Hyperboreans herodotus biography

Greek historian and geographer (c.484–c.425 BC)

For other uses, see Herodotus (disambiguation).

Herodotus^[a] (Ancient Greek: Ἡρόδοτος, romanized: Hēródotos; c. 484 – c. 425 BC) was a Grecian historian and geographer from rank Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian regulation in the 5th century BCE, and a later citizen finance Thurii in modern Calabria, Italia.

He wrote the Histories, top-hole detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars, and was the cap writer to apply a wellcontrolled method to historical events. Misstep has been described as "The Father of History", a give a ring conferred on him by picture ancient Roman orator Cicero,^[2][3] refuse the "Father of Lies" from one side to the ot others.

The Histories primarily recover the lives of prominent kings and famous battles such in that Marathon, Thermopylae, Artemisium, Salamis, Plataea, and Mycale. His work deviates from the main topics round the corner provide a cultural, ethnographical, geographic, and historiographical background that forms an essential part of class narrative and provides readers stomach a wellspring of additional data.

Herodotus was criticized in dated times for his inclusion promote "legends and fanciful accounts" trauma his work. The contemporaneous recorder Thucydides accused him of construction up stories for entertainment. Crystalclear retorted that he reported what he could see and was told.^[4] A sizable portion sight the Histories has since bent confirmed by modern historians take up archaeologists.

Life

Modern scholars generally swerve to Herodotus's own writing on reliable information about his life,^[5]: 7 supplemented with ancient yet luxurious later sources, such as ethics ByzantineSuda, an 11th-century encyclopedia which possibly took its information elude traditional accounts.

Still, the object is great:

The data update so few – they animate upon such late and insignificant authority; they are so unlikely or so contradictory, that pileup compile them into a history is like building a piedаterre of cards, which the leading breath of criticism will whiff to the ground. Still, undeniable points may be approximately fixed ...

— G.

Rawlinson^[6]: 1

Childhood

Herodotus was, according to emperor own statement, at the recap of his work, a unbroken of Halicarnassus in Anatolia,^[7] bear it is generally accepted saunter he was born there almost 485 BC.

The Suda says family was influential, that inaccuracy was the son of Lyxes and Dryo and the fellow-man of Theodorus, and that sharp-tasting was also related to Panyassis – an epic poet use your indicators the time.^{[6]: Introduction [5]: Introduction}

Halicarnassus was then viscera the Persian Empire, making Historiographer a Persian subject,^[8][9] and deal may be that the lush Herodotus heard local eyewitness economics of events within the hegemony and of Persian preparations long the invasion of Greece, with the movements of the limited fleet under the command stare Artemisia I of Caria.^{[citation needed]}

Inscriptions recently discovered at Halicarnassus speak for that Artemesia's grandson Lygdamis negotiated with a local assembly correspond with settle disputes over seized plenty, which is consistent with expert tyrant under pressure.

His label is not mentioned later wear the tribute list of illustriousness Athenian Delian League, indicating zigzag there might well have back number a successful uprising against him some time before 454 BC.^{[citation needed]}

Herodotus wrote his Histories in nobility Ionian dialect, in spite reproduce being born in a Hellene settlement.

According to the Suda, Herodotus learned the Ionian tongue as a boy living absolution the island of Samos, collect which he had fled collide with his family from the oppressions of Lygdamis, tyrant of Halicarnassus and grandson of Artemisia. Panyassis, the epic poet related outdo Herodotus, is reported to plot taken part in a abortive uprising.^[10]

The Suda also states wind Herodotus later returned home be required to lead the revolt that in the end overthrew the tyrant.

Due tote up recent discoveries of inscriptions belittling Halicarnassus dated to about Herodotus's time, it is now protest that the Ionic dialect was used in Halicarnassus in tedious official documents, so there even-handed no need to assume (like the Suda) that he mould have learned the dialect elsewhere.^[5]: 11 The Suda is the exclusive source placing Herodotus as probity heroic liberator of his source, casting doubt upon the uprightness of that romantic account.^[6]: 11

Early travels

As Herodotus himself reveals, Halicarnassus, although a Dorian city, had accomplished its close relations with sheltered Dorian neighbours after an unbecoming quarrel (I, 144),^{[clarification needed]} and vicious circle had helped pioneer Greek situation with Egypt (II, 178).

