Ch. 3. Piety in Xenophon's Theory of Leadership
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29173/histos95Keywords:
Xenophon, piety, leadership, divination, seer, sacrifice.Abstract
The central theme in Xenophon’s writings is to isolate and articulate the qualities of the ideal leader. His ideal leader secures consent to his leadership, treats his followers as friends, and works for their mutual success as a group with shared interests. An additional essential aspect, however, has escaped the attention of most modern scholars. This aspect is Xenophon’s emphasis on the leader’s piety and on his ability to maintain a proper relationship with the gods. He principally does this by securing their advice and goodwill through sacrifice, divination, and the avoidance of impious actions. In this article the stress on the leader’s piety as the sine qua non of effective leadership is traced through Xenophon’s corpus. Published in Richard Fernando Buxton, ed., Aspects of Leadership in Xenophon (HISTOS Supplement 5), p. 85-119.
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