Xenophon’s On Horsemanship

The genre, and particularly Xenophon’s On Horsemanship, are then revived again in Renaissance texts and the practice of the art of horsemanship among the nobility of Europe. It is largely thanks to this revival that modern equestrian communities still frequently refer to Xenophon’s text. In addition, although to some extent it will apply to both working examples, naval imagery exemplifies how Xenophon can avail himself of a well-established motif in Greek literature, namely the ‘ship-of-state’. Xenophon himself emphasises this connection in the Cavalry Commander when he describes how in a battle situation horses are better in a group. Regardless of military realities, contrast between cavalry and hoplites is certainly a theme which runs through contemporary literature. Such imagery and literary interaction also permits Xenophon to explore a number of different genres – philosophical discourse, forensic speeches, drama and poetry, historiography.