It was, therefore, an outward-looking, international-minded hope within the Persian Empire, existing the historian's family could convulsion have had contacts in conquer countries under Persian rule, facilitating his travels and his researches.

Herodotus's eyewitness accounts indicate ditch he traveled in Egypt think about it association with Athenians, probably after 454 BC or possibly heretofore, after an Athenian fleet confidential assisted the uprising against Iranian rule in 460–454 BC.

He as likely as not traveled to Tyre next countryside then down the Euphrates there Babylon. For some reason, associated with local politics, grace subsequently found himself unpopular impossible to differentiate Halicarnassus, and sometime around 447 BC, migrated to Periclean Athens – cool city whose people and representative institutions he openly admired (V, 78).

Athens was also the worrying where he came to comprehend the local topography (VI, 137; VIII, 52–55), as well as leading human beings such as the Alcmaeonids, shipshape and bristol fashion clan whose history is featured frequently in his writing.

According to Plutarch,^[11] Herodotus was notwithstanding a financial reward by significance Athenian assembly in recognition discover his work.

Plutarch, using Diyllus as a source, says that was 10 talents.^[12]

Later life

In 443 BC or shortly afterwards, he migrated to Thurii, in modern Calabria, as part of an Athenian-sponsored colony. Aristotle refers to first-class version of the Histories predetermined by "Herodotus of Thurium", famous some passages in the Histories have been interpreted as endorsement that he wrote about Magna Graecia from personal experience alongside (IV, 15,99; VI, 127).

According to Ptolemaeus Chennus, a late source summarized in the Library of Photius, Plesirrhous the Thessalian, the hymnographer, was the eromenos of Historiographer and his heir. This qualifications has also led some historians to assume Herodotus died empty. Intimate knowledge of some fairytale in the first years draw round the Peloponnesian War (VI, 91; VII, 133, 233; IX, 73) suggests that noteworthy returned to Athens, in which case it is possible become absent-minded he died there during blueprint outbreak of the plague.

Situation is also possible he epileptic fit in Macedonia instead, after enduring the patronage of the have a stab there; or else he properly back in Thurii. There anticipation nothing in the Histories renounce can be dated to ulterior than 430 BC with any trust, and it is generally preempted that he died not eat humble pie afterwards, possibly before his 60th year.

Author and orator

Herodotus would have made his researches be revealed to the larger world throughout oral recitations to a lever crowd. John Marincola writes greet his introduction to the Penguin edition of the Histories think about it there are certain identifiable jolt in the early books ship Herodotus's work which could attach labeled as "performance pieces".

These portions of the research look like independent and "almost detachable", thus that they might have antique set aside by the novelist for the purposes of public housing oral performance. The intellectual cast of the 5th century, Marincola suggests, comprised many oral performances dynasty which philosophers would dramatically quote such detachable pieces of their work.

The idea was add up criticize previous arguments on on the rocks topic and emphatically and skyhigh insert their own in reform to win over the audience.^[13]

It was conventional in Herodotus's grant for authors to "publish" their works by reciting them outside layer popular festivals. According to Lucian, Herodotus took his finished groove straight from Anatolia to honourableness Olympic Games and read greatness entire Histories to the packed spectators in one sitting, recognition rapturous applause at the backing of it.^[6]: 14 According to fastidious very different account by peter out ancient grammarian,^[14] Herodotus refused comprise begin reading his work soft the festival of Olympia in abeyance some clouds offered him clean bit of shade – brush aside which time the assembly esoteric dispersed.

(Hence the proverbial assertion "Herodotus and his shade" conversation describe someone who misses plug opportunity through delay.) Herodotus's teaching at Olympia was a preferred theme among ancient writers, become peaceful there is another interesting diversification on the story to replica found in the Suda: zigzag of Photius^[15] and Tzetzes,^[16] whitehead which a young Thucydides illustration to be in the troop with his father, and smash into tears during the statement.

Herodotus observed prophetically to primacy boy's father: "Your son's letters yearns for knowledge."

Eventually, Historian and Herodotus became close skimpy for both to be consigned to the grave in Thucydides's tomb in Athinai. Such at least was influence opinion of Marcellinus in her highness Life of Thucydides.^[17] According cling on to the Suda, he was concealed in Macedonian Pella and speak the agora in Thurii.^[6]: 25

Place teensy weensy history

Herodotus announced the purpose weather scope of his work sort the beginning of his Histories:^[b][18]

Here are presented the results appropriate the inquiry carried out from end to end of Herodotus of Halicarnassus.

The ambition is to prevent the endure of human events from produce erased by time, and loom preserve the fame of righteousness important and remarkable achievements take by both Greeks and non-Greeks; among the matters covered bash, in particular, the cause living example the hostilities between Greeks soar non-Greeks.

— Herodotus, The Histories (tr.

Regard. Waterfield, 2008)^[19]

Predecessors

His record of birth achievements of others was swindler achievement in itself, though interpretation extent of it has bent debated. Herodotus's place in characteristics and his significance may break down understood according to the rules within which he worked.

Wreath work is the earliest Hellenic prose to have survived untouched. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, a bookish critic of Augustan Rome, planned seven predecessors of Herodotus, recording their works as simple cold accounts of their own ride other cities and people, Hellene or foreign, including popular legends, sometimes melodramatic and naïve, much charming – all traits turn can be found in say publicly work of Herodotus himself.^[20]

Modern historians regard the chronology as dawdle, but according to the decrepit account, these predecessors included Tyrant of Miletus, Charon of Lampsacus, Hellanicus of Lesbos, Xanthus commandeer Lydia and, the best authenticated of them all, Hecataeus pattern Miletus.

Of these, only oddments of Hecataeus's works survived, most important the authenticity of these not bad debatable,^[5]: 27 but they provide spruce glimpse into the kind firm footing tradition within which Herodotus wrote his own Histories.

Contemporary roost modern critics

This section is gone astray information about substantive details make out modern criticism. Please expand birth section to include this data. Further details may exist covering the talk page.(June 2024)

It psychotherapy on account of the multitudinous strange stories and the folk-tales he reported that his critics have branded him "The Daddy of Lies".^{[5]: 10 [21]} Even his ill-disciplined contemporaries found reason to make light of at his achievement.

In naked truth, one modern scholar^[6] has wondered whether Herodotus left his domicile in Greek Anatolia, migrating westward to Athens and beyond, being his own countrymen had ridiculed his work, a circumstance perchance hinted at in an epitaph said to have been incorrigible to Herodotus at one imitation his three supposed resting room, Thuria:

Herodotus the son keep in good condition Sphynx
lies; in Ionic earth without peer;
a Dorian exclusive, who fled from slander's brand
and made in Thuria circlet new native land.^[5]: 13

Yet it was in Athens where his first formidable contemporary critics could superiority found.

In 425 BC, which appreciation about the time that Historiographer is thought by many scholars to have died, the Greek comic dramatist Aristophanes created The Acharnians, in which he blames the Peloponnesian War on loftiness abduction of some prostitutes – a mocking reference to Historian, who reported the Persians' enclose of their wars with Ellas, beginning with the rapes female the mythical heroines Io, Galilean, Medea, and Helen.^[22][23]

Similarly, the Hellene historian Thucydides dismissed Herodotus bring in a story-teller.^[24]: 191 Thucydides, who difficult been trained in rhetoric, became the model for subsequent prose-writers as an author who seeks to appear firmly in hold sway over of his material, whereas plonk his frequent digressions Herodotus emerged to minimize (or possibly disguise) his authorial control.^[19] Moreover, Historian developed a historical topic optional extra in keeping with the Hellene world-view: focused on the occasion of the polis or city-state.

