Who is Herodotus. Herodotus - biography, facts from life, photographs, reference information. The last years of Herodotus' life
HERODOTUS(lat. Herodotus, Greek Herodotus) (about 484 BC, Halicarnassus, Asia Minor - about 426 BC, Furia, Great Greece), an ancient Greek historian, called by Cicero the "father of history" ("On the Laws", I,1,5 ). Author of works devoted to the description of the Greco-Persian wars, outlining the history of the state of the Achaemenids, Egypt; gave the first systematic description of the life and way of life of the Scythians. The monumental work of Herodotus, dedicated to the history of the Greco-Persian wars and the description of the countries and peoples who fought with the Persians, is the first historical work of antiquity that has completely come down to us and at the same time the first monument of artistic prose in the history of ancient literature. Initially, it was called "History" (ancient Greek "research, research"); in the 3rd century BC Alexandrian scholars divided it into nine books, giving each of them the name of one of the nine muses - the first book was named after the muse of history, Clio.
According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Herodotus was born shortly before the campaign of Xerxes in Greece (480 BC) and lived until the Peloponnesian War (431 BC). His parents were noble and wealthy citizens. For participation in the struggle against the tyrant Halicarnassus Ligdamida, Herodotus was forced to leave his homeland and settled on the island of Samos. Tradition ascribes to Herodotus long travels in the countries of the East: in 455-444 he visited Phoenicia, Syria, Egypt, Babylon, Macedonia, the Greek colony of Olbia in the Northern Black Sea region, and visited Delphi. He describes as an eyewitness the peculiarities of the climate of Scythia, which is more severe than in Greece, he knows the layout of Babylon and the way in which its walls were erected; Herodotus gives data on the distances between Egyptian cities in the Nile Valley and tells in detail about the Egyptian customs that struck him.
Since the mid-440s, the fate of Herodotus has been closely connected with Athens and the circle of Pericles. It is known that in Athens Herodotus gave public readings of individual books of the History and was awarded for this by the Athenians (Eusebius, 4th century). A hidden polemic with Herodotus can be found in his younger contemporary Thucydides, who emphasizes that his own work is alien to fables, not so pleasant to the ear and not created to sound in a fleeting competition (Thucydides, "History", I, 22).
In 444-443, Herodotus, together with the philosopher Protagoras of Abdera and the architect Hippodames of Miletus, took part in the foundation of the pan-Greek colony of Thurii in southern Italy (hence his nickname Furian). The "History" breaks off with a description of the siege of Sest (478) and gives the impression of being unfinished; based on her textual analysis, it is generally accepted that Herodotus died in Thurii between 430 and 424.
Herodotus wrote the work "History" or "Statement of Events" in the Ionian dialect. The main idea that he traces in this work is the opposition of Asian despotism and ancient Greek democracy. The Greco-Persian wars became the central theme of the "History", but in the course of the presentation of events, the historian introduced detailed geographical and ethnographic essays, the so-called logoi.
Herodotus begins the story with a story about the fate of the Lydian kingdom and proceeds to the history of Media before the accession of Cyrus, in connection with the campaigns of Cyrus, describes Babylon and the customs of its inhabitants, as well as the tribe of the Masagetes who lived across the river Arax (book 1). The history of the conquest of Egypt by Cambyses gives him a reason to tell about this country: this is how the famous Egyptian logos is formed (book 2, Euterpe); the story of Darius' unsuccessful campaign against the Scythians develops into a description of the way of life and traditions of the tribes that inhabited the Black Sea steppes (book 6, Melpomene).
Such descriptions of individual localities and peoples bring the "History" closer to the works of Ionian logographers and, in particular, to the works of Hecateus of Miletus, to whom Herodotus repeatedly refers. However, unlike logographs, Herodotus includes episodes-short stories in the outline of the historical narrative, close to the oral traditions that existed among the Eastern peoples and tell about dramatic turns in the events of history and the fate of people: stories about Gyges and King Kandavl (book 1, 8-13) , about Solon and Croesus (book 1, 29-56), about Cyrus and Astyages (book 1, 108-129), about the ring of Polycrates (book 3, 40-43). Belief in the omnipotence of fate, the breadth of the historical and spatial perspective, the slowness of the narrative give the "History" an epic character: in the treatise "On the Sublime" (Pseudolonginus, 1st century), Herodotus was called "the great imitator of Homer."
