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Xenophon on the Arginusae generals

set in 406 BCE, Athens. Xenophon's own narration.

Where and when

set in 406 BCEAthens

2,431 years ago

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Xenophon

, AthensXenophon's own narration

In plain words, ours

Some challenged the proposal as illegal. A few cheered, but most shouted that it was outrageous to stop the people doing whatever they wanted.

Now Euryptolemus, the son of Peisianax, and some others served a summons upon Callixeinus, alleging that he had made an unconstitutional proposal. And some of the people applauded this act, but the greater number cried out that it was monstrous if the people were to be prevented from doing whatever they wished.

Xenophon, Hellenica 1.7.12Translated by Carleton L. Brownson (1918)Read the full passage (Xenophon, Hellenica 1.7.12, opens scaife.perseus.org)

What was going on, our summary

Xenophon is describing the Athenian assembly in 406 BCE, after the sea victory at Arginusae, as it decides the fate of the generals. A survivor has just said the generals failed to rescue the bravest men. In the end, six of the generals were executed.

Checked claim by claim against: Athens wins at Arginusae, then condemns its generals, the passage around the quote.

Why it matters

About the event it belongs to: Athens wins at Arginusae, then condemns its generals

The Athenians soon came to regret executing the generals, and charges were brought against those who had pushed for the executions.

Based on Wikipedia: Battle of Arginusae

The Athenians soon came to regret their decision in the case of the generals, and charges were brought against the principal instigators of the executions.

Wikipedia, Battle of Arginusae (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-08-19. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. 406 BCESame year Athens wins at Arginusae, then condemns its generals The event behind itAlso in AthensAlso about democracy and governmentAlso about justice and law
  2. set in 406 BCEThis momentXenophon on the Arginusae generals
  3. set in 406 BCESame year Socrates alone holds to the law Same passageMore from Xenophon
  4. c. 406 BCE0.10000000000002274 years later Euripides and Sophocles die Also in Athens
  5. 405 BCE1 year later The Athenian fleet is lost at Aegospotami Same years
  6. set in 405 BCE1 year later Athens hears of the lost fleet More from Xenophon
  7. 404 BCE1.8000000000000114 years later Athens surrenders and its walls come down Also in Athens
  8. 404 BCE2 years later The Thirty take power in Athens Same years
  9. set in 404 BCE2 years later The walls of Athens come down More from Xenophon
  10. 403 BCE3 years later Democracy returns to Athens, with an amnesty Also about democracy and government
  11. set in 399 BCE7 years later Socrates on not returning wrong for wrong Also about justice and law

Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

And there came before the Assembly a man who said that he had been saved by floating upon a meal-tub, and that those who were perishing charged him to report to the people, if he were saved, that the generals did not pick up the men who had proved themselves most brave in the service of their country.

The quote: Now Euryptolemus, the son of Peisianax, and some others served a summons upon Callixeinus, alleging that he had made an unconstitutional proposal. And some of the people applauded this act, but the greater number cried out that it was monstrous if the people were to be prevented from doing whatever they wished.

Indeed, when Lyciscus thereupon moved that these men also should be judged by the very same vote as the generals, unless they withdrew the summons, the mob broke out again with shouts of approval, and they were compelled to withdraw the summonses. Furthermore, when some of the Prytanes refused to put the question to the vote in violation of the law, Callixeinus again mounted the platform and urged the same charge against them; and the crowd cried out to summon to court those who refused.

Xenophon, Hellenica 1.7.11–14Translated by Carleton L. Brownson (1918)Read the full passage (opens scaife.perseus.org)

When, and whose words

Date
set in 406 BCE. Set at the trial of the generals after Arginusae in 406 BCE; Xenophon wrote it decades later.
Whose words
Xenophon's own narration.
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

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