A Spectacle of Greekness: Panhellenism and the Visual in Xenophon’s Agesilaus

Abstract

Xenophon?s representation of Agesilaus must be understood within the political context of the early fourth century and the intellectual context of Panhellenism. A time of upheaval, conflict and violence, this period saw multiple shifting alliances and struggles for ascendancy between Greek states in the Corinthian War. In this chapter the author argues that although the Agesilaus can be understood as a ?Panhellenist? text in that it engages with questions about the nature of Greek identity current in contemporary Panhellenist thought, it reveals the complex, discursive nature of Panhellenism by engaging in those questions in a troublingly contorted and challenging way. Agesilaus? actions against the Persians are described in highly polarised, ethnocentric language, which makes explicit reference to the Persian wars. Keywords:Agesilaus; Greek politics; greekness; Panhellenism; Persian wars; Xenophon