Synopses & Reviews
Herodotus, referred to by Cicero and others as "the father of history," was the first to make the events of the past the subject of research and verification, and to relate their consequences to the present. In Histories, an account of the struggle between Persia and Greece from the time of Croesus to that of Xerxes, How and Wells show that there are frequent digressions that give a wealth of information about the customs and cultures of peoples foreign to the Greeks. Providing a standard commentary of the Histories, this two-volume work will interest scholars, although it is designed primarily for students. The authors offer short summaries introducing the subject matter of each section, a full introduction on Herodotus's life and style, and fifteen appendices that cover problems of text and content.
Synopsis
Herodotus has been called by Cicero and other ancient critics, "the father of history," and he was indeed the first to make the events of the past the subject of research and verification and to then relate their consequences to the present. The main subject of his Histories is the struggle between Persia and Greece from the time of Croesus to that of Xerxes. This edition of the standard commentary on the Histories deals with the first four of the nine books, covering Persia from Croesus to Cyrus, the digression on Egypt, the conquest of Egypt and Darius's rise to power, and finally his expedition against the Scythians and Libyans.
Table of Contents
Commentary on Books I-IV; Appendices I-XV; Ethnography of Western Asia Minor and the Lydian History of Herodotus; Assyria and Babylon; Median History; Cyrus and the Rise of Persia; Reign of Cambyses and the Early Years of Darius Hystaspes; Persian System of Government; Persian Satrapies; Religion of the Ancient Persians and Herodotus; Herodotus in Egypt; History of Egypt in relation to Herodotus; Scythia and the Scyths; Scythian Expedition; Geography of Herodotus; Chronology of Herodotus; Pelasgi; Additional Notes