The history of Herodotus — Volume 1

Historiae #1

by Herodotus, George Campbell Macaulay (Translator)

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: History, Classics, Nonfiction, Historical, Ancient History, Greece, Philosophy

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 451

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

[Mary-jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Λοιπόν το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο το διάβασα για μάθημα στο Πανεπιστήμιο και είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο που καταφερα να διαβάσω ένα μεγάλο τμήμα του από το πρότυπο.Γενικα για τον Ηρόδοτο είχα ακούσει ότι γενικά έχει κατηγορηθεί ως παραμυθάς(κάτι που σύμφωνα με τη νεότερη έρευνα δεν ευσταθεί καθολου,) επειδή στις ιστορικές πληροφορίες παρεμβάλλονται πολλές φορές παραμυθιακου τύπου διηγήσεις.Ετσι γενικά δεν είχα πολύ υψηλές προσδοκίες για το βιβλίο.
Ωστόσο,διαψευστηκα ευχάριστα!Το έργο του Ηροδότου μπορεί να διαβαστεί τόσο σαν ιστορικό όσο και σαν λογοτεχνικό ανάγνωσμα ενώ η γλώσσα στο πρότυπο κείμενο είναι αρκετά ανάλαφρη και εύκολη.Αυτο όμως που εντυπωσίασε ήταν οι φιλοσοφικές ιδέες του ιστορικου και συγκεκριμένα η άποψη του για το ευμετάβλητο της ανθρώπινης ευδαιμονίας(στη νουβέλα του Κροίσου), ότι δηλαδη κανείς άνθρωπος δεν μπορεί να χαρακτηριστεί ευτυχισμένος αν δεν δούμε πρώτα το τέλος του. Επίσης, και το ότι την ανθρώπινη ζωή τελικά την καθορίζουν οι συγκυρίες και όχι ο ίδιος αυτές.Ειναι πράγματικα συγκλονιστικό ότι ένας άνθρωπος 2500 χρόνια πριν κατάφερε να διατυπώσει τόσο καινοτόμες απόψεις και μάλιστα να τις δώσει τόσο ωραία λογοτεχνικά σε ένα έργο που συγκινεί ακόμη και τον αναγνώστη του 21ου άι. μ.χ.Και πρώτη φορά ένιωσα μέσα μου τόση υπεριφανεια που μιλάω και σπουδάζω αυτή τη γλωσσα.
Υγ.Η αγαπημένη μου νουβέλα ήταν αυτή του Αδραστου!

[Stela · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a charming gossipy view of history Herodotus offers us!