The work of Herodotus is permeated by the theme of the inconstancy of fate and the envy of the deity to the happiness of people. Like Aeschylus in the tragedy "The Persians", Herodotus condemns the Persian kings for excessive insolence and the desire to disrupt the world order, which commanded the Persians to live in Asia, and the Hellenes in Europe. Ionian revolt 500 BC e., which involved the Greek states in a long and bloody war, Herodotus considers it a manifestation of indiscretion and pride. When describing the Greco-Persian wars, Herodotus uses the memories of eyewitnesses, inscription materials, oracle records; he visits the battlefields in order to more accurately reconstruct the course of the battles. Repeatedly he notes the merits of the Alkmeonid clan, to which he belonged.
The goal of the scientist was not only to sing the exploits of the Greeks in the struggle for freedom, but also to reveal the causes and consequences of their victories. Herodotus believed in the active intervention of the gods in the course of historical events, but at the same time he recognized that the success of politicians depended on their personal qualities. When writing his work, Herodotus used both personal observations and stories of other people, and written sources. His descriptions are reliable and in many cases are confirmed by modern archaeological research.
The success of the work of Herodotus in ancient times was facilitated by his art of storytelling, the proximity of his "History to the epic". The surviving numerous Greek manuscripts from the 10th to 15th centuries reflect an unbroken handwritten tradition dating back to antique editions of the text. During the Renaissance, Lorenzo Valla translated the History into Latin (Venice, 1479). Russian translations of Herodotus were published with comments by F. G. Mishchenko in 1888 and G. A. Stratanovsky in 1972. For modern scientists, "History" is an invaluable source of encyclopedic information about the history of ancient countries.
Hello to all readers! From this article about Herodotus, you will learn about who he was, where he traveled and what discoveries he made. Read the article and find out all its secrets...
Herodotus (about 480 - about 428 BC) - an outstanding Greek geographer, historian and traveler of antiquity.
He was born in the city of Halicarnassus, on the coast of Asia Minor. He lived in the era when Greece was at war with Persia. Herodotus decided to write a history of the Greco-Persian wars.
And to tell in this story about the life and nature of the population in the countries that at that time were under the rule of Persia. In 460 - 450 years. BC e. Herodotus traveled.
He visited the countries of the Balkan Peninsula and cities on the Malaya coast. To Scythia, the southern region, Herodotus made a long journey.
Despite the fact that the Greeks traded with Scythia, it was little known to them before Herodotus. Scythia surprised the scientist with huge pastures and plains.
The Scythian winter, lasting several months, seemed harsh to him. He wrote that the water spilled in Scythia in winter does not make mud, that is, it freezes. The summer seemed to him cold and rainy.
The huge rivers of Scythia impressed Herodotus - Borisfen (Dnepr), Tanais (Don), Gipanis (Southern Bug) and others.
The fact that rivers originate in the mountains, Herodotus knew from childhood, but there are no mountains in Scythia.
These rivers, in his opinion, should have started in unknown large lakes. The tribes inhabiting Scythia and its neighboring territories were of particular interest to Herodotus. The Scythians, living in the steppe and partially forest-steppe zones, were divided into pastoralists and farmers.
About the peoples who lived in the northeast and north of the Scythians, Herodotus collected very interesting, sometimes even semi-fantastic statements.
He learned about the hunters, the Tessagetes and Irks, who inhabited the "stony and uneven land" (in all likelihood, this is near the Urals), and about dense forests inhabited by otters, beavers and other fur-bearing animals. Further, the Agripei tribes lived, near the foot of the high and inaccessible.
