acted justly (the man, who turned out to be a mule-driver, had tried to bury another man alive in the snow rather than carry him as ordered by Xenophon: for the context, see 4.5.15–21). He then proceeds to justify to the open gathering other cases where he beat men on the grounds that discipline was necessary for the good of the army as a whole (5.8.13–22). He does not recall the case of Apollonides, who, on his instigation, was driven away for defeatism at the Zapatas River (3.1.30–2); notwithstanding that he was not beaten there is a strong hint of heavy intimidation against a subordinate, and Apollonides, if he had hung on, would, one thinks, have been among those clamouring for action at the review of the generals’ conduct.

Yet, as remarked earlier, unless we suppose that the charge reverberated long after the march, it may be curious that he should pick up this matter in his book many years later. One explanation could lie in its didactic message – the need for discipline to be maintained in perilous circumstances. Another could be that in the account he is positioning, or reaffirming, himself as an important follower of Socrates; as suggested in the earlier discussion on literary apologia, the author may have underscored such a charge precisely to show that his character was beyond reproach on the matter.

A rhetorical feature of Xenophon’s defence is worth highlighting. In a passage between the deception and hubris episodes, he tells us of a series of disgraceful events at Kerasous, a Greek city through which the army had passed after leaving Trapezous. He describes at length (5.7.13–25) how some of their men had attempted to plunder a friendly stronghold with the intention of making off with booty on a ship:

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