Phalinus, messenger from Persian King Artaxerxes, demands that the Persians (who had fought with Cyrus, now dead, against Artaxerxes) put down their arms.
Xenophon responds: “Phalinus, at this moment, as you see for yourself, we have no other possessions save arms and valor. Now if we keep our arms, we imagine that we can make use of our valor also, but if we give them up, that we shall likewise be deprived of our lives…”
Phalinus laughed and said: “Why, you talk like a philosopher, young man, and what you say is quite pretty; be sure, however, that you are a fool if you imagine that your valor could prove superior to the King’s might.”
Xenophon, Anabasis (or, The Persian Expedition)
VIDEO FOLLOWED BY DISTINCT WRITTEN REFLECTION
The situation is dramatic. The Greeks acquitted themselves with distinction in the battle just ended; nonetheless Cyrus, whom they served, fell in the battle. Artaxerxes now holds all the cards, and the Greeks are far from home. And everyone knows it.
Phalinus, though himself a Greek, expresses a view especially common among barbarians. He sneers at the notion that “valor could prove superior” to great might. This of course, whether he knows it or not, evokes a deeper question: just what does “prove superior” mean? If the only notion of superiority is that of overpowering, of beating the opposition, then Phalinus’s point is surely well taken.
Yet history records the deeds of these Greeks’ cousins at Thermopylae just a few generations before. The barbarians certainly won the field, but the Spartans won undying remembrance, and honor.
There is might, and then there is character.
Plato, a contemporary of Xenophon, would lay out in his Republic two paths open to man, that of might and that of right. Not only individuals but whole communities and cultures can lose sight of the distinction, and the difference it makes.
But the reality, and power, of true human greatness, is never completely lost to sight. And many great books of our civilization bring before our eyes, with poignancy, this reality.
Note: Recently I have been reading Anabasis (The Persian Expedition) aloud with my son. It has provided both great excitement and occasion for reflection.
Xenophon (430-354 B.C.) was a soldier, historian, and philosopher of Athens. In addition to Anabasis, the historical account of the Greeks who fought for Cyrus, he wrote dialogues featuring Socrates as a great teacher. Among these dialogues are Oeconomicus, translated as The Estate Manager, in which he shares insight into the structure and principles of the ancient household, and Memorabilia, in which he shares recollections of the life of Socrates.
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Thanks for this – very interesting. What happened next?
Carol, Ah, great question. Well, I don’t want to ruin the story for you…but I’ll tell you this. The Greeks did not lay down their arms, and King Artaxerxes knew better than to attack them at this point. So their long march to try to get back to Greece soon began.
Of course the great thing is that true valor always wins the day–as with the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae–even though it doesn’t always win the field of battle.
I’ll share more of these Greeks’ story soon. Thanks for asking.
Hi John,
Thank you for the reflection. I just finished teaching the book again and every year I find myself enjoying it more and more. What you say about valor is exactly right and proven to be so by those 10,000 hoplites. It is no wonder that their story is called the greatest military retreat of all time!
Please pardon my boldness if I bring up a quibble or two.
I would like to know what translation you are reading from. From my research, it is very much a point of contention among scholars if Xenophon spoke the words your quote attributes to him or if they were spoken by another Athenian. In the two translations I have, neither of them uses Xenophon’s name at this point in the book, although one of the translators says in a footnote that he believes the speaker to be Xenophon. The other translator refutes this position.
Secondly, the great philosopher Socrates was (unfortunately) not on this expedition. There is a character named Socrates, but he is not the famous one. Xenophon joined Cyrus’ army in 401 BC, just two years before Socrates was condemned by the Athenian court. Socrates would have been far too old to serve as a soldier.
Stephen, Not quibbles at all. Many thanks. First of all, thank you for correcting my gaffe r.e. Socrates. It’s funny: I remember having heard that Socrates was on the expedition, but I clearly wasn’t attentive enough to the dates to see that only a different Socrates was on the expedition, and that the main Socrates was too old. And indeed, the other Socrates, I believe, is one of the generals beheaded. Thank you. Regarding your second point, I’m using the Loeb Classical Library, translated by Carleton Brownson and revised by John Dillery. So I would presume it is a well-found position. If you turn up more information that would point to the contrary, please let me know. Thank you again.