They had a flat face with a large chin and shaven heads. Herodotus learned that the settlements of the Arimaspians, one-eyed people, were even further away.
There is a lot of gold, but the vultures guard it. Vultures are lion-like monsters with eagle beaks and wings. Behind Scythia in the Far North, there are uninhabited lands. It is very cold there, it constantly lies, and the night stays for half a year.
Herodotus went to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus from Scythia. He learned from the inhabitants of Colchis that there is a huge sea (Caspian) beyond the mountains, and beyond the sea - a wide plain. Masagets live there - warlike tribes.
Before Herodotus, the Greeks represented the Caspian as a flood, and did not know what was further east. After Herodotus returned home, after a while he again set off on a new journey. This journey was to the Mesopotamian lowland and to the hinterland of the peninsula of Asia Minor.
Herodotus described Babylon with its luxurious terraced gardens, a huge library and large stone steras. About "the most remote of the Eastern countries", Herodotus learned a lot in Babylon.
He was told that a lot of gold was mined in India. And also about the fact that there are still many amazing plants in India: cereal, the grains of which are “boiled and eaten together with the shell” (rice), cane, bamboo, from one knee of which, it seems like you can make a boat; trees with fruits in the form of a ball of wool - from it the inhabitants of India make clothes for themselves.
Herodotus spent a lot of time in Egypt. He visited the famous Sphinx and pyramids, in local cities, climbed the Nile to Siena (modern Aswan).
Herodotus also singled out the features of the nature of Egypt: the absence of rain and cloudiness, the flood and rise of the Nile water in the hottest time of the year, animals unknown in Asia Minor and Greece (hippos, crocodiles, birds, fish).
The cities of Northern Libya (Africa), Herodotus visited after Egypt. There he collected interesting information about the inhabitants of the oases in the desert zone and about the inhabitants of the northern part of the African continent.
That's all, it was the most interesting thing in the life of an ancient Greek scientist. Check back for new articles😉
Herodotus - a resident of ancient Greece, the "father of history." The Greek became the author of the first surviving treatise "History", in which he described in detail the customs of the peoples that existed in the fifth century BC, as well as the course of the Greco-Persian wars. The works of Herodotus played an important role in the development of ancient culture.
Two key sources of information about the life path of Herodotus have come down to us: the encyclopedia "Court", created in the second half of the tenth century in Byzantium, and the texts of the historian himself. Some of the information in these sources is contradictory.
Bust of Herodotus
The generally accepted version is that Herodotus was born in Halicarnassus in 484 BC. This ancient city was located on the territory of the historical region "Karia", on the Mediterranean coast in Asia Minor. The city of Halicarnassus was founded by the Dorians, and a settlement of the Carians was located nearby (both the Dorians and the Carians are representatives of the main ancient Greek tribes).
The future ancient Greek historian was born into an influential and wealthy Lix family. In his youth, Herodotus participated in the political life of the people. He joined the party, which aimed to overthrow the tyrannical ruler Ligdamid, was expelled, lived for some time on the island of Samos.
Then Herodotus went on long and numerous journeys. He traveled to Egypt, Babylon, Asia Minor, Assyria, the Northern Black Sea region, the Hellespont, and also traveled around the Balkan Peninsula from Macedonia to the Peloponnese. During his travels, the historian made sketches for his subsequent creation.
At the age of forty, Herodotus settled in Athens. At that time, he was already reading excerpts from his History to representatives of the upper strata of urban society, which gave the researchers the opportunity to conclude that the outlines were written while traveling. In Athens, the historian met and became close friends with the supporters of Pericles, the commander and orator, who is considered one of the founders of democracy in Athens. In 444 BC, when the Greek colony of Thurii was founded on the site of the destroyed city of Sybaris, he took part in the restoration of the settlement from the ruins.
The science
Thanks to Herodotus, science was enriched by the fundamental work "History". This book cannot be called a historical study. It is an interesting story of an inquisitive, sociable, gifted man who had traveled to many places and had extensive knowledge of his contemporaries. The "History" of Herodotus combines several components at once:
- ethnographic data. The historian has collected an impressive amount of information about the traditions, customs, features of life of various tribes and peoples.
