Herodotus
Author of The Histories
About the Author
Herodotus was the inventor of universal history. Often called the Father of History, his histories are divided into nine books named after the nine muses. A native of Halicarnassus on the coast of Asia Minor (modern Bodrum, Turkey), he traveled extensively, writing lively descriptions of the lands show more he saw and the peoples he encountered. Herodotus set out to relate the story of the conflict of the Greeks of his own time against the "barbarian" Asiatic empire of Achaemenid Persia. His long narrative, titled by modern convention The Histories, begins with the earliest traditions he believed reliable. It ends with a highly colored account of the defeat of the Persian emperor Xerxes and his immense army of slaves by a much smaller number of Greeks fighting to preserve their freedom. Herodotus wrote history, but his methods and assumptions were not those of a modern historian, and his work was unjustly rejected by his successor Thucydides as factually highly unreliable and full of inappropriate romance. By his own admission, Herodotus retold the stories of other peoples without necessarily believing them all. This allowed him total artistic freedom and control to create a picture of the world that corresponded entirely to his own view of it. The result is a picture of Herodotus's world that is also a picture of his mind and, therefore, of many other Greek minds during the period known as "late Archaic." During this period, the Greek mind was dominated by reason, the domain of the first philosophers and the observant and thoughtful medical theorists of the Hippocratic school. Traditional beliefs in the gods of Homer and in their Oracles, especially the Oracle at Delphi, also dominated during this period. The literary genius of Herodotus consisted in the art of the storyteller. The stories he chose to tell, and the order in which he told them, provide his readers with a total view of his world and the way in which the will of the gods and the ambitions of humans interacted to produce what is known as history. For this reason the ancient critic Longinus justly called Herodotus "the most Homeric of all authors." Like Homer, Herodotus strove to understand the world theologically---a goal that makes his work difficult for the reader to understand at first. But, in place of Homer's divine inspiration, Herodotus used his eyes and ears and wrote not poetry but prose. Rejecting what is commonly known as myth, he accepted instead "oral tradition" about remembered events. For example, although he believed that the Trojan War had been fought, he could not investigate it beyond what the poets had said. In his view this "ancient history" of the Greeks and the peoples of Asia was not like contemporary history, because the heroes of old who had created it were beings of a different and superior order who had had a different, direct, and personal relationship with the gods. In recognizing this distinction, Herodotus defined for all time the limits of the historian's discipline. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Roman copy of a Greek original of the early 4th century BC,
Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome, Italy
(Credit: Marie Lan-Nguyen, 2006)
Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome, Italy
(Credit: Marie Lan-Nguyen, 2006)
