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Herodotus: The Histories. By Brian Yablon. Who was Herodotus?. He was a Greek man from Ionia. Born ca 484 BCE in Halicarnassus, now Bodrum in southwestern Turkey. Probably spent time on the island of Samos as well as in Athens. Died ca 425 BCE at Thurii or Pella in Macedon.
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Herodotus: The Histories By Brian Yablon
Who was Herodotus? • He was a Greek man from Ionia. • Born ca 484 BCE in Halicarnassus, now Bodrum in southwestern Turkey. • Probably spent time on the island of Samos as well as in Athens. • Died ca 425 BCE at Thurii or Pella in Macedon. • Arguably the first historian.
What does “History” Mean? • “Historia” meant “research” or “inquiries” in ancient Greece.
Father of History First person to record events for posterity other than Greek poets. Unbiased, covered foreign cultures, customs, without judgments. Father of Lies During his lifetime, and for centuries afterward, Herodotus was not taken seriously. Reputation
The Real Story • Herodotus tries to tell the story of the Greco-Persian war, which really happened in three big episodes: • The Ionian Revolt • Mt. Athos and Marathon • Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea.
The Ionian Revolt • 499-494 BCE. • In 499 the ruler of Miletus rebels against their Persian overlords. • In 498, with help from Athens and Eretria, Sardis (seat of the Persian satrap) is burnt. • In 494, Persian King Darius captures Miletus and the revolt ends. Miletus
Mt. Athos and Marathon • In 492 Darius send ships to defeat the Greeks but they sink in a storm near Mt. Athos. • In 490 he sends another force that is defeated by the Athenians on the field of Marathon.
Darius and Xerxes • Darius dies in 486. His son Xerxes continues the conquest of the Greeks. • In 480 he wins at Thermopylae, his fleet loses off of Salamis, and in 479 his land force loses at Plataea. Xerxes gives up his conquest at that point.
Written between 431 BCE and 425 BCE. Originally written on nine scrolls -- later editors divided The Histories into nine books, each named after a Muse. Each book can be subdivided into three units, the “logoi” or overview. Organized around one central theme -- the expansion of the Achaemenid (Persian) empire between 550 BCE and 479 BCE. The Histories
Supposedly, he traveled all around the known world. He interviewed: priests from Greece, Egypt, and Babylon; Africans, Arabs, Carthaginians, Cypriotes, Egyptians, Greeks, Italians, Palestinians, Persians, Phoenicians, and Scythians. He offers readers different versions of the same event. However, it is likely that he “improved” upon many stories. He was also very well read and new the literature of the age as well as several original sources. His Sources
The Prologue • Resembles Homer’s Iliad in intent -- to preserve the memory of the past by recording events and achievements.
Book 1 • Begins alluding to Homer’s tale of Troy. • Croesus was first eastern king to attack Greek freedom. • Early histories of Athens, Sparta, Persia. Growth of Persian power. Croesus Helen of Troy
Book 2 • Cambyses becomes king of Persian Empire (530-522 BCE) and invades Egypt. • Long digression exploring Egypt, the Nile, religion, and customs.
Book 3 • Three Magi overtake the Persian throne. • All Magi are killed. • Darius becomes king.
Book 4 • Darius decides to attack the Scythian tribes that live in the north (what is now Ukraine). • Circumnavigation of Africa. • Persian conquest of Libya. Scythian’s: “Pointed Hat Men”
Book 5 • Beginning of fighting between Greece and Persia; conquest of Thrace. • Ionian revolt. • Athens and Sparta. A hoplite; Persepolis.
Book 6 • Persians put down rebellion in Ionia. • Darius sends a fleet to subdue Athens, but it sinks. • He demands “earth and water” but Athens and Sparta refuse. • Persians attack. Spartans refrain from battle, but Athenians carry the day.
Book 7 • Darius decides to enslave all of Greece and Europe but dies before that can happen. • His son Xerxes launches a massive army. • Battle at Thermopylae.
Book 8 • Sea battles off of Artemisium. • Battles off of Salamis. • Further revolts against the Persians. • Xerxes and his army retreat, but leave a small land contingent. Themistocles, Greek naval commander.
Book 9 • Persians burn Athens. • Athenians defeat Persians at Plataea. • Spartans chase and destroy Persian armies, free Ionia. • These victories signify the end of the Persian conquest of Greece.
How is all of this Relevant? • “His greatest relevance is, first, the openness and broadmindedness of his enquiry -- in Greek history nothing human was alien to him -- and second, his enlightened toleration of the customs of 'others', which extended even to toleration of funerary cannibalism.”