[Aleksandar Janjic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ова књига очигледно може да добије само чисту петицу већ и на основу тога што је у питању прва написана историја. Морамо да се дивимо Херодоту који је пропутовао читав тада познати свијет и разговарао са гомилом људи из разних народа и народности да би сакупио грађу за ово монументално дјело од суштинске важности за развој историјске науке у нас.
Друга врло битна ствар је што је Херодот живио и радио у времену прије него што је успостављено правило да историја мора да буде сувопарна и досадна - овде нема година, датума и сличних ствари (што, истину говорећи, малчице отежава праћење текста у појединим дијеловима), али зато има свега онога што волимо да читамо у квалитетним историјама - битака, освајања, превара, оцеубистава, мајкоубистава, дјецоубистава, братоубистава, сестроубистава, жртвовања, макљаже, настраности итд., а све то је испричано потпуно питким стилом, који му га дође негдје на пола пута између историје и белетристике (чак понегдје има и управног говора).
Херодот је, као што већ рекох, материјал сакупљао кроз разговоре са људима, тако да је поузданост добијених података понекад упитна, што је само плус за Херодота а минус за стварни свијет. Разноразни богови се стално спомињу, мада се ријетко директно појављују, а пророчишта су од есенцијалне важности јер су скоро сви краљеви, цареви, војсковође и остали ишли тамо по савјете у кризним ситуацијама. А сви знамо из средњошколске историје какве су савјете добијали тамо.
У овој првој књизи тежиште је на походима Персијанаца, првенствено под лидерском палицом царева Кира и Дарија. Битке и политика описани су врло детаљно, а повремено је све то морало да се испресијеца неопходним описима живота и обичаја народа и народности с којима су се Персијанци крвили. Ни ови дијелови нису досадни - напротив. У та давна времена било је много људских жртава и разноразних перверзија, које су све уредно записане овде за наше уживање. Додуше, да се исправим - нису баш СВЕ. На неколико мјеста Херодот спомене неку личност којој зна име или обичај који познаје, али намјерно неће да га опише јер је превише гадан. А то се рецимо деси на истој страни на којој мртав-ладан пише о жени која је сексуално општила са јарцем насред градског трга.
Дакле вјерски и свакодневни обичаји разних народа су дивота за читање (посебно они са људским жртвама и разним другим настраностима), али Херодот се ни ту не зауставља већ нас части и другим још суманутијим описима као што је размножавање крилатих змија у Арабији или како Асирци (ако се не варам) узимају злато из пустиње док их прогањају некакви џиновски мрави или слична чудовишта, једноставно - предивно. Било би супер кад би се њушке из ХБО-а досјетиле какво благо лежи у овој књизи, па да од тога направе неку серију, то би до ногу потукло све Римове, Дедвуде, Спартаке и осталу боранију.
Ово је само прва половина књиге (верзија коју ја читам је подијељена у два комада), али нема разлога да се сумња у квалитет друге половине. Верзија које сам се ја докопао (јер је била бесплатна на Амазону) је превод негдје с почетка 20. вијека. У њој се спомињу недоумице око значења појединих пасуса, могуће да је то ријешено у каснијим издањима. Једина мана овог Киндл издања је што су линкови за фусноте побатаљени и самим тим практично неупотребљиви. Међутим, ово је дјело од такве важности да би свака кућа ионако требало да има квалитетно папирно издање.

[Thomas Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Herodotus History

We learn:

The average "generation of men" is 23 years. The descendants of Heracles ruled for 22 generations of men: 505 years. I suppose he means a generation is from the birth of a king to the birth of his successor, maybe ordinarily his first son. Says nothing about what a generation of women is: no doubt shorter.

Iron has been discovered for the evil of mankind. New weapons technology circa 1300 BCE.


If a "generation of men" is from the birth of a king to the birth of his successor, the king will have had on average one daughter before the first son:
0 daughters * 1/2 + 1 daughter * 1/4 + 2 daughters * 1/8 + 3 daughters * 1/16 … :
Sum[{i*2^(-i - 1)}, {i, 0, Infinity}]
https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i...
(By the same logic, he'll also have had on average 1 son before the first daughter.)

[Sotiris Makrygiannis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm finished with The history of Herodotus: This is not a historical book but also a geographers view, a sociologist view, will even dare to say the first spy book? etc. Brilliant work and easily you can see that many of the Greek customers are borrowed by the cultures that lived by and got assimilated. Because Greek culture is like 100 rivers ending up into one big lake.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Volume 1, the reader is taken through the history of Egypt and the near east. Herodotus cites his sources and expresses his disbelief at some of the history that he is told, but he relates everything as he has seen it himself or heard it from each of the peoples that he researches. An essential read for those interested in the history of Europe, Northern Africa and the Near East.

[Daniel Caballero López · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hay que saber que Heródoto nace en Halicarnaso en el año 484 a.c, considerado el padre de la historia, el acuñó el nombre historia que significa indagación, sus textos tan antiguos nos han llegado.

En su primer libro habla de Creso el último rey de Lidia, como se formó este reino y como invadió Grecia, las guerras médicas entre Tebas, Esparta y Atenas aparecen en su libro, la creación del imperio persa con la historia de Ciro.

Esta escritode una manera magistral dando muchísimos detalles de como vivian sus gentes, como acudian al oráculo de Delfos y sus creencias.

Sencillamenta una obra magistral que tran 2600 años no se pasa de moda, si les gusta la historia leana Heródoto no se arrepentiran, ahora me toca leer el segundo libro.

[Sandy K · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was the nagging sensation that I probably should be reading a better translation than the free out-of-print one on the Kindle. I think I'll try someone else for the second half.

