Sophaenetus of Stymphalus (Σοφαίνετος ὁ Στυμφάλιος) was a Greek military commander and historian from Arcadia active in the late 5th and early 4th centuries BCE. His historical importance derives from his participation as a senior general in Cyrus the Younger’s expedition against Artaxerxes II in 401 BCE [1]. After Cyrus’s death and the seizure of the Greek commanders, Sophaenetus survived and advocated for appointing new leaders to guide the retreat of the Ten Thousand [1]. No further biographical details are recorded.

Works He is credited with writing an Anabasis of Cyrus (Ἀνάβασις Κύρου), a lost historical work presumably covering the same events as Xenophon’s Anabasis. Its existence is noted only in the 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia, the Suda [2].

Significance Sophaenetus is a verified participant in the march of the Ten Thousand, providing a historical anchor for Xenophon’s account. The attribution of a lost Anabasis to him places him among the participant-historians of his era, highlighting that multiple firsthand accounts of major events were composed, even if few survived.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library: Xenophon, Anabasis, Book 1, Section 1.11 (Tufts University): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0202%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D11 2. Suda Online, entry for Sophaenetus (The Stoa Consortium): https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/sigma/829