A letter arrived to Xenophon, a friend had invited him to join a Persian army as a mercenary. Being young and promised fame, he probably desired adventure. However, not knowing what to do he asked his friend and mentor Socrates for advice. The wisest of the ancient philosophers was concerned, maybe a bit suspicious, as the leader of the mercenaries was a Lacedaemonian. It hadn’t been long enough for Athenians to forget how Persians and Spartans cooperated against them. Thus, Socrates told Xenophon to ask the Oracle at Delphi.
Because what ancient adventure doesn’t start with a visit to the oracle. At Delphi Xenophon asked the priestess to which god should he pray and do sacrifice so that his adventure was successful. The oracle replied with a list of gods. Happy with this, Xenophon went back to Socrates to share the news. Socrates was not happy.
But he, when he heard, blamed Xenophon that he had not, in the first instance, inquired of the god, whether it were better for him to go or to stay, but had taken on himself to settle that point affirmatively, by inquiring straightway, how he might best perform the journey. “Since, however,” continued Socrates, “you did so put the question, you should do what the god enjoined.”
Anabasis, Book III – Xenophon
Xenophon did not ask the gods if he should go, rather how to be successful. I have the feeling that had he asked for the former, the gods would had said no. So Xenophon joined the ranks of the Ten Thousand, commanded by Clearchus the Spartan. No one could say he did not find success. He joined not as a general or an officer, but as a soldier. He would go on to have quite an adventure in Asia, and eventually rise to the ranks of general in one of the most famous adventures of the ancient world.
