Xenophon's masterpiece The Education of Cyrus-a work admired by Machiavelli for its lessons on leadership-is at last available in a new English translation for a new century. Also known as the Cyropaedia, this philosophical novel is loosely based on the accomplishments of Cyrus the Great, founder of the vast Persian Empire that later became the archrival of the Greeks in the classical age. It offers an extraordinary portrait of political ambition, talent, and their ultimate limits. The writings of Xenophon are increasingly recognized as important works of political philosophy. In The Education of Cyrus, Xenophon confronts the vexing problem of political instability by exploring the character and behavior of the ruler. Impressive though his successes are, however, Cyrus is also examined in the larger human context, in which love, honor, greed, revenge, folly, piety, and the search for wisdom all have important parts to play. Wayne Ambler's prose captures the charm and drama of the work while also achieving great accuracy. His introduction, annotations, and glossary help the reader to appreciate both the engaging story itself and the volume's contributions to philosophy.
"The Education of Cyrus is a major work of classical political philosophy that provides a portrait of extraordinary political ambition... Ambler's precise translation makes it possible to engage in a close textual reading that establishes Xenophon as an important political thinker."
Translation Review
"Wayne Ambler's elegant translation deserves to become the standard English version of this work."
The Weekly Standard
"There are many reasons to welcome this fresh, precise, and graceful English rendering of the Cyropaedia, the first since 1914. It is, of course, a central text for the study of Greek military technique in the age of professional warfare that leads up to Alexander. But it is much, much more... Ambler's superb translation, accompanied by a glossary that matches key terms in the Greek with their sem
