Herodotus: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #272

by Jennifer T. Roberts

Hailed by Cicero as "the father of history," Herodotus was both a critical thinker and a lively storyteller, a traveler who was both tourist and anthropologist. Like Homer, he set out to memorialize great deeds in words, in particular, the wars between Greece and Persia. In his hands, the Greeks' unforeseeable defeat of the Persian kings Darius and Xerxes with their vast hosts made for fascinating storytelling. Influenced by the work of the natural scientists and philosophers of his own and earlier eras, Herodotus also brought his literary talents to bear on a vast, unruly mass of historical information, leaving behind him the longest work that had ever been written in Greek. This Very Short Introduction introduces readers to what little is known of Herodotus's life and discusses all aspects of his work, including his travels; his interest in seeing the world and learning about non-Greek civilizations; the recurring themes of his work; his beliefs in dreams, oracles, and omens;
the prominence of women in his work; and his account of the battles of the Persian Wars.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Greece, Ancient History, Ancient, Philosophy

123 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2011

About the author

Jennifer Tolbert Roberts is Professor of Classics and History at the City College of New York and the City University of New York Graduate Center. She is the author of Athens on Trial: The Anti-Democratic Tradition in Western Thought and Herodotus: A Very Short Introduction, and editor (with Walter Blanco) of the Norton Critical Editions of Herodotus' The Histories and Thucydides' The Peloponnesian War.

Reviews

[فهد الفهد · Rating 5 out of 5]

هيرودوت: مقدمة قصيرة جداً

ممتعة جداً هذه المقدمات القصيرة، ومفيدة كمدخل لأي موضوع تريد القراءة حوله، وأتمنى أن تواصل مؤسسة هنداوي مشروعها النبيل بترجمة ونشر المجموعة كاملة.

في هذه المقدمة نتعرف أو نستزيد عن أبو التاريخ - كما يسمى - المؤرخ اليوناني هيرودوت، يعرض هذا الكتاب لهيرودوت كمؤرخ، كما يعرض لأسلوبه ومدى علميته أو تحقيقه، كما يتناول مدى حياديته أو على الأقل تقبله للبرابرة وعاداتهم وتقاليدهم.

الكتاب ممتع وخفيف، وكتب بأسلوب جميل.

[Areej · Rating 2 out of 5]

المواضيع التي تناقشها هذه السلسلة من مؤسسة هنداوي للتعليم والثقافة جميلة ومشوقة لكن سأفكر ألف مرة قبل قراءة إحدى المقدمات مجدداً.
لأنه وبكل بساطة هذه المقدمات تتميز بحاجتها إلى مقدمات أخرى لتبسيطها وتوضيحها .

أخطأت حينما قمت بقراءة هذا الكتاب قبل " تاريخ هيرودوت " لأن هذه المقدمة تناولت دور المرأة في كتابات هيرودوت ، ومن هو هيرودوت كقاص وأنثروبولوجي وروائي ، تناولت هذه المقدمة أيضاً تحليل وتمحيص للقصص التي وردت في كتابه المشهور ، كما حللت تصرفات ومواقف الشخصيات التي وردت فيه ، وطُرحت الأسئلة هنا حول مدى صحة القصص والمصادر التي استعان بها لتأليف " تاريخ هيرودوت " وفي ذات الوقت فإن هذه المقدمة تجاوب على كل هذه التساؤلات.

لاحظت تكرار كلمة " ذلك " بشكل أزعجني وأنا أقرأ ، ولا أعلم هل هذه الكلمة موجودة في النص الأصلي أم أنها إضافة من قِبَل المترجم.

استمتعت بهِ إلى حدٍ ما.

[Norah · Rating 4 out of 5]

مقدمه جميله وخفيفة ..

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

so ur having a bad day? feel like ur head is crumbling into the cold dark depth of the mariner trench? that ur body no longer belongs to you but rather to an old warlock forced to live out the rest his life as a stationary garden gnome in a horrendously cold climate due to his inexorable crimes and follies from a past age and all the attendant anxieties that come with that sort of situation? think maybe getting ur lips ripped off by some exotic bird that then stitches ur lipless maw of a mouth hole closed forever-more is the only solution for a single days worth of unpleasant feelings in the head? well! that used to be the only solution, the only viable option for the temporarily thought dejected depressive… until now. whether it’s the weather and/or the moon or something else bulbous and sickly entirely causing these symptomatic rough in more ways than one thought etchings into stone, simply follow these easy to use steps and u too can get ur life back just like i did!