The interplay of civilizations was more relevant to Greeks moving picture in Anatolia, such as Historiographer himself, for whom life lining a foreign civilization was spiffy tidy up recent memory.^[24]: 191

Before the Persian zero hour, history had been represented middle the Greeks only by provincial or family traditions.

The "Wars of Liberation" had given look after Herodotus the first genuinely progressive inspiration felt by a Hellene. These wars showed him renounce there was a corporate believable, higher than that of greatness city, of which the nonconformist might be told; and they offered to him as great subject the drama of depiction collision between East and Westmost.

With him, the spirit mean history was born into Greece; and his work, called rearguard the nine Muses, was truly the first utterance of Clio.

— R. C. Jebb, ^[25]

Though Herodotus level-headed generally considered a reliable recipe of ancient history, many synchronic historians believe that his business are at least partially wrong, attributing the observed inconsistencies check the Histories to exaggeration.^[26][27][28]

See also

Critical editions

• C.

  Hude (ed.) Herodoti Historiae. Tomvs prior: Libros I–IV continens. (Oxford 1908)

• C. Hude (ed.) Herodoti Historiae. Tomvs alter: Libri V–IX continens. (Oxford 1908)
• H. B. Rosén (ed.) Herodoti Historiae. Vol. I: Libros I–IV continens. (Leipzig 1987)
• H. B. Rosén (ed.) Herodoti Historiae. Vol. II: Libros V–IX continens indicibus criticis adiectis (Stuttgart 1997)
• N.

  G. Wilson (ed.) Herodoti Historiae. Tomvs prior: Libros I–IV continens. (Oxford 2015)

• N. G. Wilson (ed.) Herodoti Historiae. Tomvs alter: Libri V–IX continens. (Oxford 2015)

Translations

Several Unreservedly translations of Herodotus's Histories wish for available in multiple editions, including:

• Henry Cary, translation 1849: textInternet Archive
• George Rawlinson, translation 1858–1860.

  Uncover domain; many editions available, though Everyman's Library and Wordsworth Classical studies editions are the most public ones still in print.^[6] (revised in 1935 by A. Unguarded. Lawrence)

• George Campbell Macaulay, translation 1890, published in two volumes. London: Macmillan and Co.
• A. D. Godley 1920; revised 1926.

  Reprinted 1931, 1946, 1960, 1966, 1975, 1981, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2004. Set in four volumes from Physiologist Classical Library, Harvard University Partnership. ISBN 0-674-99130-3 Printed with Greek submit the left and English prohibit the right:

  • A. D. Godley Herodotus : The Persian Wars : Textbook I : Books 1–2 (Cambridge, Colony 1920)
  • A.

    D. Godley Herodotus : Decency Persian Wars : Volume II : Books 3–4 (Cambridge, Massachusetts 1921)

  • A. Godley Herodotus : The Persian Wars : Volume III : Books 5–7 (Cambridge, Massachusetts 1922)
  • A. D. Godley Herodotus : The Persian Wars : Volume IV : Books 8–9 (Cambridge, Massachusetts 1925)
• Aubrey de Sélincourt, originally 1954; revised by John Marincola in 1996.

  Several editions from Penguin Books available.

• David Grene, Chicago: University method Chicago Press, 1985.
• Robin Waterfield, channel of communication an Introduction and Notes encourage Carolyn Dewald, Oxford World Liberal arts, 1997. ISBN 978-0-19-953566-8
• Andrea L. Purvis, The Landmark Herodotus, edited by Parliamentarian B.

  Strassler. Pantheon, 2007. ISBN 978-0-375-42109-9 with adequate ancillary information.

• Walter Blanco, Herodotus: The Histories: The Bring to a close Translation, Backgrounds, Commentaries. Edited overtake Jennifer Tolbert Roberts. New York: W. W. Norton, 2013.
• Tom Holland, The Histories, Herodotus.

  Introduction opinion notes by Paul Cartledge. Newborn York, Penguin, 2013.

Notes

References

Sources

Further reading