3 Review(s)

The Histories, written by Herodotus, is a fascinating historical account of the struggle of a group of united Greek city states against the strength of the Persian empire. Summary Of The Book Herodotus captures and unfolds some great historical moments in The Histories. The core of the book deals with the grand struggle of a group of Greek city states against the strong and mighty empire of the Persians. The Histories can be called one of the glittering masterpieces of the classical period. With this book, Herodotus engraved his place in the pantheon of glittering historians including Pliny and Thucydides. Herodotus possessed an insatiable curiosity and this is evident in his many invigorating digressions. These include the story of the lake dwellers in Europe and the natural beauties present in Egypt. He also talks about other natural wonders such as ants who dug gold or men who possessed heads like dogs. This book is a compelling historical account of the world in the fifth century B.C. The Histories combines mythology, facts, digressions, stories and accounts into one delectable historical cocktail. Readers can expect modern supplements to this book such as a detailed chronology, relevant glossaries, notes and a fabulous bibliography. The Histories was termed inaccurate and biased by critics in more ancient times. Some even hauled it up for plagiarism. However, modern historians embrace Herodotus’ ideas of inclusive history and his methodology. The book was noted for his exploration of the Greco-Persian battles and his sheer wealth of geographical and ethnographical detail. About Herodotus Herodotus is often called the Father of all history. He lived during the fifth century B.C. and was a renowned Greek historian. Herodotus is feted by modern philosophers for being the first historian to engage in systematic collection of material. He is also known as the first historian to encapsulate his material in the form of a structured and informative narrative. Regular testing of historical facts for accuracy is also attributed to him. Herodotus was born in Halicarnassus, and lived on the island of Samos where he imbibed the Ionian tongue as a little boy. He led the revolt against the tyrant Lygdamis of Halicarnassus. He read his work at the Olympia festival. He was buried along with Thucydides in the latter’s tomb in Athens.