1. a bottle of unsweetened green tea
2. a hug from the love of ur life (if u don’t have the time or resources for this one a hug from someone you don’t completely hate will not work at all ur basically fucked)
3. spicy peanuts (i’m talkin realllly spicy)
4. herodotus: a very short introduction by jennifer t. roberts

mix em all together in a mixing bowl and voila 、☆〜（ゝ。∂）


**** disclaimer**** i am not a chef, not a doctor (thank god), not even a voodoo priest, although i may hold some dubiously tentative claim to witch doctor lineage. do not consult anyone at all if symptoms persist. if they do, simply give away all ur belongings, burn all bank cards and identity papers, and walk into the setting sun.

anyhoo this series is very hit or miss but this one was a hit, hella cute fr, i enjoyed it very muchly!

idk what shit they puttin in herodotus but ty ty ty 🕊

[أسماء · Rating 2 out of 5]

مقدمة طيبة وإن كُنت أرى فيها حشواً مبالغاً لتكون مقدمة، وأمور لا أظن بأهميتها لتكون ضمن هذه المقدمة ولكنه بعد كل شيء رأي الكاتبة وربما كان في رأي بعض قصور النظر..

لكن على أية حال، لا أعتقدني سأعتبره أفضل ما كُتب عن هيرودت.

معالجتها لهيرودت المؤرخ في الفصل الأخير كانت جيدة حقيقةً.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful and thought provoking introduction to the "father of history," with particular focus on: H as a storyteller; the difference in outlook between H and other historians early and later, particularly Thucydides, whose approach to history is characterized as "maps and chaps"; H's views on other cultures and how he presented them as contrasts or progenitors to Greek values and practices; H's liberal treatment of women; whether he can justly be regarded as a "true" historian as opposed to a, say, folklorist. The author also suggests that we owe to him the whole "West" vs "East" world view.

[Tariq Alferis · Rating 5 out of 5]

.مقدمة قصيرة عن "هيرودوتس ..المؤرخ والقاص المُلقب بأبو التاريخ …أسلوب الكتاب جينفير كان ممتاز، تلخيص وتقسيم حياة "هيرودوت بشكل ممتع وجميل …تُعتبر المقدمة مفتاح رئيسي لقرءاة مجلدات"تاريخ هيرودوت العظيم" .
.

[Julie Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in tandem with “the madness of Cambyses” by Herodotus which penguin published as a short. This short introduction was excellent. The authoress explained things clearly and has through this short introduction given me the scope of information needed to read Herodotus in full. I am now waiting a copy of “the histories” from eBay.

Highly recommend this book

[Maan Kawas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an excellent book! I highly recommend!

[Unpil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary of concepts behind The Histories
- A profoundly democratic text, with its multi-subjectivity; its open invitation to readers to make up their own minds and stand always in the position of evaluators
- From the Persian Wars, saw the defeat of totalitarianism by freedom as a grand theme
- Herodotus transcribed speech, whereas Thucydides transcribed thought
- The limits of human knowledge; the concern with firsts; the identification of himself as the author; the mutability of fortune
-Wwondrous deeds worthy of remembrance; the fragility of human happiness; the endemic nature of imperial ambition
- The sanctity of nomos (νόμος); the possibility of departures from patriarchal norms; the mind-boggling multiplicity of human pathways
- The propensity of autocrats to mistreat women; the dangers of exhibitionism; the prominence of female agency in history; the need for men to treat women with dignity
- A transcendent, non-anthropomorphic force at work in The Histories; the human-like Homeric gods are far removed from what we find in Herodotus
- Although gods are present in the work, it is the human dimension to which Herodotus accords pride of place
- tisis (τίσις), a key concept that focuses on the maintenance of balance in the world
- It is the disturbance of equilibrium that sets in motion the chain of events that we call history; "Everything pays tisis as things unfold in time." (Anaximander)
- The victory of wiliness and courage over power and status; the restoration of balance that comes with the redistribution of wealth; the reversal of fortune
- Morton White's seven principles of inclusion in historical writing: aestheticism, abnormalism, moralism, pragmatism, essentialism, encyclopaedism, and modified encyclopaedism; Herodotus's work checks out on every single count
-Breathed life into the idea of the West vs. the East

[Candlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little book on Herodotus. I was wondering how much of Herodotus’s anthropology is accurate—answer: surprisingly much, and archaeologists have confirmed more and more in the last years.

She makes a good case for why we should appreciate the book and the man. He really is the father of the best sort of history- truthful but also entertaining, accepting of diversity in peoples, cultures, and beliefs, always curious about what happened and why, and willing to admit that not everything can be known.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

As you know from my other reviews, the A Very Short Introduction series can be hit or miss. I would class this one as a hitit does what it needs to do, it's aimed at beginners, and it whets your appetite for reading the ancient historian yourself. I did find it a little repetitive in spots (we hear the story of Candaules and Gyges, or a reference to it, in almost every chapter, it seems).

