The Sportsman | Page 3

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Etext prepared by John Bickers, [email protected].

The Sportsman
by Xenophon
Translation by H. G. Dakyns

Xenophon the Athenian was born 431 B.C. He was a pupil of Socrates.
He marched with the Spartans, and was exiled from Athens. Sparta
gave him land and property in Scillus, where he lived for many years
before having to move once more, to settle in Corinth. He died in 354
B.C.
The Sportsman is a manual on hunting hares, deer and wild boar,
including the topics of dogs, and the benefits of hunting for the young.

PREPARER'S NOTE
This was typed from Dakyns' series, "The Works of Xenophon," a
four-volume set. The complete list of Xenophon's works (though there

is doubt about some of these) is:
Work Number of books
The Anabasis 7 The Hellenica 7 The Cyropaedia 8 The Memorabilia 4
The Symposium 1 The Economist 1 On Horsemanship 1 The
Sportsman 1 The Cavalry General 1 The Apology 1 On Revenues 1
The Hiero 1 The Agesilaus 1 The Polity of the Athenians and the
Lacedaemonians 2
Text in brackets "{}" is my transliteration of Greek text into English
using an Oxford English Dictionary alphabet table. The diacritical
marks have been lost.

ON HUNTING A Sportsman's Manual
Commonly Called
CYNEGETICUS

I
To the gods themselves is due the discovery, to Apollo and Artemis,
patrons of the chase and protectors of the hound.[1] As a guerdon they
bestowed it upon Cheiron,[2] by reason of his uprightness, and he took
it and was glad, and turned the gift to good account. At his feet sat
many a disciple, to whom he taught the mystery of hunting and of
chivalry[3]--to wit, Cephalus, Asclepius, Melanion, Nestor,
Amphiaraus, Peleus, Telamon, Meleager, Theseus and Hippolytus,
Palamedes, Odysseus, Menestheus, Diomed, Castor and Polydeuces,
Machaon and Podaleirius, Antilochus, Aeneas and Achilles: of whom
each in his turn was honoured by the gods. And let none marvel that of
these the greater part, albeit well-pleasing to the gods, nevertheless
were subject to death--which is the way of nature,[4] but their fame has
grown--nor yet that their prime of manhood so far differed. The
lifetime of Cheiron sufficed for all his scholars; the fact being that Zeus
and Cheiron were brethren, sons of the same father but of different
mothers--Zeus of Rhea, and Cheiron of the nymph Nais;[5] and so it is
that, though older than all of them, he died not before he had taught the
youngest--to wit, the boy Achilles.[6]
[1] Or, "This thing is the invention of no mortal man, but of Apollo and
Artemis, to whom belong hunting and dogs." For the style of exordium

L. Dind. cf (Ps.) Dion. "Art. rhet." ad in.; Galen, "Isagog." ad in.; Alex.
Aphrodis. "Probl." 2 proem.
[2] The wisest and "justest of all the centaurs," Hom. "Il." xi. 831. See
Kingsley, "The Heroes," p. 84.
[3] Or, "the discipline of the hunting field and other noble lore."
[4] Lit. "since that is nature, but the praise of them grew greatly."
[5] According to others, Philyra. Pind. "Pyth." iii. 1, {ethelon Kheirona
ke Philuridan}; cf. "Pyth." vi. 22; "Nem." iii. 43.
[6] See Paus. iii. 18. 12.
Thanks to the careful heed they paid to dogs and things pertaining to
the chase, thanks also to the other training of their boyhood, all these
greatly excelled, and on the score of virtue were admired.
If Cephalus was caught into the arms of one that was a goddess,[7]
Asclepius[8] obtained yet greater honour. To him it was given to raise
the dead and to heal the sick, whereby,[9] even as a god among mortal
men, he has obtained to himself imperishable glory. Melanion[10] so
far excelled in zest for toil that he alone of all that flower of chivalry
who were his rivals[11] obtained the prize of noblest wedlock with
Atalanta; while as to Nestor, what need to repeat the well-known tale?
so far and wide for many a day has the fame of his virtue penetrated the
ears of Hellas.[12]
[7] Hemera (al. Eos). For the