Education and Politics in Xenophon's Education of Cyrus — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Education and Politics in Xenophon's Education of Cyrus

Name: Hunter McKenzie
Major: Great Ideas
Hometown: Lindenhurst
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE

Name: Paul Ulrich
Department: Interdisciplinary Studies
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE

Abstract

In Xenophon's semi-historical portrayal of the Cyrus the Great, the Persian leader's first address to his troops curiously addresses not military matters foremost, but the very meaning of life. He claims that Persian education has mistakenly instructed them to pursue virtue, or human excellence, for its own sake. After many conquests, Cyrus delivers another speech in which he claims the opposite, that in order to maintain their empire the Persians must return to their original practice and pursue virtue for its own sake. An investigation of what characterizes virtue in Xenophon, and for what benefits it is cultivated in a regime and culture, helps to shed light on Xenophon as a political thinker. A close examination of Cyrus' rhetoric throughout the work reveals the essential connection that Xenophon develops between education and success in establishing and maintaining political power.