- geographic information. Thanks to the "History" it became possible to restore the outlines of the ancient states as of the fifth century BC.
- Natural history materials. Herodotus included in the book data on historical events that he managed to witness.
- literary component. The author was a gifted writer who managed to create an interesting and captivating narrative.
Book "History" by Herodotus In total, the work of Herodotus includes nine books. The essay is divided into two parts:
- In the first part, the author tells about Scythia, Assyria, Libya, Egypt, Babylonia and a number of other states of that time, as well as about the rise of the Persian kingdom. Since in the second half of the work the author intended to tell a story about numerous Greco-Persian wars, in the first part he sought to trace the milestones of the historical struggle between the Hellenes and the barbarians. Due to the desire for such unity, the interconnectedness of the presentation, Herodotus did not include in the work all the materials that he remembered from his travels, but managed with a limited number of them. In his work, he often expresses a subjective point of view on certain historical realities.
- The second part of Herodotus' work is a chronological account of the military confrontation between the Persians and the Greeks. The story ends in 479 BC, when Athenian troops besieged and took the Persian city of Sesta.
When writing his book, Herodotus paid attention to the whims of fate and the envy of divine forces in relation to the happiness of people. The author believed that the gods constantly intervene in the natural course of historical events. He recognized the fact that the personal qualities of politicians are also the key to their success.
Herodotus condemned the rulers of Persia for their impudence, for their desire to violate the existing order of the world order, according to which the Persians should live in Asia, and the Hellenes in Europe. In 500 BC, the Ionian uprising took place, because of which Ancient Greece was involved in a bloody war. The author characterizes this event as a manifestation of pride and extreme indiscretion.
Structure of Herodotus' "History"
- The first book is Clio. It tells about the beginning of the strife between the barbarians and the Hellenes, provides the history of the ancient country of Lydia, the story of the Athenian politician and sage Solon, the tyrant Peisistratus, the history of Media and Sparta. In this book, Herodotus also mentions the Scythians in the context of the confrontation with the Cimmerians, and also talks about the war between the Massagetae and the Persians.
- The second book is "Euterpe". In this part of the work, the historian decided to tell about the history of Libya and Egypt, about the pygmies and the Nasamones, about the ancient Egyptian pharaohs. Here Herodotus recounted the legend of how Psammetichus I determined that the Phrygians were the oldest people in the world.
- Book three - "Thalia". It provides information about Arabia and India, about the Greek tyrant Polycrates, and also tells about the conquest of Egypt by the Persian king Cambyses, about the revolt of the magicians, the conspiracy of the seven and the anti-Persian uprising that took place in Babylon.
Fragment of a page from the book "History" by Herodotus - The fourth book is Melpomene. Here the author described the peoples of Scythia, Thrace, Libya and Asia, and also presented the information known to him about the campaign of the Persian king Darius against the Scythians of the Black Sea region.
- The fifth book is Terpsichore. In this book, the emphasis is already on the events of the Greco-Persian wars. If in previous volumes the author devoted many pages to describing the ethnographic features of the peoples, then here he talks about the Persians in Macedonia, about the Ionian uprising, about the coming of the Persian governor Aristagoras to Athens and the Athenian wars.
- Book six - Erato. The key events from those described are the naval battle "Battle of Lada", the capture of the Carian ancient Greek city of Miletus, the campaign of the Persian commander Mardonius, the campaign of the Persian commanders Artafren and Datis.
Herodotus. Bas-relief in the Louvre, Paris - The seventh book is "Polyhymnia". It deals with the death of Darius and the ascension of Xerxes (Darius and Xerxes were Persian kings), Xerxes' attempts to conquer Asia and Europe, as well as the iconic battle of the Persians and Greeks in the Thermopylae gorge.
- Book eight - "Urania". This material describes the naval battle of Artemisia, the naval battle of Salamis, the flight of Xerxes, and the arrival of Alexander in Athens.
