2 h 36 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if training a hound is also a way to train your character?
In The Sportsman, Xenophon takes you into the practical work of the ancient Greek hunt. This soldier and student of Socrates explains how to choose equipment, set nets and train hounds. The hare provides his model chase: a dawn start, likely ground and dogs following a scent.
But the chase also carries an argument about how to live. Xenophon presents hunting as training for the body, preparation for war and a habit that builds virtue. Alongside advice on deer and wild boar, he challenges teachers who speak well but do little. What matters to him is character tested through action.
What you’ll discover
- Myth at the beginning Discover Xenophon's opening account of Apollo and Artemis giving the hunt to Chiron.
- The care of hounds Explore the care behind choosing, naming and training dogs for the chase.
- A dawn hare hunt Follow the hunter's preparations as nets, ground and scent shape the pursuit.
- Courage with larger prey See how deer and wild boar bring courage and caution into the hunter's craft.
- Virtue put into practice Consider Xenophon's claim that demanding habits strengthen character more than polished talk.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who enjoy ancient Greek life, practical craft, animals and dogs, or the Socratic idea that virtue is trained by habit. It may feel less suited to anyone who dislikes hunting or wants a story rather than instruction.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Hunting is a gift from the gods
- A hunter needs light gear and a clear mind
- Choose, name and train hounds with care
- The hare shows how the chase works
- Deer and boar demand courage and caution
- The chase builds virtue and exposes sophists
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- Large print hardcover
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
Hunting is a gift from the gods
Xenophon opens with myth. He says that Apollo and Artemis gave the hunt and the hound to the centaur Chiron, a reward for his justice. Chiron then taught the young heroes of Greek legend, and Xenophon names a long line of them, among them Cephalus, Asclepius, Meleager, Theseus, Odysseus, Peleus and Achilles.
The point of the list is simple. These men learned the chase first, and then they learned war and wisdom. Xenophon says they were honored by the gods because they honored what Chiron taught, and that their fame grew from the habits he gave them.
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The author
Xenophon
430 BC–353 BC · Ancient Greek historian and philosopher
Greek philosopher, historian, and soldier.
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What is The Sportsman by Xenophon about?
It is a practical guide to hunting with hounds and nets in ancient Greece. Xenophon covers equipment, dog breeding and training, and the hunting of hares, deer and wild boar, and he argues that hunting builds courage and character.
What is Cynegeticus?
Cynegeticus is the Greek title of Xenophon's work on hunting, and the name means something like the hunting treatise. The Sportsman and On Hunting are English titles for the same book.
Did Xenophon really write this book?
Most scholars accept it as Xenophon's work, though some doubt that the mythological opening chapter belongs to the original. The rest of the treatise shows his practical and moral interests and matches his other writings.
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