A philosopher, soldier, and historian of ancient Greece, Xenophon (c.430–354 B.C.) was a disciple of Socrates; he and Plato are the only two students whose records survive of the philosopher's conversation, life, and teachings.

In the Anabasis and Hellenica, Xenophon reported on events of his own era; the former recounts his participation in a Persian civil war, and the latter provides an important account of the end and aftermath of the Peloponnesian War.