[Nevaeh Williams]

so weird i’m confused by all the feeding people their children

[Ci · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Translation version by George Rawlinson, book one, Clio)

The first book dealt with the origin of Greco-Persian War, which started around 499 BC, possibly still within living memory during Herodotus’ own lifetime. Historians think this book is written around 440 BC. The immediately useful insight from reading this first book is to see the human life pattern in contrast with that of Bible’s narrative. Raiding parties, slave trades of conquests, consultation of oracles, beliefs in revelations in dreams, human sacrifices, killing and saving of royal infants, unholy banquets and subsequent revenges, are much of the dramas of ancient living. The brutality of conquests is the main theme, unapologized at initiation, regretted only for its defeats. Nearly no accounts are devoted for what we now considered social-economic development. Instead, war-making to raid others was the only form of survival. The most fertile land with riches in humans and battles were the most to fear. The wry psychology was laid down as: people with rich land would not need to conquer poor land; poor land people needed to raid the rich one. The cycle of violence was both aggressive, and preemptively defensive.

The translation by Rawlinson is eloquent and lucid. I will continue to the Book 2.

[César Carranza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitivamente de lo mejor que he leído, nada más que el primer libro de historia, su visión de la historiología es prácticamente nula, lo que hace de el un escrito bastante divertido, las notas son de lo mejor, algo en realidad imperdible.

[David Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herodotus's skepticism of the supernatural and received tradition make him a trustworthy teller of ancient Mediterranean political history; his frequent digressions make for a sometimes colorful, if noticably long, read.

[KATIE BURGETT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading!

A very good look at mankind in general. Even back then men wanted and strived for the same things. Well written and easy to understand for the most part.

[Steve R · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is close to one of the poorest excuses for a ‘historical’ work I’ve ever read. Since about ninety-five per cent of it is based on hearsay, i.e., interesting stories Herodotus heard during his travels, one can never be certain of the actual truthfulness of anything. Sources are not cited, and it is almost as if he were a visitor just passing through in a local bar or coffee shop who happened to be a good note-taker as to the stories told by the locals.

Despite this major complaint, there is also his seemingly total disregard for any principle of organization. About midway through the work, I noticed that when the translator chose to start a sentence with ‘Now…’ what followed almost invariably had little or any connection to what preceded it. Thus, it was simply an ‘Oh yea, before I forget, let me tell you about….’ insertion. Generally, there is a pattern of starting in Syria and Greece, then working his way through Egypt and then concentrating on the Persian exploits of Cyrus, Cambyses and Darieos. before concluding with sections on the Scythians and Libyans. But even within each of these three or four broad sections, if a little incident about the family life of one of the principals or his opponents cropped up, off would go the story to (maybe) return later at the point it was it was dropped for the interesting tangent.

In his survey of the tribes of Libya, none of whom I’d ever heard of before, he seemed most interested in their hairstyles, religious beliefs and peculiarities of sexual practice. For instance, in one tribe, brides-to-be were exposed naked before their prince whom, should he find the girl attractive, would deflower her. Another practised the marriage custom that all male attendees would copulate with the new wife while a third carried on fornication ‘like cattle’ and only assigned parentage to any offspring when they had grown enough to allow familial resemblances to be noted. Finally, one tribe he found to be exceedingly healthy since they burned sheep’s wool on the heads of all children when they turned four years of age, ‘so that for all their lives to come the cold humour may not run down from their heads and do them hurt.’

Herodotus heard all these stories and dutifully recorded them. At least he was honest enough to disbelieve the claim made by the Neuroi that for a few days each year they turn into wolves, but this does not excuse his acceptance of the idea that lions only have one offspring per litter since the claws of others kill any rivals inside the womb.

If it wasn’t for all this sheer nonsense, I would have rejected the work outright due to its adoption of the ‘one damn fact after another’ approach to history that resolutely stayed with whatever story of the next ruler or the next tribe he found most interesting and never stood back and made any analysis of the broader forces at work in social, economic, military or government respects. In other words, instead of ‘The Histories of Herodotus’, I would have called it ‘The Stories of Herodotus.'

Because I almost always finish what I start, I now have another 300+ pages to plow through to get through ‘Volume 2’. But for the many new instances I'm sure I'll encounter of inane silliness which are at least semi-entertaining, I’m not looking forward to it.