Series
Works by Herodotus
The Histories (Oxford World's Classics) 39 copies
Grolier Classics: Scarlet Letter, History of Herodotus, Utilitarianism and On Liberty, Sonnets (1956) 18 copies
L'enquête 13 copies
Herodotus Reader: Annotated Passages from Books I-IX of the Histories (Focus Classical Commentary) (2010) 8 copies
Herodotos, Volume 4 6 copies
L'enquête. Livres I à IV 6 copies
Herodotus, the Seventh, Eighth, & Ninth Books: With Introduction, Text, Apparatus, Commentary, Appendices, Indices,… (1973) 5 copies
Herodote Histoires (Livre IX) 5 copies
The Histories (Translated by George Rawlinson with an Introduction by George Swayne and a Preface by H. L. Havell) (2016) 5 copies
Herodotus, books VII and VIII 5 copies
History of the Persian Wars: Books I, II (The Great Books Foundation discussion program. The second year course) (1949) 5 copies
Grandes Batallas Del Mundo Antiguo / Great Battles of the Ancient World (Spanish Edition) (2010) 4 copies
Història. II 3 copies
ENQUÊTE LIVRES I À IV (L') 3 copies
Historia 3 copies
Herodots Historie 1 3 copies
Història. I 3 copies
Historia 3 copies
Historia 3 copies
História 3 copies
L'Enquête Livres 1 a 4 3 copies
Complete Works of Herodotus 3 copies
Historia Las guerras mâedicas 3 copies
Historia 3 copies
Historia Las guerras mâedicas 3 copies
Le storie. Libri 89. La vittoria della Grecia.. Introduzione, Traduzione e Note Di Fulvio Barberis Con Un Saggio… (1990) 3 copies
Das Geschichtswerk Zweiter Band 3 copies
The Histories 3 copies
STORIES FROM HERODOTUS 3 copies
HERODOTI [HERODOTUS: HISTORIAE] HISTORIARUM LIBRI IX [VOL. II. 2 ONLY] Edidit Henr. Rudolph. Dietsch. Editio Altera.… (1896) 3 copies
Herodotus: Persian Wars: A Companion to the Penguin Translation of "Books V-IX (Classical Studies Series) (1991) 3 copies
Historia -- Las guerras médicas III 2 copies
Història, volum II 2 copies
Histoires, tome 2 2 copies
Herodotus, erklärt von H. Stein 2 copies
Història III 2 copies
Histoires 2 copies
Erodoto e Tucidide 2 copies
The Greek Historians: The Complete and Unabridged Works of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon and Arrian, Vol. 1 (1942) 2 copies
Storie, volume secondo, Libri V-IX 2 copies
Histories of Herodotus, Volume II 2 copies
The History: The Persian War on Greece, Athens and the Spartans at Thermopylae, Salamis and Marathon (2009) 2 copies
Das Geschichtswerk Bd. 1 [...] 2 copies
Landmark Herodotus 2 copies
Histories Books I - III 2 copies
Herodots Historie 2 2 copies
The History 2 copies
HISTORIATEOS 1. - WSOY 2 copies
Le Storie. Libro II: L'Egitto 2 copies
Herodotus. Book VIII 2 copies
HERODOTI [HERODOTUS: HISTORIAE] HISTORIARUM LIBRI IX [VOL. I ONLY] Edidit Henr. Rudolph. Dietsch. Editio Altera.… (1935) 2 copies
Herodoti Historiae Libri V-IX 2 copies
Historiarum, Libri 9 2 copies
Herodotus History - Greece History of the Persian Wars (Traditional Chinese Edition) (1997) 2 copies
Dějiny 2 copies
Historias I 1 copy
Historia V 1 copy
Historias II 1 copy
HISTORIATEOS 2 1 copy
Historia IV 1 copy
Herodotos' historia 1 copy
The History of the P... War 1 copy
HERODOTO HISTORIAS TOMO II 1 copy
Découverte du Monde Antique 1 copy
Herodotus; 8, 1-90: Artemisium and Salamis. With introd. and notes by E.S. Shuckburgh Volume 8 (2010) 1 copy
Herodoti Halicarnassei Historiarum Libri IX, Vol. 1: Adiectus Est Libellus de Vita Homeri (Classic Reprint) (Latin… (2017) 1 copy
The Histories: Complete 1 copy
تاريخ هيرودوت 1 copy
Historiens grecs 1 copy
Herodot's von Halikarnaß Geschichte, Vol. 6: Zweite Abtheilung (Classic Reprint) (German Edition) (2017) 1 copy
Herodotus [2] Books III-IV 1 copy
Historia III 1 copy
Historia II 1 copy
The Persian Wars 1 copy
Historia I 1 copy
Herodotus [4] Books VIII-IX 1 copy
Herodotus [3] Books V-VII 1 copy
Herodotos Forschungen 1 copy
Histoire. Tome II 1 copy
Histoire. Tome I 1 copy
HERODOTO HISTORIAS TOMO III 1 copy
A Batalha de Termópilas 1 copy
Libri I, II 1 copy
Historiarum libri 1 copy
Histórias livro 4º 1 copy
Histórias - livro 3º 1 copy
Dzieje. [T.] 2 1 copy
Harangues Tirées D'hérodote, De Thucyde, Des Histoires Grecs De Xénophon, De Sa Retraite Des… (2012) 1 copy
Ägyptische Märchen 1 copy
HISTORITE 1 copy
Historiarum Libri LX 1 copy
Ιστορία 1 copy
Histoires... Texte établi et traduit par Ph. E. [Philippe-Alexandre-Ernest-Félix] Legrand,... 1 copy
ΚΑΛΛΙΟΠΗ 1 copy
Κλειώ Τόμος Α' 1 copy
Ουρανία 1 copy
Καλλιό 1 copy
Πολύμνια Τόμος Α & Β 1 copy
Ερατώ Τόμος Α & Β 1 copy
Ευτέρπη Τόμος Α 1 copy
ΚΛΕΙΩ ΤΟΜΟΣ Α 1 copy
Dzieje. [T.] 1 1 copy
HERODOTO HISTORIAS TOMO I 1 copy
Las guerras médicas II 1 copy
Hellenere og barbarer 1 copy
LAS GUERRAS MEDICAS II -HERODOTO - BIBLIOTECA GREDOS - CLASICOS ESENCIALES DE GRECIA Y ROMA TOMO 8 1 copy
LAS GUERRAS MEDICAS I - HERODOTO - BIBLIOTECA GREDOS - CLASICOS ESENCIALES DE GRECIA Y ROMA TOMO 7 1 copy
Las guerras médicas I 1 copy
HISTORIA V - HERODOTO 1 copy
HISTORIA IV - HERODOTO 1 copy
HISTORIA III - HERODOTO 1 copy
HISTORIA II- HERODOTO 1 copy
HISTORIA I - HERODOTO 1 copy
Història 1 copy
Història. Llibre II 1 copy
Wybór z Dziejów Herodota 1 copy
The History of Herodotus - The History of the Peloponnesian War (Great Books of the Western World 5) 1 copy
Herodotos historia 1 copy
Le Storie, voll. 2 1 copy
Heredot Tarihi 1 copy
Herodotos 1 copy
Herodotus. Clio: Tr. Literally from the Text of Baeher [Sic] by H. Owgan (Ancient Greek Edition) (2010) 1 copy
Histories by Herodotus and History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides with Illustrations by Nicholas Tamblyn and… (2018) 1 copy
Herodotus : Translated from the Greek for the Use of General Readers ; with Short Explanatory Notes 1 copy
Dějiny 1 copy
Histories Books V-VII 1 copy
Jude the Obscure 1 copy
The Histories of Herodutus 1 copy
Herodotos IX : (Kalliope) 1 copy
Herodotus, VII 1 copy
Herodotus Bk I, 1 copy
Herodotus Bk. III 1 copy
The History Of Herodotus. A New Engl. Version, Ed. With Notes By G. Rawlinson Assisted By Sir H. Rawlinson And Sir J.g.… (2015) 1 copy
The History of Herodotus: Chiefly after the text of Gaisford, with preliminary observations and appendices, and English… (2017) 1 copy
The History of Herodotus: A New English Version, Ed. With Copious Notes and Appendices, Volume 2 (2015) 1 copy
Herodoti Vita Homeri 1 copy
Herodote : l'Égypte ancienne 1 copy
Book IX 1 copy
Book VIII 1 copy
Herodotus - 2 1 copy
Herodotus - 1 1 copy
Neun Bücher der Geschichte 1 copy
Herodotus Histories 1 copy
Antologia erodotea 1 copy
Herodotus IV, ch. 1-144. 1 copy
The History Of Herodotus: A New English Version, Ed. With Copious Notes And Appendices, Illustrating The History And… (2012) 1 copy
Historiarum libri IX 1 copy
The Nine Books of the History of Herodotus Tr. from the Text by T. Gaisford, with Notes and a Summary by P.E. Larent (2012) 1 copy
