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Herodotus: The Persian Wars, Books I-II
Herodotus the great Greek historian was born about 484 BCE, at Halicarnassus in Caria, Asia Minor, when it was subject to the Persians. He travelled widely in most of Asia Minor, Egypt (as far as Assuan), North Africa, Syria, the country north of the Black Sea, and many parts of the Aegean Sea and the mainland of Greece. He lived, it seems, for some time in Athens, and in 443 went with other colonists to the new city Thurii (in South Italy), where he died about 430. He was 'the prose correlative of the bard, a narrator of the deeds of real men, and a describer of foreign places' (Murray).
Herodotus's famous history of warfare between the Greeks and the Persians has an epic dignity which enhances his delightful style. It includes the rise of the Persian power and an account of the Persian empire; a description and history of Egypt; and a long digression on the geography and customs of Scythia. Even in the later books on the attacks of the Persians against Greece there are digressions. All is most entertaining and produces a grand unity. After personal inquiry and study of hearsay and other evidence, Herodotus gives us a not uncritical estimate of the best that he could find.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of Herodotus is in four volumes.
Herodotus's famous history of warfare between the Greeks and the Persians has an epic dignity which enhances his delightful style. It includes the rise of the Persian power and an account of the Persian empire; a description and history of Egypt; and a long digression on the geography and customs of Scythia. Even in the later books on the attacks of the Persians against Greece there are digressions. All is most entertaining and produces a grand unity. After personal inquiry and study of hearsay and other evidence, Herodotus gives us a not uncritical estimate of the best that he could find.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of Herodotus is in four volumes.
505 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2004
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About the author
Herodotus
1,674 books793 followersHerodotus (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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 23, 2013
Herodotus is the "father of history"... or the "father of lies" depending on who you ask. Personally I prefer to think that someone really did escape pirates by riding a dolphin to safety and that people often served their guests their own sons for dinner. The first book was full of crazy and probably some history snuck in there too. The second book, which focused mainly on Egypt got a little more bogged down in these pesky things called "facts". How boring. But Herodotus did go on a little bit when he was marveling at the Egyptian monuments. I think he gave measurements for everything. The problem is that I have no idea what the units of measurement he was using equaled, so the impressiveness was lost on me.
This edition had a little fold out map in the back. But it was pretty much just of Ionia, while a lot of the places talked about were off in Persia or Egypt. So the map was only marginally useful.
This edition had a little fold out map in the back. But it was pretty much just of Ionia, while a lot of the places talked about were off in Persia or Egypt. So the map was only marginally useful.
October 22, 2022
La prosa di Erodoto è brillante, coinvolgente e scorrevole, i suoi contenuti interessanti e significativi.
La cosa però più interessante di questi due libri, da studente dei classici, è stato il notevole ampliamento di orizzonti che me ne è derivato: se nello studio universitario infatti si fa riferimento solo alle civiltà greca e romana, qui Erodoto parla lungamente di altri popoli altrettanto influenti nell’antichità ma tralasciati dall’ambiente universitario, in una narrazione che mi ha aperto gli occhi su un mondo che credevo di conoscere.
Lo consiglio fortemente a chiunque sia interessato alla storia o all’antichità in generale.
La cosa però più interessante di questi due libri, da studente dei classici, è stato il notevole ampliamento di orizzonti che me ne è derivato: se nello studio universitario infatti si fa riferimento solo alle civiltà greca e romana, qui Erodoto parla lungamente di altri popoli altrettanto influenti nell’antichità ma tralasciati dall’ambiente universitario, in una narrazione che mi ha aperto gli occhi su un mondo che credevo di conoscere.
Lo consiglio fortemente a chiunque sia interessato alla storia o all’antichità in generale.
July 13, 2008
My favorite quotes of all
"I write these words so that future generations shall not forget th heroic and cowardly actions of those generations before."
"War is the most unnatural action of man, for in peace sons bury their fathers and in war fathers bury sons"
"Candules, you have things that are not proper"
"Judge no man lucky until he is dead."
"I write these words so that future generations shall not forget th heroic and cowardly actions of those generations before."
"War is the most unnatural action of man, for in peace sons bury their fathers and in war fathers bury sons"
"Candules, you have things that are not proper"
"Judge no man lucky until he is dead."
