Xenophon was an Athenian historian, philosopher, and soldier who lived from approximately 430 to 354 BCE. A student of Socrates, his life was defined by his leadership of the retreat of the Ten Thousand Greek mercenaries after the Battle of Cunaxa in 401 BCE, an event he chronicled in his famous work Anabasis. His subsequent service with Spartans led to his exile from Athens. He spent many years on an estate in Scillus before eventually moving to Corinth.

Xenophon’s diverse corpus includes historical, philosophical, and technical works. His major titles are the historical narratives Anabasis and Hellenica; the Socratic works Memorabilia, Oeconomicus, and Symposium; the political biography Cyropaedia; and practical treatises like On Horsemanship. The so-called "Xenophon Letters" are not considered among his authentic works by major scholarly sources.

Xenophon is a crucial historian for late-5th and early-4th century Greece. His Anabasis is both a vital historical source and a classic adventure narrative, while his Socratic writings provide an important practical counterpoint to the more theoretical portraits by Plato. His works on leadership, economics, and society offer valuable insights into Greek life and thought.