[Craig Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed to learn a lot about Herodotus in a short space of time for a Classics course and this delivered. Very readable and not at all dry. Helps introduce you to a fascinating historical figure who I'd somehow never really read much about before, despite being the Father of History. Unlike some of the other classical Greek authors (I'm looking at you, Homer), I'll definitely come back at some point and read The Histories in full.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction to Herodotus that examines his work from many different angles, and seems to cover the basic points of why he is important. More importantly, it is easy to read. I dislike the comparisons to more modern works, but I commend the author for writing an enjoyable book on something that could be quite dry.

[Mohamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

ابو التاريخ هل كان يكتب تاريخا حقا ، أشك فى ذلك فالثعابين المجنحة و النبؤات تجد لها مكانا بين ما كتب . تاريخ هيرودوت يحوي سردا لأحداث سمعها من آخرين حتي الجيل الثالث .
لعل التاريخ نفسه لم يحوي سوي احداث افتعلها ملوك مدلسون و جنودا حمقي شكلوا معا سجلا حافلا لجرائم البشرية و حماقاتها

[Jelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great primer investigating Herodotus drive and believability, supplemented with an interwoven discussion on what history is supposed to be. Glad to have read Roberts' work before starting on the histories themselves

[Aya El-lwashaysh Al Hasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

البدايات الضيقة لبعض المواضيع الواسعة تبدا بمقدمة قصيرة لايمكنني إلا أن اقول أنني استمتعت جدا والأن مستعدة للدخول لتاريخ هيؤودوت العظيم
هذا النوع من الكتب مفيد وقيم جدا

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It started with a quote from Ambrose Bierce and got only better from then on :)

[Sara Amri]

رغم كل ما قيل عن هيرودوت و اتهامه بالكذب و التدليس في تأريخه للتاريخ إلا أن الكتاب أنصفه و أعطاه حقه كذلك إضافة إلى سرده لسيرة حياته و ما قدمه للتاريخ .

[Tim Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this "very short introduction" to Herodotus because I decided to assign The Histories in its entirety for my first term course on pre-modern history at the U of O's Clark Honors College. This book adequately served the purpose I assigned to it: help me think about ways to structure the weeks I'm devoting to Herodotus (six class meetings). I found Roberts' overview of the Greek and Persian war very helpful; her treatment of ethnography and women was particularly well done. That said, the book failed to say much very succinctly. Overall organization makes sense, down to the paragraph level, but the sentence-level writing is so incredibly wordy. At times, I felt like I was at an academic conference listening to someone leave her/his paper and talk off the cuff. Other times, I wondered why the author needed to waste so much space (seriously--multiple sentences) in comparing the The Histories to a symphony with cadences, etc. Regardless, this book helped me think about my own course, which was the intent.

[Daniel Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

One often finds that books in the Very Short Introductions series are written in the dry academic register to which their authors are accustomed, which slightly inhibits their ability to communicate to the casual reader. Not so with this one; the author's passion for her subject is plain and imparted to the reader with feeling as well as with erudition. She covers the many different aspects of Herodotus' work, as historiographer, anthropologist, geographer and storyteller. I had already read - and enjoyed - The Histories when I read this, but I can say with confidence that if this book does not charm you into doing so yourself, I don't know what will.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What we find among the Greek and Roman historians is more often than not something like the ‘docudramas’ of modern times, a hybrid form in which minor characters disappear and composite ones are made up in order to draw attention to the underlying dynamics at issue."


This was a pretty good introduction though, I have become so familiarized with The Histories that I found myself disagreeing with the authors points a couple times, and there were a few eye rolling moments, but those were balanced by some really good passages and a laugh out loud explanation of why Britons love their dogs.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a bit suspicious, and perhaps a bit embarrassed, reading these short introductions, but this one was quite helpful.I've been wanting to read Herodotus since reading the English Patient. I have been intimidated by its size and strangeness. This introduction was quite helpful in giving me a sense of what to expect when I do get to read the Histories. Clearly written, good discussions of various opinions and fair judgements. What more could I want.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I began reading this book because I (incorrectly) thought it would discuss Herodotus's writing style. Instead it recounts several stories from various books of "The Histories" highlighting the peculiarities of several classical personalities. Nonetheless, if you are unfamiliar with Herodotus and his work this is a good overview.

[Nullaesomines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Very short introduction. I almost think it too short to be of any practical benefit. If you know absolutely nothing about Herodotus, you might gain something by reading this work, but I would suggest instead "The World Of Herodotus" By Selicourt, or even better, just read Herodotus himself.

[Charlotte Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent little book that accomplishes what it sets out to do very well: Introduces and discusses Herodotus, themes he uses, his status as an historian, ethnographer, etc. One of the best Very Short Introductions I've seen.

[Mary]

recommended in Peter Green's review in The New Republic

[Jackson Cyril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written with great gusto; the author's excitement for Herodotus is infectious.

[Cemile (blushingbookkeeper) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truely a very short introduction. This VSI touches on the basics of the study of Herodotus.

[Mohammad Alfailkawy · Rating 5 out of 5]

مقدمة قصيرة رائعة جدًا.