April 25, 2018
The description of the wall built by the Assyrians is priceless given our current President's obsession:
"I.179: And here I may not omit to tell the use to which the mold dug out of the great moat as turned, nor the manner wherein the wall was wrought. As fast as they dug the moat the soil which they got from the cutting was made into bricks, and when a sufficient number were completed they baked the bricks in kilns. Then they set to building, and began with bricking the borders of the moat, after which they proceeded to construct the wall itself, using throughout for their cement hot bitumen, and interposing a layer of wattled reeds at every thirtieth course of the bricks. On the top, along the edges of the wall, they constructed buildings of a single chamber facing one another, leaving between them room for a four-horse chariot to turn. In the circuit of the wall are a hundred gates, all of brass, with brazen lintels and side-posts. The bitumen used in the work was brought to Babylon from the Is, a small stream which flows into the Euphrates at the point where the city of the same name stands, eight days' journey from Babylon. Lumps of bitumen are found in great abundance in this river. "
"I.179: And here I may not omit to tell the use to which the mold dug out of the great moat as turned, nor the manner wherein the wall was wrought. As fast as they dug the moat the soil which they got from the cutting was made into bricks, and when a sufficient number were completed they baked the bricks in kilns. Then they set to building, and began with bricking the borders of the moat, after which they proceeded to construct the wall itself, using throughout for their cement hot bitumen, and interposing a layer of wattled reeds at every thirtieth course of the bricks. On the top, along the edges of the wall, they constructed buildings of a single chamber facing one another, leaving between them room for a four-horse chariot to turn. In the circuit of the wall are a hundred gates, all of brass, with brazen lintels and side-posts. The bitumen used in the work was brought to Babylon from the Is, a small stream which flows into the Euphrates at the point where the city of the same name stands, eight days' journey from Babylon. Lumps of bitumen are found in great abundance in this river. "
August 18, 2013
If you like ancient history and want to read what was written about the people of North/East Africa, the Greek, and Roman World then read Herodotus. He travelled around such places as Egypt, Asia Minor, North Africa, and Syria and learned about customs, tales, myths and the history of these and neighbouring lands and people. His history books feature the warfare between the Greeks and the Persians too. If you have seen 'The English Patient', the tale of the Lydian ruler Candaules and his dare to his trusted and favourite bodyguard told by Katherine Clifton (played by Kristin Scott Thomas), is here in Book 1 for your delectation among other wonderful tales and history. Great stuff!
September 4, 2022
Finally got down to Book 2. I adore Herodotus. I don't quite get the constant accusations of credulity, given the extent to which he spends his time - even in this least historically reliable book - pointing out his doubts about particular stories and highlighting the different uses of stories. (This last has got me extremely fizzy with ideas, but they'll be for another place)
My Greek isn't so great these days, and reading parallel texts is about the limit of my capacity, so it's nice to report that Godley's translation is pretty clear, straightforward and functional. (Not always the case with older Loebs).
My Greek isn't so great these days, and reading parallel texts is about the limit of my capacity, so it's nice to report that Godley's translation is pretty clear, straightforward and functional. (Not always the case with older Loebs).
November 6, 2020
This is Herodotus' only work (probably). It's a remarkable work full of information and written in a style that easily keeps the reader interested and wanting more. The "Histories" is an eight book series as presented by Loeb and my original plan was to read it over the winter. I'm going to have to change that plan because I tore through the first two books in about ten days. That's all attributable to Herodotus' skill in writing.
February 23, 2015
There's a famous scene in The English Patient which retells an anecdote from Herodotus. That anecdote is taken from the first twenty pages. No, I don't think the screenwriter got much farther than that.
August 18, 2024
Fourth time that I am reading it; its a classic masterpiece!
February 10, 2012
Herodotus was the father of history. This is the first ever history book of the ancient years.
I'm reading it every Summer! It is one of my greatest pleasures...
I'm reading it every Summer! It is one of my greatest pleasures...
April 12, 2017
Travel journal from 400 BC.
May 26, 2021
Interesante, pero con las notas el libro pasa de 500 a 1000 páginas. En ocasiones se hace tedioso y arduo.
September 10, 2021
Truly the father of history.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews