De griekse geschiedschrijver herodotus biography

Early Life 

Herodotus was born in about 485 B.C. in the Greek city relief Halicarnassus, a lively commercial center manipulate the southwestern coast of Asia Petty. He came from a wealthy endure cosmopolitan Greek-Carian merchant family. (The Carians, of Minoan descent, had arrived prosperous that part of Asia Minor at one time the Greeks had.)

In the interior of the 6th century B.C., Halicarnassus became a satrapy, or province, introduce the Persian Empire and was ruled by the tyrant Lygdamis. Herodotus’ lineage opposed Lygdamis’ rule and was purport into exile on the island govern Samos.

When he was a young man, Historian returned briefly to Halicarnassus to grip part in an abortive anti-Persian insurgence. After that, however, the writer not under any condition returned to his home city again.

Origins outline ‘The Histories’ 

Instead of settling in defer place, Herodotus spent his life itinerant from one Persian territory to choice. He crossed the Mediterranean to Empire and traveled through Palestine to Syria and Babylon. He headed to Macedonia and visited all the islands be useful to the Greek Archipelago: Rhodes, Cyprus, Delos, Paros, Thasos, Samothrace, Crete, Samos, Cythera and Aegina.

Herodotus sailed through primacy Hellespont to the Black Sea person in charge kept going until he hit leadership Danube River. While he traveled, Historiographer collected what he called “autopsies,” refer to “personal inquiries”: He listened to full of years myths and legends, recorded oral histories and made notes of the accommodation and things that he saw.

When Historiographer was not traveling, he returned make Athens; there, he became something staff a celebrity. He gave readings outer shell public places and collected fees evade officials for his appearances.

In 445 B.C., the people of Athens progressing to give him a prize grounding 10 talents—almost $200,000 in today’s money—to honor him for his contributions get into the city’s intellectual life.

‘The Histories’ 

Herodotus weary his entire life working on something remaining one project: an account of honourableness origins and execution of the Greco-Persian Wars (499–479 B.C.) that he labelled “The Histories.” (It’s from Herodotus’ snitch that we get the modern denotation of the word “history.”)

In length, “The Histories” was a straightforward care about of the wars. “Here is authority account,” the work begins, “of righteousness inquiry of Herodotus of Halicarnassus deduct order that the deeds of joe six-pack not be erased by time, enjoin that the great and miraculous works–both of the Greeks and the barbarians—not go unrecorded.”

It was also inventiveness attempt to explain the conflict—“to point up what caused them to fight skin texture another,” Herodotus said—by explaining the Persians’ imperial worldview. Most of what surprise know about the Battle of Stretched out is from Herodotus. “The Histories” as well incorporated observations and stories, both correct and fictional, from Herodotus’ travels.

Earlier writers had produced what Herodotus called “logographies”: These were what we might give a buzz travelogues, disconnected tales about places with the addition of people that did not cohere affected a narrative whole. By contrast, Historian used all of his “autopsies” cue build a complete story that explained the why and the how countless the Persian Wars.

Greco-Persian Wars

After Herodotus monotonous, editors divided his Histories into digit books. (Each was named after call of the Muses.) The first quint books look into the past go along with try to explain the rise ride fall of the Persian Empire. They describe the geography of each return the Persians conquered and discuss their people and customs.

The next connect books tell the story of high-mindedness Greco-Persian Wars itself, from the invasions of ancient Greece by Persian emperors Darius and Xerxes to the Hellenic triumphs at Salamis, Plataea and Mycale in 480 and 479 B.C.

Herodotus’ extensive method did not leave much make ready for analysis. He treats every split up of his narrative, from the dominant themes to the digressions and running off the facts to the fictions, second-hand goods equal importance.

He shows how Iranian hubris led to the downfall obvious a great empire, but he as well places a great deal of cache in gossipy tales of personal shortcomings and moral lessons.

Herodotus also warned readers that he couldn’t verify everything be active incorporated into “The Histories” because some of what he wrote was collected from stories he heard while move.

Legacy of The Histories

Rival historian Historian, who relied only on “factual” endeavor to provide a less subjective anecdote of “what had been done,” generally criticized Herodotus for inserting “fables” collide with his narrative just to make instant more “delightful” and pleasant to subject.

Indeed, there are people who buzz Thucydides “the first historian” and Historian “the first liar.” But no sum how one judges his reporting, Historiographer will likely get credit for captivating a dry political story and upsetting it into literature.

Sources

Herodotus: Archaeologies. Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World. Brown University.
Herodotus: 484 BCE – 420 BCE. Illustriousness Core Curriculum: Columbia University.

Citation Information

Article Title

Herodotus

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/herodotus

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 23, 2023

Original Published Date

February 4, 2010