ΗΡΟΔΟΤΟΣ: ΒΙΒΛΙΟ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΟ – ΜΕΛΠΟΜΕΝΗ

Ιστορίαι #4

by Herodotus, ΣΥΝΤΟΜΟΡΟΥ ΓΑΒΡΙΗΛ (translator)

Σύμφωνα με μία γενικότατη διαίρεση του Δ΄ Ηροδότειου βιβλίου, αυτό αποτελείται από δύο μέρη. Αφενός σ’ αυτό, περιγράφεται η εκστρατεία του Δαρείου εναντίον της Σκυθίας, ενώ θέμα της Μελπομένης είναι και η περσική εκστρατεία κατά της Λιβύης.

Με αφορμή, ωστόσο, το πρώτο θέμα του ο Ηρόδοτος, στο παρόν βιβλίο του, επιδίδεται στην περιγραφή τόσο της Σκυθίας και όσων άλλων υπερβορείων λαών. Αλλά και έχοντας ο Πατέρας της Ιστορίας την πρόθεσή του να αφηγηθεί τη δεύτερη από τις παραπάνω εκστρατείες, μας παρέχει πληροφορίες για τους λαούς της Λιβύης και την εικόνα της χώρας αυτής. Έτσι, επομένως, εξηγείται το γενικότερο ενδιαφέρον της Μελπομένης. Καθώς όμως και οι δύο παραπάνω θεματικές περιπτώσεις, είναι άρρηκτα συνδεδεμένες με την έντονη ελληνική παρουσία, αιτιολογείται, με τον τρόπο αυτό, το ενδιαφέρον που προκαλεί το Δ΄βιβλίο του Ηροδότου και στον Έλληνα, ιδιαίτερα, αναγνώστη.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Iran

726 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 441

About the author

Herodotus (Greek: Ηρόδοτος) (c. 484 – c. 425 BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey) and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He is known for having written the Histories – a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars. Herodotus was the first writer to perform systematic investigation of historical events. He has been described as "The Father of History", a title conferred on him by the ancient Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero.
The Histories primarily cover the lives of prominent kings and famous battles such as Marathon, Thermopylae, Artemisium, Salamis, Plataea, and Mycale. His work deviates from the main topics to provide a cultural, ethnographical, geographical, and historiographical background that forms an essential part of the narrative and provides readers with a wellspring of additional information.
Herodotus has been criticized for his inclusion of "legends and fanciful accounts" in his work. The contemporaneous historian Thucydides accused him of making up stories for entertainment. However, Herodotus explained that he reported what he could see and was told. A sizable portion of the Histories has since been confirmed by modern historians and archaeologists.

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read with tales of the legendary Amazon tribe of women, evil dictators and more assumptions of mythological explanation for the unexplained, it reiterates the deception of reality created from the crevices bordering ancient civilizations. Herodotus’ books about the perception of the past in his day truly expresses how the lack of knowledge leaves rationalization as the precluding deficit in reasoning. I found the book entertaining at time, baffling at other and a conduit for lunacy for the unstable, but worth the time and effort.

[Zach Vowles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historically, it is great. However, I find some parts unrealistic e.g. building the bridge; maybe it's true though, I don't know.
Mostly though, I just didn't find it enjoyable, and it just seemed to drag on and on.