The Economist

Xenophon, 431 BCE-350？ BCEProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.9

Word count: 210K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Economist by XenophonAuthor: Xenophon, 431 BCE-350? BCE,Language: English, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Jan 1, 1998

Editor's review

Xenophon's Oeconomicus is a major Socratic dialogue from ancient Greece on household and agricultural management, discussing how to run an estate, manage slaves, and organize domestic affairs, along with the division of labor between husband and wife and ways to increase wealth. It is not an economics treatise in the modern sense; rather, it examines economic activity within the framework of polis ethics and household order, combining value for intellectual history with practical observation. The English translation is available on Project Gutenberg, making it convenient for comparison with the Greek original or for use as an introductory classics text. Readers should note its emphasis on the primacy of agriculture, order, and obedience, as well as the author's standpoint as an Athenian aristocrat and mercenary leader. It is suitable as supplementary material for courses in ancient Greek social history and the history of economic thought, and also for general readers interested in classical ways of life. It is not long, but the names and institutional background require annotation, so reading alongside an introduction is recommended.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of classics and ancient Greek history who need primary sources on economics and household management.
Enthusiasts of the history of economic thought who want to understand pre-classical economic ideas.
General readers interested in daily life, agriculture, and the division of labor in ancient Greek households.
Readers with good English proficiency who wish to engage directly with English translations of classical texts.

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic modern economic theory or data analysis.
Readers who need a Chinese translation and are unwilling to read English classical texts.
Readers impatient with dialogue-form, argumentative texts that lack plot.

Reading tips

Read the English translation's introduction or relevant encyclopedia entries first to learn about Xenophon's life and the ancient Greek household system.
Take notes by dialogue section, distinguishing Socrates' views from Xenophon's own position.
Read in comparison with Memorabilia or Aristotle's discussions of economics.
When encountering content such as slavery or gender division of labor, understand it critically in its historical context.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is the Oeconomicus about modern economics?

No. It discusses ancient Greek household and agricultural management, including how to organize estates, manage servants, and divide labor between husband and wife. It belongs to household management rather than modern macroeconomic analysis. It should be understood within the context of classical polis ethics and a slave-based economy.

Can I read it without a background in ancient Greek history?

Yes, but it is best to build some basic background first. The book involves Athens, Sparta, and the social institutions of the time; without knowledge of the relevant history, it is easy to mistake the advice in the dialogue for universal economic laws. Reading alongside an introduction or a concise history of ancient Greece will make it smoother.

What are the features of this edition?

This entry is an English-language electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, in English, classified under classical languages and literature. It is easy to access and search for free, but it usually does not include detailed scholarly annotations; for in-depth study, find a critical edition or reference work separately.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Xenophon, 431 BCE-350？ BCE Author

Xenophon (c. 431–c. 350 BCE) was an ancient Greek historian, military commander and prose writer. Public information about the details of his life is limited, and his works are the main basis for understanding him and his thought. The collection holds 20 of his works, including Anabasis, Hellenica, Cyropaedia and The Memorabilia. These writings combine historical narrative, military memoir and philosophical dialogue; their style is clear and plain, their narration concrete and vivid, and they are especially notable for firsthand accounts of campaigns he experienced. His works have long circulated as important sources for the study of ancient Greek politics, warfare and thought, and have influenced later historical writing and educational ideas.