[Xenophon] [Xenophon2010_readingodyssey.org] Xenophon's Hellenika Reading Group - First Call

[Swislow, Bill]

Years ago I read an account of I.F. Stone learning Greek and Latin in his old age so he could read the classics. I’m not quite that ambitious, but at some point I decided I ought to fill that gap in my education and started reading what I took to be some of the standard works of history and philosophy – Plato, Cicero, Herodotus, Thucydides and Tacitus, among others. Never having studied this work, I’ve always felt undereducated. Now, having read Aristotle with the Reading Odyssey group, I wish I had had the benefit of the collective wisdom throughout. Meanwhile, I oversee product development and technology at Cars.com. I’m also on the board of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in Chicago.

From: xenophon2010-bounces at readingodyssey.org [mailto:xenophon2010-bounces at readingodyssey.org] On Behalf Of Andre Stipanovic
Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2009 4:00 PM
To: Xenophon2010 at readingodyssey.org
Subject: [Xenophon2010_readingodyssey.org] Xenophon's Hellenika Reading Group - First Call

Welcome to the Xenophon’s Hellenika reading group!
I am Andre Stipanovic and will be your moderator for the next 7 months as we discuss this great book, published in the Landmark series and edited by Robert Strassler.  We are fortunate to have Robert Strassler himself join us on our first call scheduled for Monday January 11, 2010.

Here is the game plan for our first call.

I would like to start out by introducing you to information important to reading this key text of early 4th century Greek history.  First, we will talk a little bit about how to get the most out of this particular edition of Hellenika.  Please make sure to get a copy of the Landmark Xenophon edited by Robert Strassler if you haven’t already done so.  Then read the Editor’s Preface (pp. lxvii-lxxiv) and Key to Maps (p. lxxxii) to help you get acquainted with the format of this very user-friendly book.  I also suggest you briefly look over the Chronological Outline of Text (p. lxxix) and bookmark it for later reference as a handy ‘road map’ of how events unfold in later books.  I will briefly comment on these sections before I take us through events leading up to Book I (pp. ix-xii) as well as Xenophon’s life (pp. xvii-xxi).

Then Robert Strassler will share his experience with this text, especially in terms of seeing Xenophon’s Hellenika in respect to other sources we have of events in Greece in the 4th century B.C.  He will be explaining to us why comparing sources is critical in terms of understanding Xenophon’s intent and veracity.  You can look over pp. xxvi-xxx and lix-lxii in the Introduction to get acquainted with these issues if you like before or after the call.

I would like to keep our calls as focused as possible on our reading, so as a way of getting to know each other before our first call, would you ‘reply to all’ on this email with a little bit about yourself:  What motivates you to read books like Xenophon’s Hellenika?  What other kinds of books do you enjoy reading and why?

Summary of passages (all taken from Introduction to Landmark Xenophon’s Hellenika) that will be referred to next call:
Editor’s Preface (pp. lxvii-lxxiv, strongly recommended)
Key to Maps (p. lxxxii, strongly recommended)
Chronological Outline of Text (p. lxxix, recommended)
Section 1, p. ix (strongly recommended)
Section 2, pp. ix-xii (strongly recommended)
Section 4, pp. xvii-xxi (recommended)
Section 7, pp. xxvi-xxx (optional)
Section 14, pp. lix-lxii (optional)

Xenophon 2010 Hellenika - Conference Call Schedule
Call 1 - Monday January 11, 2010:  Introductory call with Robert Strassler
Call 2 - Monday February 22, 2010:  Books I-II.3.10
Call 3 - Monday March 22, 2010:  Books II.3.11 - III
Call 4 - Monday May 10, 2010:  Books IV & V
Call 5 - Monday June 7, 2010:  Book VI
Call 6 - Monday July 12, 2010:  Book VII

Your phone number is:  1-888-350-0075 or 201-793-9022*
Your passcode is:  1100494#

* If readers have unlimited long distance on their home phones and can call in from non-cell phones, then we ask they use the 201 number to help us save money, if possible.

Managing the Conference Call
The following commands may be used participants during the conference call:

*1 Play menu of features so you know what's available
*2 Mute/Unmute your own line so other people can't hear you talking.

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