A remarkable Greek: Xenophon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophon

Rashmun wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophon

>>>In my book, the most remarkable greek would be Pericles. I  asked the guide at the Parthenon as to who built it physically. If I remember right he said about 85% were slaves and 15% were free men who wanted to be part of it. He then added something I thought  was remarkable, that Pericles had ruled that *all* those men free or slave, would be paid equally. It was Pericles' idea that men would outgrow this notion of slavery as they advanced.  His funeral oration  also is astounding.

 Some excerpts from that oration (copy-pasted below):

Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favors the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy. If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in their private differences; if no social standing, advancement in public life falls to reputation for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere with merit; nor again does poverty bar the way, if a man is able to serve the state, he is not hindered by the obscurity of his condition. The freedom which we enjoy in our government extends also to our ordinary life. There, far from exercising a jealous surveillance over each other, we do not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbor for doing what he likes, or even to indulge in those injurious looks which cannot fail to be offensive, although they inflict no positive penalty. But all this ease in our private relations does not make us lawless as citizens. Against this fear is our chief safeguard, teaching us to obey the magistrates and the laws, particularly such as regard the protection of the injured, whether they are actually on the statute book, or belong to that code which, although unwritten, yet cannot be broken without acknowledged disgrace.
"Further, we provide plenty of means for the mind to refresh itself from business. We celebrate games and sacrifices all the year round, and the elegance of our private establishments forms a daily source of pleasure and helps to banish the spleen; while the magnitude of our city draws the produce of the world into our harbor, so that to the Athenian the fruits of other countries are as familiar a luxury as those of his own.

Kris wrote:

Rashmun wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophon

>>>In my book, the most remarkable greek would be Pericles. I  asked the guide at the Parthenon as to who built it physically. If I remember right he said about 85% were slaves and 15% were free men who wanted to be part of it. He then added something I thought  was remarkable, that Pericles had ruled that *all* those men free or slave, would be paid equally. It was Pericles' idea that men would outgrow this notion of slavery as they advanced.  His funeral oration  also is astounding.

 Some excerpts from that oration (copy-pasted below):

Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favors the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy. If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in their private differences; if no social standing, advancement in public life falls to reputation for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere with merit; nor again does poverty bar the way, if a man is able to serve the state, he is not hindered by the obscurity of his condition. The freedom which we enjoy in our government extends also to our ordinary life. There, far from exercising a jealous surveillance over each other, we do not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbor for doing what he likes, or even to indulge in those injurious looks which cannot fail to be offensive, although they inflict no positive penalty. But all this ease in our private relations does not make us lawless as citizens. Against this fear is our chief safeguard, teaching us to obey the magistrates and the laws, particularly such as regard the protection of the injured, whether they are actually on the statute book, or belong to that code which, although unwritten, yet cannot be broken without acknowledged disgrace.
"Further, we provide plenty of means for the mind to refresh itself from business. We celebrate games and sacrifices all the year round, and the elegance of our private establishments forms a daily source of pleasure and helps to banish the spleen; while the magnitude of our city draws the produce of the world into our harbor, so that to the Athenian the fruits of other countries are as familiar a luxury as those of his own.

No doubt Pericles was an impressive person but I doubt he surpasses Xenophon as a man of action. To understand what I am talking about see this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabasis_(Xenophon)

Briefly, X had become a mercenary in a Greek mercenary army which fought on behalf of Cyrus who was the younger brother of the Persian king. Cyrus's forces were defeated in the battle and Cyrus was slain in the battlefield. The Persians called for truce and invited all the senior Greek generals for the peace discussions. Foolishly the Greeks agreed to this whereupon the Persians slaughtered all the Greek generals. Essentially the Greek army had been decapitated of their leadership. They then elected new leaders, one of whom was Xenophon--formerly disciple of Socrates and now a mercenary--and then marched over two thousand miles over enemy territory in the course of about four-five months. On the way they met resistance from hostile locals and tribals who would attack the Greeks and they were also pursued by the Persians but most of them managed to find their way back to Greece.

X subsequently became a mercenary for Sparta ( even though he was a native of Athens ) and he took part in more wars but finally retired when he took a wealthy merchant hostage, received a large sum of money as ransom, and retired on this sum of money living on to old age. He left behind several books, the most famous of which is a first hand description of the 'Expedition of Cyrus' which he calls 'Anabasis'. The word Anabasis means going from a coastal area ( Greece) to some interior region (Persia).

Rashmun wrote:

Kris wrote:

Rashmun wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophon

>>>In my book, the most remarkable greek would be Pericles. I  asked the guide at the Parthenon as to who built it physically. If I remember right he said about 85% were slaves and 15% were free men who wanted to be part of it. He then added something I thought  was remarkable, that Pericles had ruled that *all* those men free or slave, would be paid equally. It was Pericles' idea that men would outgrow this notion of slavery as they advanced.  His funeral oration  also is astounding.

 Some excerpts from that oration (copy-pasted below):

Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves. Its administration favors the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy. If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in their private differences; if no social standing, advancement in public life falls to reputation for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere with merit; nor again does poverty bar the way, if a man is able to serve the state, he is not hindered by the obscurity of his condition. The freedom which we enjoy in our government extends also to our ordinary life. There, far from exercising a jealous surveillance over each other, we do not feel called upon to be angry with our neighbor for doing what he likes, or even to indulge in those injurious looks which cannot fail to be offensive, although they inflict no positive penalty. But all this ease in our private relations does not make us lawless as citizens. Against this fear is our chief safeguard, teaching us to obey the magistrates and the laws, particularly such as regard the protection of the injured, whether they are actually on the statute book, or belong to that code which, although unwritten, yet cannot be broken without acknowledged disgrace.
"Further, we provide plenty of means for the mind to refresh itself from business. We celebrate games and sacrifices all the year round, and the elegance of our private establishments forms a daily source of pleasure and helps to banish the spleen; while the magnitude of our city draws the produce of the world into our harbor, so that to the Athenian the fruits of other countries are as familiar a luxury as those of his own.

No doubt Pericles was an impressive person but I doubt he surpasses Xenophon as a man of action. To understand what I am talking about see this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabasis_(Xenophon)

Briefly, X had become a mercenary in a Greek mercenary army which fought on behalf of Cyrus who was the younger brother of the Persian king. Cyrus's forces were defeated in the battle and Cyrus was slain in the battlefield. The Persians called for truce and invited all the senior Greek generals for the peace discussions. Foolishly the Greeks agreed to this whereupon the Persians slaughtered all the Greek generals. Essentially the Greek army had been decapitated of their leadership. They then elected new leaders, one of whom was Xenophon--formerly disciple of Socrates and now a mercenary--and then marched over two thousand miles over enemy territory in the course of about four-five months. On the way they met resistance from hostile locals and tribals who would attack the Greeks and they were also pursued by the Persians but most of them managed to find their way back to Greece.

X subsequently became a mercenary for Sparta ( even though he was a native of Athens ) and he took part in more wars but finally retired when he took a wealthy merchant hostage, received a large sum of money as ransom, and retired on this sum of money living on to old age. He left behind several books, the most famous of which is a first hand description of the 'Expedition of Cyrus' which he calls 'Anabasis'. The word Anabasis means going from a coastal area ( Greece) to some interior region (Persia).

Cyrus had recruited the Greeks to fight on his behalf along with his other forces against his elder brother who was at the time the King of Persia.