Abstract

The Cyropaedia is a notoriously difficult text to identify in terms of generic affiliation. This paper examines the distribution of reported speech to narrative and finds that the only comparable texts that demonstrate the same preference for dialogue are philosophical ones, esp. Plato. The introduction to the Cyr. is also examined, and certain key terms explored, in particular διήγησις/διηγέομαι, for clues as to the type of narrative that is being launched. Finally, other texts and narrative traditions that seem to be reflected in the Cyr. are briefly discussed as indicators also of the type of text Xenophon had composed.