Xenophon (Ancient Greek Ξενοφῶν, Xenophōn; Modern Greek Ξενοφών, Ksenofon; Ξενοφώντας, Ksenofontas; c. 431 – 354 BC), son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates. He is known for his writings on the history of his own times, the 4th century BC, preserving the sayings of Socrates, and descriptions of life in ancient Greece and the Persian Empire.