Hellenica by Xenophon

(2 User reviews)   2133
By Charlotte Girard Posted on Dec 26, 2025
In Category - Adventure
Xenophon, 432 BCE-351? BCE Xenophon, 432 BCE-351? BCE
English
Ever wonder what happened to Sparta and Athens after their epic war? 'Hellenica' picks up right where Thucydides' history stops. Forget a neat ending—this is the messy, chaotic aftermath. It's the story of a world where the old rules are gone, alliances flip overnight, and no one really wins. Xenophon was there for a lot of it, giving us a front-row seat to the slow, painful decline of Greek power. It’s like watching a brilliant, complicated civilization start to unravel, and it’s absolutely gripping.
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the former, under the command of Agesandridas, gained the victory. (1) Lit. "after these events"; but is hard to conjecture to what events the author refers. For the order of events and the connection between the closing chapter of Thuc. viii. 109, and the opening words of the "Hellenica," see introductory remarks above. The scene of this sea-fight is, I think, the Hellespont. Another short interval brings us to a morning in early winter, when Dorieus, the son of Diagoras, was entering the Hellespont with fourteen ships from Rhodes at break of day. The Athenian day-watch descrying him, signalled to the generals, and they, with twenty sail, put out to sea to attack him. Dorieus made good his escape, and, as he shook himself free of the narrows, (2) ran his triremes aground off Rhoeteum. When the Athenians had come to close quarters, the fighting commenced, and was sustained at once from ships and shore, until at length the Athenians retired to their main camp at Madytus, having achieved nothing. (2) Lit. "as he opened" {os enoige}. This is still a mariner's phrase in modern Greek, if I am rightly informed. Meanwhile Mindarus, while sacrificing to Athena at Ilium, had observed the battle. He at once hastened to the sea, and getting his own triremes afloat, sailed out to pick up the ships with Dorieus. The Athenians on their side put out to meet him, and engaged him off Abydos. From early morning till the afternoon the fight was kept up close to the shore. (3) Victory and defeat hung still in even balance, when Alcibiades came sailing up with eighteen ships. Thereupon the Peloponnesians fled towards Abydos, where, however, Pharnabazus brought them timely assistance. (4) Mounted on horseback, he pushed forward into the sea as far as his horse would let him, doing battle himself, and encouraging his troopers and the infantry alike to play their parts. Then the Peloponnesians, ranging their ships in close-packed order, and drawing up their battle line in proximity to the land, kept up the fight. At length the Athenians, having captured thirty of the enemy's vessels without their crews, and having recovered those of their own which they had previously lost, set sail for Sestos. Here the fleet, with the exception of forty vessels, dispersed in different directions outside the Hellespont, to collect money; while Thrasylus, one of the generals, sailed to Athens to report what had happened, and to beg for a reinforcement of troops and ships. After the above incidents, Tissaphernes arrived in the Hellespont, and received a visit from Alcibiades, who presented him with a single ship, bringing with him tokens of friendship and gifts, whereupon Tissaphernes seized him and shut him up in Sardis, giving out that the king's orders were to go to war with the Athenians. Thirty days later Alcibiades, accompanied by Mantitheus, who had been captured in Caria, managed to procure horses and escaped by night to Clazomenae. (3) The original has a somewhat more poetical ring. The author uses the old Attic or Ionic word {eona}. This is a mark of style, of which we shall have many instances. One might perhaps produce something of the effect here by translating: "the battle hugged the strand." (4) Or, "came to their aid along the shore." B.C. 410. And now the Athenians at Sestos, hearing that Mindarus was meditating an attack upon them with a squadron of sixty sail, gave him the slip, and under cover of night escaped to Cardia. Hither also Alcibiades repaired from Clazomenae, having with him five triremes and a light skiff; but...

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Xenophon's Hellenica is history from the trenches. It starts in 411 BCE, right where another famous historian left off, and follows Greece for about fifty turbulent years. This isn't a story with one clear hero or villain. Instead, we get a chain of battles, shifting alliances, and political squabbles. We see Sparta's brief moment as top dog, the shocking rise of Thebes, and the constant, exhausting friction between city-states. The narrative moves from one clash to the next, showing how all that infighting left Greece weak and open to a new power waiting in the wings: Macedon.

Why You Should Read It

You read this for the raw, unfiltered perspective. Xenophon was a soldier and an exile. His writing has a direct, sometimes opinionated feel that modern histories often smooth over. He admires Spartan discipline but doesn't hide their flaws. He shows you the gritty reality of power—how it's gained, lost, and abused. The most fascinating thread is the slow erosion of the old Greek world. There's no single dramatic fall, just a series of bad decisions and missed chances that changed everything.

Final Verdict

This is essential reading if you love ancient history and want to go beyond the famous Persian and Peloponnesian Wars. It's for the reader who enjoys complex, character-driven political drama, even if those 'characters' are entire cities. Be prepared for a dense parade of names and places, but stick with it. The reward is understanding the crucial, messy bridge between Classical Greece and the age of Alexander.

🔓 Legacy Content

This text is dedicated to the public domain. Use this text in your own projects freely.

Christopher Robinson
1 year ago

Beautifully written.

Emily Davis
1 year ago

Good quality content.

5
5 out of 5 (2 User reviews )

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