What is the meaning of the word Oeconomicus?
The word Oeconomicus derives from two Ancient Greek terms oikos and nemein to translate literally as household management. This text stands as one of the earliest works on economics in its original sense.
Questions about Oeconomicus
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When was the dialogue Oeconomicus written by Xenophon composed?
Scholars date the composition of the work to a relatively late period in Xenophon's life perhaps after 362 BC. The dramatic date of the opening section cannot be earlier than 401 BC because the Battle of Cunaxa appears at 4.18.
Who are the main characters speaking in the dialogue Oeconomicus?
The opening framing dialogue occurs between Socrates and Critoboulus who was the son of Crito. Approximately two thirds of the entire dialogue concerns the conversation between Socrates and Ischomachus with no final reversion to further discussion with Critoboulos.
How does Xenophon depict marriage and women in the text Oeconomicus?
Ischomachus incorporates his wife into household management immediately after marriage and relies on her to run the household effectively. This approach contrasts sharply with misogynistic Athenian ideals where a wife was essentially viewed as a consumer once she birthed children.
What modern scholars have analyzed the political philosophy of Oeconomicus?
Leo Strauss published his political-philosophical commentary titled Xenophon's Socratic Discourse in 1970 while Michel Foucault analyzed this power relation in his book The History of Sexuality published between 1976 and 1984. Sarah Pomeroy argues that the shift from the fifth to fourth century moved focus from communal concerns to self-interested ones regarding gender dynamics.