Xenares

Family: Lacedaemonians · Role: ephor · First appears: Book 5 · Chapter 16 · Part 3

At Lacedaemon the next winter, Xenares and Cleobulus, the two ephors most anxious to break off the treaty, privately urged the Boeotians and Corinthians to pursue alliances that could bring Argos and Lacedaemon together. The Boeotian councils refused a proposed defensive league, unaware of the advice they had given.

When Nicias requested renewed oaths, Xenares’s party carried the day in refusing to abandon the Boeotian alliance, though the oaths were renewed. The winter following, Xenares, son of Cnidis and Lacedaemonian commander of the Heracleots, was killed in battle.

Relationship record

Life events

• They privately urged the Boeotians and Corinthians to pursue alliances that could draw Argos and Lacedaemon together.(Book 5 · Chapter 16 · Part 3 · 📍 Lacedaemon)
  • With: Cleobulus
  • “when Cleobulus and Xenares, the two ephors who were the most anxious to break off the treaty, took advantage of this opportunity to communicate privately with the Boeotians and Corinthians, and, advising them to act as much as possible together, instructed the former first to enter into alliance with Argos, and then try and bring themselves and the Argives into alliance with Lacedaemon.”
• The Boeotian councils refused a proposed defensive league, unaware of the advice Cleobulus and Xenares had given.(Book 5 · Chapter 16 · Part 3 · 📍 Lacedaemon)
  • With: Cleobulus
  • “The members of the Boeotian councils refused their assent to the proposal, being afraid of offending Lacedaemon by entering into a league with the deserter Corinth; the Boeotarchs not having acquainted them with what had passed at Lacedaemon and with the advice given by Cleobulus and Xenares and the Boeotian partisans there”
• The Lacedaemonians refused to abandon their Boeotian alliance, though they renewed their oaths at Nicias's request.(Book 5 · Chapter 16 · Part 4 · 📍 Lacedaemon)
  • With: Nicias
  • “The Lacedaemonians, however, refused to give up the Boeotian alliance—the party of Xenares the ephor, and such as shared their view, carrying the day upon this point—but renewed the oaths at the request of Nicias, who feared to return without having accomplished anything and to be disgraced;”
• Xenares, the Lacedaemonian commander of the Heracleots, was killed in battle.(Book 5 · Chapter 16 · Part 5 · 📍 Trachinia)
  • With: Cnidis
  • “they now in this battle defeated the Heracleots, Xenares, son of Cnidis, their Lacedaemonian commander, being among the slain.”

Book 5 · Chapter 16 · Part 3

• with Cleobulus (They were fellow ephors.) “Cleobulus and Xenares, the two ephors who were the most anxious to break off the treaty,”

Book 5 · Chapter 16 · Part 4

• with Nicias (Opposed positions on whether to give up the Boeotian alliance.) “The Lacedaemonians, however, refused to give up the Boeotian alliance—the party of Xenares the ephor, and such as shared their view, carrying the day upon this point—but renewed the oaths at the request of Nicias”

Book 5 · Chapter 16 · Part 5

• parent: Cnidis “Xenares, son of Cnidis, their Lacedaemonian commander, being among the slain.”

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Extracted from the original text of History of the Peloponnesian War. Made with Rho MD.