NOT recommended.

[gkanorrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Η αυτόματη σύγκριση του Ηροδότου με τον Θουκυδίδη εχει υποτιμήσει πολύ την αξία του έργου του. Ο -κατά Κικέρωνα- πατέρας της Ιστορίας, είναι ο πρώτος που, έστω κι αν δεν διέπεται από τις αυστηρές μεθοδολογικές αρχές του Θουκυδίδη, γράφει μια παγκόσμια ιστορία με συνείδηση και οργάνωση. Η κριτική διάνοια του Θουκυδίδη του επιτρέπει να κάνει ένα βήμα μπροστά λίγο πολύ 17 αιώνων και να θέσει τις αρχές της σύγχρονης ιστοριογραφίας. Παρόλα αυτά ο Ηρόδοτος είναι αυτός που γεφυρώνει τις έμμετρες αφηγήσεις, τη φυσική φιλοσοφία, την ρητορική και κάθε λογής γραπτή πληροφορία για να συνθέσει ένα ευρύ -και παρά τις ετερόκλητες πηγές του- συμπαγές κείμενο με στόχο να μνημονεύσει τα "θαυμαστά έργα των ανθρώπων" μέσα από τη σύγκρουση Ελλάδας και Ασίας. Το παραμυθικο αναμιγνύεται με το λαογραφικό, το γεωγραφικό, την παράδοση και το αυστηρά ιστοριογραφικό διαμέσου μιας περιπλάνησης σε όλον τον τότε γνωστό κόσμο. Το αποτέλεσμα κάθε άλλο παρά ανομοιόμορφο είναι. Ο Ηρόδοτος, δεινός αφηγητής, καταγράφει ιστορίες, στις οποίες δεν σκιαγραφείται μόνο η ψυχή και τα έργα του 5ου αιώνα, αλλά και το ίδιο το ανθρώπινο μέσα από μυθικές, αχρονικες αφηγήσεις. Εγκιβωτίζοντας αυτές τις αφηγήσεις ("νουβέλες" και "ανέκδοτα"), που εύκολα θα μπορούσαν να σταθούν ως αυτόνομες τραγωδίες, αποδίδει σε αυτό το πρώτο βιβλίο, τις διαδικασίες με τις οποίες οι Πέρσες ανδρώθηκαν και έφτασαν στο σημείο να έχουν την δυνατότητα να βαδίσουν εναντίον των ελληνικών κρατών.
Κι αυτές οι μυθικές διηγήσεις είναι που τραβούν περισσότερο το ενδιαφέρον, καταλήγοντας πολλές φορές σκοτεινά παραμύθια που αφηγούνται όλη τη σκληρότητα του ανθρώπινου: Ερωτευμενοι άρχοντες επιδεικνύουν γυμνές τις γυναίκες τους, βασίλισσες πενθούν βυθίζοντας τα κεφάλια των εχθρών τους σε σακιά με αίμα, βασιλιάδες εκδικουνται μαγειρεύοντας για τους στρατηγούς τους τα ίδια τους τα παιδιά, εξορισμένοι γιοι, ανίκανοι να ξεφύγουν από τη μοίρα τους, αυτοκτονούν πάνω σε μνήματα και άλλοι βασιλιάδες χαίρονται όταν ακούνε το Μαντείο να προμηνύει την καταστροφή τους.
Το τραγικό διαπερνά κάθε επί μέρους ιστορία καθιστώντας αισθητή την φιλοσοφία του ίδιου του ιστορικού, πως η ανθρώπινη ευτυχία είναι πεπερασμένη και προδιαγεγραμμένη. Κάθε αναφορά ευτυχίας και πλεονεξίας οποιουδήποτε εξουσιάζει αποτελεί ύβριν, κι ο Ηρόδοτος γίνεται το χέρι των θεών προδικαζοντας τον όλεθρο εξ'ονόματος τους: η ευδαιμονία είναι προοικονομια θανάτου. Το θείο και η μοίρα είναι βασικοί άξονες γύρω από τους οποίους διαδραματίζονται τα ιστορικά τεκταινόμενα. Μέσα από όλη αυτή την οργή του θεϊκού και την ανημπορια του ανθρώπινου, δε παραλείπει να αναδείξει το ελληνικό πνεύμα της κλασικής περιοδου προβάλλοντας τις αξίες του ανθρωπισμού, του μέτρου, της συγχώρεσης και της κατανόησης. Τα ηθικά διδάγματα μπορεί να περιττεύουν στη σύγχρονη της μορφή, η λογοτεχνικοτητα όμως της ιστοριογραφίας του Ηροδότου συμβάλλει στο να αποδοθεί και να ψυχογραφηθει πληρέστερα η υφή των δύο κόσμων για τους οποίους αφηγείται, κάτι που ίσως έχει αντίστοιχη αξία με τα ίδια τα γεγονότα.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herodotus was really talented at combining storytelling traits and history, especially since this was written in the early 400s BC. This book has great foreshadowing, framing, pacing, and suspense despite the book covering so many historical events and people. I also liked how Herodotus made the people in his book relatable and with personalities instead of larger-than-life figures. For example, when one of the Kings farted at the enemy's messenger and then told the messenger to bring that to his general it showcases the King's confidence, arrogance, and immaturity while being more interesting than Herodotus saying the King was immature. Also, it shows that people have been using fart humor for way longer and in more serious scenarios than I imagined.