- Book nine - "Calliope". In the final part of the monumental work, the author decided to tell about the preparation and course of the battle of Plataea (one of the largest battles of the Greco-Persian wars, which took place on land), the battle of Merkala, as a result of which the Persian army was inflicted a crushing defeat, and about the siege of Sest.
The “History” of this ancient Greek thinker is also called “The Muses”, since Alexandrian scientists decided to name each of its nine parts after one of the Muses.
Nine Muses named the volumes of Herodotus' History In the process of work, Herodotus used not only his own memories and his own attitude to events, but was also guided by the memories of eyewitnesses, records of oracles, and inscription materials. In order to reconstruct each battle as accurately as possible, he specially visited the battlefields. Being a supporter of Pericles, he often sings of the merits of his family.
Despite the belief in divine intervention, the subjective approach and the limited means for obtaining information in antiquity, the author did not reduce his entire work to glorifying the battle of the Greeks for their freedom. He also tried to determine the causes and consequences of their victories or defeats. "History" of Herodotus became an important milestone in the development of world historiography.
The success of the historian's work is due not only to the fact that in one work he collected many facts about the peoples and events of his time. He also demonstrated the high skill of the storyteller, bringing his "History" closer to the epic and making it an exciting reading for both contemporaries and people of the New Age. Most of the facts stated by him in the book were subsequently proven during archaeological excavations.
Personal life
The biography of Herodotus has survived to this day only in the form of fragmentary information, in which it is impossible to find data about the scientist’s own family, about whether he had a wife and children. It is only known that the historian was an inquisitive and sociable person, he easily got along with people and was able to show amazing perseverance in the search for historically reliable facts.
Death
Herodotus supposedly died in 425 BC. The place of his burial is unknown.
1. Introduction
2. Biography of Herodotus
3. Travels of Herodotus:
Babylon
Libya
4. Criticism of old ideas
5. Conclusion
List of used literature
Introduction
The fact that Herodotus is an ancient Greek scientist is known to many, but what are his achievements and contribution to the development of science, the question is more complicated. And why is this man called the father of "history and geography"?
Herodotus lived at a time when there was a further development of culture, which in turn was accompanied by a number of geographical discoveries, the emergence of new travel destinations and the development of hospitality traditions. Travel becomes an important means of forming scientific knowledge, which is especially clearly seen in the example of the life and work of Herodotus, who left to his descendants a lot of interesting information about the life of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Phoenicians and other peoples who inhabited at that time the ancient land, ecumene.
This abstract reflects some of the traveler's main routes, his observations, discoveries, descriptions and results. After analyzing the information, it becomes clear why Herodotus' contribution to the development of travel, geography and history is so great.
Biography of Herodotus
HERODOTUS - ancient Greek historian. Born in Halicarnassus, about 484. BC. The Asia Minor city of Halicarnassus was founded by the Greeks of the Doric tribe, but many representatives of the local Carian tribe, who mixed with the Greeks, also lived there. The Carian name was given to the father of Herodotus Lyx and uncle Paniasid. The latter is reckoned among the outstanding epic poets, and this suggests that the occupation of literary creativity was traditional in the family of a historian and traveler. In Halicarnassus, from childhood, he watched ships from the most distant countries of the East and West arrive in the harbor, and this could instill in his soul a desire to know distant and unknown countries.
In his youth, he took part in the fight against tyranny and was forced to leave Halicarnassus after its establishment. For some time he lived on about. Samos, which was one of the richest and most developed Ionian states. The powerful fleet of Samos in the recent past controlled the sea routes of the Western Mediterranean. While living, the inquisitive and sociable Halicarnassian quickly got used to the interests of life there.
