Xenophon (; ,
Xenophon; c. 430 – 354 BC), son of Gryllus, of the
deme Erchia of
Athens, also known as
Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek
historian,
soldier,
mercenary, and student of
Socrates. While not referred to as a philosopher by his contemporaries, his status as such is now a topic of debate. He is known for writing about the history of his own times, the late 5th and early 4th centuries BC, especially for his account of the final years of the
Peloponnesian War. His
Hellenica, which recounts these times, is considered to be the continuation of
Thucydides’
History of the Peloponnesian War. His youthful participation in the failed campaign of
Cyrus the Younger to claim the Persian throne inspired him to write his most famous work,
Anabasis.