own city or empire in deed. But Cyrus’ empire crumbles in a generation or two, just like
Plato’s kallipolis. Even under the guidance of those such as Plato’s Socrates and
Xenophon’s Cyrus who apparently possessed knowledge of political things (1.1.3),
political life cannot be perfected. Thus, both the Republic and, albeit less explicitly, the
Cyropaedia point beyond politics to different human activities and pursuits, most notably
the philosophic life. The Cyropaedia provides just a taste of the philosophic life insofar
as it shows those who are interested in preserving their regime but who are not
necessarily inclined toward philosophy why they ought to at least tolerate philosophers in
their regimes. The Cyropaedia thereby points beyond itself to Xenophon’s Socratic
writings, which depict satisfactions for the human soul about which Cyrus has never
dreamt.
35
Convention