Herodotus Book I 1 copy
Il Terzo libro delle Storie 1 copy
Le Storie. Libro IX 1 copy
Herodotus IX (Kalliope) 1 copy
Histoires IX: Calliope 1 copy
Il Quinto libro delle Storie 1 copy
Storie:vol IV(libri VIII-IX) 1 copy
Storie. Vol. 1: Libri I-IV 1 copy
Historiae 1 copy
Bibliotheca Classica 1 copy
Histories I, II, III 1 copy
Herodotos erklärt 1 copy
The history of Herodotus 1 copy
Herodotus: Histories 1 copy
Historiae Books I-IV 1 copy
The History of Herodotus: A New English Version, Ed. With Copious Notes and Appendices, Illustrating the History and… (2015) 1 copy
Muzen 1 copy
Le storie - vol. 4 1 copy
Història IX 1 copy
Història VIII 1 copy
Història V 1 copy
Història IV 1 copy
Història II 1 copy
Le storie - vol. 6 1 copy
Le storie - vol. 5 1 copy
Le storie - vol. 3 1 copy
Herodotus Index Analytique 1 copy
Le storie - vol. 2 1 copy
Storie vol I 1 copy
Storie volume II 1 copy
Herodote Introduction 1 copy
Herodotoksen historiateos 1 copy
Herodotus VIII 1 copy
Histoires. Tomes 1 & 2 1 copy
Historias. V. 1 1 copy
Història, vol. IX 1 copy
Història, vol. VIII 1 copy
Història, vol. VII 1 copy
Història, vol. VI 1 copy
Història, vol. V 1 copy
Història, vol. IV 1 copy
Història, vol. III 1 copy
HISTÒRIA 1 copy
Storie - libro terzo (Talia) 1 copy
Storie - libro sesto (Erato) 1 copy
Herodotus, books vi and vii;: With a life of Herodotus, an epitome of his history a summary of the dialect, and… (1885) 1 copy
The Greek Histories 1 copy
Il regno di Creso 1 copy
Herodoti Historiae: libri i-iv recognovit brevique adnotatione critica instruxit Carolus Hude 1 copy
Herodotus : in four volumes 1 copy
Herodotus, the Seventh, Eighth, & Ninth Books: With Introduction, Text, Apparatus, Commentary, Appendices, Indices,… (2017) 1 copy
Great Books 6 1 copy
Il Nilo 1 copy
STORIE LIBRO I° 1 copy
Historiae libri i-iv v-ix 1 copy
Index analitique 1 copy
Histories livres viii-ix 1 copy
Histoires libres v-vi-vii 1 copy
Introduction 1 copy
Le storie libro IX 1 copy
Storie IV (Libri VIII-IX) 1 copy
Storie III (Libri V-VI-VII) 1 copy
Storie II (Libri III-IV) 1 copy
Storie I (Libri I-II) 1 copy
Storie. Volume 4 1 copy
Storie. Volume 3 1 copy
Il libro terzo delle storie 1 copy
Associated Works
The Sophisticated Cat: A Gathering of Stories, Poems, and Miscellaneous Writings About Cats (1992) — Contributor — 99 copies
Erzählungen der Antike 1 copy
Égypte — Composer — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Herodotus
- Legal name
- Ήρόδοτος Άλικαρνάσσεως
- Other names
- Herodotos
- Birthdate
- 484 BCE (circa)
- Date of death
- 425 BCE (circa)
- Burial location
- Thurii
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- Ancient Greece
Persian Empire - Country (for map)
- Greece
Turkey - Birthplace
- Halicarnassus
- Place of death
- Thurii
- Places of residence
- Halicarnassus
Athens
Thurii - Occupations
- historian
Members
Discussions
Herodotus Reread of Book I in Ancient History (February 2021)
New Herodotus in Ancient History (November 2013)
help to choose a translation from Herodutus Histories in Ancient History (May 2010)
Herodotus (Anything and Everything) in Ancient History (December 2008)
Herodotus - article (The "300", book commentaries...) in Ancient History (June 2008)
Herodotus vs. Thucydides in Ancient History (March 2007)
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