The thing I didn't like about this book was that didn't mention the dates that these historic events happened. While I know this was written before our current calendar system and Herodotus couldn’t of done that, this could of been a cool thing for the publisher to include/add to the book. Also, way too many people in this book had a dream, interpreted it in a way that caused them to murder someone in order to prevent an event to happen, and then have the event happen anyway. I understand that multiple people can be stupid in the same way and this is a history book, but it gets boring to read basically the same story multiple times within the same book. Herodotus could have tried new framing methods, perspective, or something to make these events sound less similar.

Though overall the book was great and it was fun to read about historical events in a gossipy tone with great storytelling techniques.

[Antonio Jiménez · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro que yo leí, resume los nueve libros de Historia en uno.
Es una edición muy cuidada de editorial Catedra, letras universales.
Un libro como este, supongo que llevaba Kapuscinski, en el bolsillo.
Es uno de los libros que más me han invitado a viajar por el mundo, buscando siempre una razón de ser a por qué determinados pueblos están aquí, pues sí como dice Sartre "el hombre es lo que hicieron de él ",... los pueblos son el producto del crisol donde se fraguaron.
Para Heródoto, había dos mundos completamente diferenciados, el mundo conocido por su tiempo de clara influencia greco-persa y el de los barbaros o escitas.
Más allá del norte del mar Negro, todo era desconocido, y a mi razón que aún lo es.
Por mi cuenta, y por designio de Heródoto, dado que él fue el que incitó mi curiosidad, he viajado por Tayikistán, Uzbekistán, Kazajistán, Kirguistán.
Y para mi sorpresa, me los he encontrado tal como él los describió, sumidos en un pasado ignoto, tal como si el tiempo no hubiese pasado, ¿la causa?.- las altas montañas, y los desiertos, hace que sus gentes vivan con sus atávicas costumbres, tal como si el tiempo no pasase.
Gracias Heródoto allá donde tu espíritu esté.

[Srikanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one of the very first history books of the world, it is quite an entertaining one, definitely more than Thucydides. The first book is more about Egypt, Libya and Persia. The second book deals with the invasion of Greece.

The author prefers to go the factual route wherever he could get the facts. He often speculates and at least twice, he ignores the factual account as being absurd and prefers another false argument. But these are not turn offs or anything. He is interested in the geography, cultural and religious aspects of other countries. He selects interesting anecdotes or practices and then includes them. If he does not find anything fancy, he says that there is nothing remarkable about these people. He places much store on the oracles even though he himself says the oracles have been paid agents at least twice.

Altogether, this is a fun book inspire of the size of the book and the long sentences. There is nary a dry moment. Of course having Google helps during the geography and war sections.

