Herodotus
The Father of History
Herodotus was a Greek historian and geographer from Halicarnassus who wrote the Histories about the Greco-Persian Wars.[1] Modern historians generally consider his accounts reliable, though he sometimes exaggerated or included inaccurate information.[2] The ancient Roman orator Cicero is the one who gave Herodotus the title "The Father of History".[1]
Quick Facts
- Born
- c. 484 BC
- Birthplace
- Halicarnassus, Caria, Asia Minor, Achaemenid Empire
- Died
- c. 425 BC (aged approx. 59)
- Place of death
- Thurii, Calabria, or Pella, Macedon
- Occupation
- Historian
- Parents
- Lyxes (father), Dryotus (mother)
- Relatives
- Theodorus (brother), Panyassis (uncle or cousin)
- Notable works
- Histories
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Herodotus was born around 485 BC in Halicarnassus, then under Persian control, making him a Persian subject.[3] According to the Suda, his family was influential and he was the son of Lyxes and Dryo.[3] The Suda says he learned the Ionian dialect while living on Samos after fleeing the tyrant Lygdamis.[4] Herodotus wrote his Histories in the Ionian dialect despite being from a Dorian settlement.[4]
He announced the purpose and scope of his work at the beginning of the Histories.[5] His work includes accounts of the Persian expansion and the attempted invasion of Greece.[6] According to Lucian, Herodotus read the entire Histories at the Olympic Games to assembled spectators.[7]
What the cited sources add
The World History Encyclopedia account notes that Herodotus's story of giant ants was confirmed in 1984 by Michel Peissel as a translation error for marmots.[2] Modern scholarship has proven Herodotus wrong on sacred prostitution and the absence of medical professionals in Babylon.[2] Scholar Robin Waterfield states that Herodotus does not expect readers to believe everything, and he reminds them of this in his first-person narration.[2] Larkin's paper argues that Herodotus wrote the Battle of Thermopylae account to appeal to Homeric epic style, using tangents and exaggerations.[6]
Larkin notes that Herodotus estimated the Persian army at over 5 million troops, a number now seen as "nothing short of ridiculous".[6] The same paper states that Herodotus invented dialogue and included tangential information to create a more compelling narrative.[6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Herodotus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Luce, "The Greek Historians", 2002, p. 26; "Herodotus" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Mark, "Herodotus", World History Encyclopedia, 19 October 2022. facts only, no text reused. worldhistory.org
- Wikipedia, "Herodotus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Hero'dotus", www.perseus.tufts.edu, 1873; Rawlinson, "The History of Herodotus", Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1859; Burn, "Herodotus: The Histories", Penguin Classics, 1972; Cartledge, "The Greeks : a portrait of self and others", Oxford; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 52; Waters, "Herodotos the Historian: His problems, methods and originality", University of Oklahoma Press, 1985; Dandamaev, "A Political History of the Achaemenid Empire", Brill, 1989, p. 153; Ki en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Herodotus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Histories of Herodotus", May 2025 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Herodotus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Herodotus", The Gale Group (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Larkin, "Herodotus, Homer, and The Histories", Stony Brook Undergraduate History Journal, 11 March 2022. facts only, no text reused. you.stonybrook.edu
- Wikipedia, "Herodotus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rawlinson, "The History of Herodotus", Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1859 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Herodotus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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