Quotes from Cyropaedia

“Then Cyrus burst out laughing in spite of his own tears, and bade the unfortunate man take heart of grace and be gone. "I shall soon be back with you again, and then you can stare at me to your heart's content, and never wink at all."”

Shows Xenophon's light, affectionate humour, with a sharp comic turn in the final line.

“If you wished to be thought a good farmer, a good horseman, a good physician, a good flute-player, or anything else whatever, without really being so, just imagine what a world of devices you would need to invent, merely to keep up the outward show!”

A wry, rhythmic aside that uses a list and an exclamation to mock pretence.

“But the brigadier interposed, "Then he is a fool for his pains, my friend: one might strike fire out of you, perhaps, but not a laugh, not a laugh."”

Brisk comic dialogue, with the repeated phrase giving the brigadier's bluntness its punch.

"Brigadier, you are very wrong to corrupt so virtuous a man, luring him to laughter, and that too when he is the sworn foe of gaiety."

Ironic, formal banter that shows the gentle comedy running through the dialogue.

“And Cyrus said, "Most gladly I will give her; she is yours. And I believe I am more grateful to you for asking than you can be to me for giving; I am so thirsty to gratify you all."”

A courteous reversal of gratitude that shows Cyrus's generous, warm manner of speaking.

“The man who utters it and the people whose heart and mind it emanates from must be of a high order; and in the Memorabilia Socrates has this highest praise, that he studied to make himself and all others also as good as possible.”

A reflective critical comment on Socrates's ideal of moral improvement, measured and thoughtful in tone.

“The best way to improve ourselves is to see that we set our boys the best examples.”

A plain, memorable maxim about moral example that the commentary singles out as central.

“Then Gobryas said, "Truly, Cyrus, until to-day I used to think it was in generalship that you outshone other men the most, but, by heaven! I say now it is not in generalship at all, it is generosity."”

A lively, conversational compliment that turns on a surprise in its final clause.

"Ah," said Cyrus, "what would you give to have as much said of you? To have it reported on all sides and wherever you wished to stand well that you were a man of wit?"

A pointed, witty question that shows Cyrus's quick sense of social repartee.

“An important point or principle in Xenophon's political theory--indeed the key and tone of it: no one has a right to command except by virtue of personal superiority.”

A clear statement of the commentator's reading of Xenophon's theory of rule, in plain analytic prose.