[דריה · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prema tome, o Krezu, ljudski je život posvema tek igra slučaja. Čini mi se da si veoma bogat i da vladaš mnogim ljudima, ali ono što me pitaš ne mogu ti nikako odgovoriti prije no što spoznam da si sretno završio svoj vijek. Naime, nije veliki bogataš ništa sretniji od onoga koji posjeduje dovoljno samo za jedan dan, ako mu sudbina ne dopusti da, uza svu sreću koju je imao, lijepo završi svoj život. Mnogi su izuzetno bogati ljudi nesretni, a mnogi koji raspolažu tek malim sredstvima za život ipak su sretni. Veliki bogataš, a nesretan, samo je u dvjema stvarima u prednosti pred sretnikkm, dok ovaj raspolaže brojnim prednostima u odnosu prema nesretnom bogatašu; bogataš je lakše u stanju da ispuni svoje prohtjeve i podnese veliku nesreću ako ga zadesi, a onaj je u prednosti pred njim u ovome: doista ne može poput njega podnijeti nesreću i ispuniti prohtjeve, no sretan ga usud brani, pa nije osakaćen, nema bolesti, ne doživljava zla, ima lijepu djecu i dobra je izgleda; a ako uz to još i na dostojan način završi svoj život, upravo on je taj koga tražiš, jer zaslužuje da se nazove sretnikom; prije no što umre, nitko se ne smije niti smatrati niti nazivati sretnim već samo miljenikom sudbine, a i nemoguće je da ljudsko biće u sebi okupi sve što je nužno za sreću, kao što ni jedna zemlja ne raspolaže dostatno svime što joj je potrebno: nečega ima, a u drugome oskudijeva; najbolja je ona koja ima većinu potrebnih stvari. Tako isto i ljudsko tijelo, uzeto pojedinačno, nikako sebi nije dostatno: naime, nečega ima, a u drugome oskudijeva. Ali onaj tko provodi život većinom imajući ono što mu je potrebno, a zatim ga završi dostojno, taj, kralju, po meni s pravom nosi ime sretnika. Prije svega treba vidjeti kakvom će smrću završiti. Mnoge je, naime, bog učinio sretnima a zatim ih je do kraja uništio.

[Miguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desde los origenes, algunas veces míticos u homéricos, de los pueblos que habitaban Asia Menor hacia el siglo VI antes de nuestra era.

Los griegos jonios y eolios, algunos pueblos semitas, medos, lidios, asirios y neo-babilonios, entre otros; así como las costumbres y la respectiva forma de sometimiento de cada uno al control del naciente imperio persa de Ciro el grande.

El autor intenta distinguir la verdad de tradiciones erradas de los distintos pueblos que aborda, no sin olvidar que su perspectiva nunca podrá ser completamente separada de su cultura griega.

El relato se extiende hasta la muerte del ya mencionado Ciro y evidentemente es recomendable hacerse de una versión con suficientes notas de contexto.

[Gareth Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The father of history is as much a geographer and anthropologist but to read his works written 2500 years ago is an amazing insight into the distant past. I admired Herodotus’s efforts to distinguish myth from fact even if he could not eliminate his pro-Greek bias any more than most modern historians can achieve an objectivity divorced from their cultural context.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethnographies:

“As this has always been their custom from the very beginning, we should leave them to it. I will now return to my earlier story.”

“Matters concerning their treatment of the dead are spoken of obscurely, as if they are secrets.”

[Fafi Lafi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way more fun to read then Thucydides. Very interesting to read how ancient cultures were like, and what the ancient world was like since Herodotus seems to be curious about everything. (though read everything he says with skepticism)

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like cannibalism? Weird sexual practices? Giant ants? Wonky adventures? Learning about new cultures and their pseudoscience? Then this book is for you.

[Tobias Weiss]

The first historiographer in history. He wrote to reflect actualities without taking side.

[Conor OD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly entertaining and at times hysterical. Great read.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly entertaining

Interesting stories and fabulous beliefs of the ancients. Covers the then known world. More readable than I expected it to be.

[Enoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m towards the end of book II. Herodotus is a captivating story teller.

[Karleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like Herodotus is telling me stories over a picnic lunch. He is conversational and makes sure to include all the gossipy details in the history of these royal families.

[Kierstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! Everything has this veil over it where myth and reality have met.