Xenophon

[Arpa]

Xenophon.

Does it sound Greek to you? :)

In Armenian he is known as Qsenopon and his description of classical Armenian history and society is invaluable.

 

The following paragraph is taken from here;

http://www.visi.com/~contra_m/cm/features2...k_armenia1.html

 

Born in Athens in 430 B.C., in 401 Xenophon joined the expedition of the Younger Cyrus, who had rebelled against Artaches (Artaxerxes II), his brother, attempting to overthrow his rule with the help of Greeks. The Greek general had embarked for the expedition with the Ten Thousand. The expedition failed as the result of the tragic misconduct of Greek commanders. The Greek expeditionary army found itself isolated in Mesopotamia. Xenophon's mission was to lead them out during their retreat through Kurdistan, Armenia and Lazistan, towards Trapezus, or Trabizond, a Greek city on the shores of the Black Sea, from whence they could embark on warships and return to Greece. After wandering for lengthy months on the high Caucasus plateaus, physically exhausted, nearly despairing to see again their beloved Hellas, at the sight of the sea, the Greek exclaimed the famous: Thalatta, thalatta, (the Sea, the Sea). Winter season had forced the expedition to face extreme hardships. Nonetheless, Xenophon's account of the retreat of the Ten Thousand has proved invaluable for our knowledge of Armenia about 400 BC.

 

In addition to the above we read in the Britannica; "Harassed first by the Persian cavalry and later by hostile tribesmen through the mountains of Kurdistan and Armenia, they reached the Greek colony of Trapezus..."

 

To a simple search on the internet using Xenophon as the keyword 126,000 sites and references will display. Almost all of them describe him as a Greek disciple of Socrates.

 

Why is he then named "xen-o-phon" i.e. "alien sounding"?

 

Did he speak with an Armenian accent?