Synopses & Reviews
Edition for students of this important book whose centre-piece is the Battle of Salamis.
Synopsis
Book VIII of HerodotusâHistories covers the early part of the unsuccessful invasion of Greece by Xerxes, king of Persia. Its centre-piece is the unexpected but crucial Greek naval victory at Salamis. The introduction discusses the history and nature of the Persian empire, Herodotusâportrayal of Greeks and Persians, the role of battle-narratives in his history of the war, and his language and life. The text is designed to be readable by those with little experience of Greek, and the commentary discusses in detail linguistic, literary, cultural and historical points.
Table of Contents
Introduction; 1. Medes and Persians; 2. Greeks and Persians; 3. Xerxes in Herodotus; 4. Achaemenid campaigns; 5. Battle of Book 8; 6. Structure and narrative modes; 7. The language of Herodotus; 8. Life of Herodotus; 9. The text; Commentary.