My research focuses on the Athenian writer Xenophon (c. 430-355 BCE). Xenophon had an early career as adventurer (or leader of mercenaries, if you prefer) before turning writer. He wrote all sorts of stuff, including memoir, history, biography, historical fiction, technical writing on horses and Athenian finance, an account of what made Sparta tick, a dialogue on tyranny, and works about his teacher, Socrates. Most of my work centers on what he wrote about Socrates. I’m interested above all in seeing how his Socrates complements Plato’s version (rather than in how he contrasts with Plato’s version, though there are plenty of contrasts). I’ve published a book on the topic, Xenophon’s Socratic Works, which you are welcome to purchase (the e-book is actually affordable).
A recent effort to explain my approach can be found, at no charge whatsoever, here.
A few years back I published another book, Socrates and Athens, which includes translations of some key Socratic texts with lots of annotations. Not the worst place to start your study of Socrates.
A version of my CV in the rather horrid SIUC format can be found here.
A good deal of my stuff can be found on Academia.edu. I’m not fond of their corporate model. They make money off of scholars’ research, and (to mention more trivial matters), they send you endless “notifications” pushing their premium service, and their fake .edu suffix is scammy. For a jeremiad against them, check out this piece in Forbes (of all places). But one must pick one’s battles.
Socrates at Aspasia’s
Fond as he is of wine and the ladies
Socrates puts his philosophy aside after dinner,
And, like a dockworker with some loving working girls,
He’ll dance a little cancan.
David M. Johnson 