XENOPHON AND THE HAPPY LIFE IN THE CYROPAEDIA
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Abstract
The question of “happy life”, i.e. the question of how to live, is one of the most relevant topics in Greek literature and philosophy. The main point of Herodotus’ depiction of the encounter of Croesus with Solon and Cyrus, one of the best-known tales from antiquity, is the question of how to live. It is also an important motif in Plato’s Gorgias. Thus, it comes as no real surprise that it plays a significant role in Xenophon’s Cyropaedia too. However, the attention of scholars is usually focused only on the encounter of Cyrus with Croesus. The present article attempts to overcome the shortcomings of this approach by also examining other episodes in Cyropaedia which refer directly or indirectly to the question of “happy life”. In this way it will be shown that Xenophon understands by “happy life” vita activa and not vita contemplativa.
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References
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