Soon Herodotus left Samos and went on further travels. For him, a life full of wanderings began: he traveled overland, sailed on a ship (wishing to learn more about the Egyptian deity Hercules, he sailed to the Phoenician city of Tire). Herodotus traveled a lot and with taste. His long wanderings made him visit many parts of the Persian Empire, he was in Egypt, probably traveled far to the south, Herodotus called this country "Elephantine Aswan" (Eng. Elephantine Aswan), he also visited Libya, Syria, Babylonia, Susa in Elam, Lydia and Phrygia. Herodotus traveled from the Helespont to Byzantium, Thrace and Macedonia, he traveled north of the Danube to Scythia itself, and further east along the shores of the Black Sea to the Don River, and in the lands that lie inland from the Black Sea coast. These journeys took many years.
Herodotus was a great traveler, noticing many important details, a good geographer, a man with unflagging interest, studying the habits, customs and history of his compatriots. Herodotus was a tolerant man who did not have the arrogant prejudice characteristic of the Greeks against the barbarians. He was not naive and gullible. All this makes his works not only of great artistic value, but also of great historical and geographical significance.
Returning as a young man to his homeland, to Halicarnassus, the famous traveler took part in the popular movement against the tyrant Lygdamis and contributed to his overthrow. In 444 BC, Herodotus attended the Panathenaic festivals and read passages from the description of his travels there, causing general delight. At the end of his life, he retired to Italy, to Thurium, where he died about 425 BC, leaving behind the fame of a famous traveler and an even more famous historian. Herodotus begins his nine-volume "History" with the following words, which determined the purpose of his work: "Herodotus of Halicarnassus collected and recorded this information so that the past events would not fall into oblivion over time and the great and surprisingly worthy deeds of both the Hellenes and the barbarians would not remain unknown. …"one
Travels of Herodotus
In 464 he goes on a journey. Herodotus dreams of learning about other, much more powerful peoples, some of which had a civilization much older than the Greeks. He, in addition, is occupied by the diversity and outlandishness of the customs of a foreign world. It was this that prompted him to preface the history of the Persian wars with an extensive study of all the peoples who attacked Greece, about which the Greeks at that time still knew little.
He ventured into very distant lands in order to obtain verified information. He explored the land with his own eyes and with his own feet, no doubt he rode a horse or a donkey a lot, and often sailed in boats.
Herodotus began his "round the world" journey from Babylonia. The territory stretching and irrigated between the two great rivers of Asia - the Euphrates and the Tigris, gave life to the desert Mesopotamia - Mesopotamia. Herodotus examined the ruins of the great city of Nineveh (in the area of modern Mosul) - the capital of ancient Assyria, destroyed by the Median king Kiyaksar. Then he visited the capital of Media Akbatana (modern Hamadan on the slopes of the Zagros Mountains), fortified with seven rings of battlements painted in various colors. Finally, he reached the main city of the Persian state - Susa, founded by Cyrus on the banks of the Khaospa (Kerkhe) River. From Susa, Herodotus went to Babylon, which made the greatest impression on him of all the cities of Asia.
Babylon
Babylon, the ancient capital of Assyria, swung open on both sides of the Euphrates River, was at that time the largest commercial, political and cultural center of Western Asia. The city stood at the crossroads of important trade routes leading from Asia Minor and Transcaucasia to the Persian Gulf and the Syrian coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the Iranian Highlands.
Herodotus called Babylon the most beautiful of all cities. Babylon was surrounded by a deep moat filled with water and two belts of high brick walls topped with stone towers. It consisted of two parts, separated by the Euphrates River. Walls of baked bricks stretched along the banks, playing the role of dams during the spring rise of water. Inside the city, the streets were arranged according to a clear plan - some ran parallel to the river, others crossed them at right angles. Three- and four-story houses stretched along the streets. In the northern part of the city, on the left bank, there was a large royal palace built by Nebuchadnezzar, and on the other side - the temple of the god Bel - Marduk. Describing Babylon, Herodotus specifically noted the bridge, built on the orders of Queen Netocris from large unhewn stones, fastened with cement and lead. Herodotus was also interested in the “construction activity” of the queens Netokrida and Semiramis, on whose orders dams and irrigation canals were built in the country.
He is called the "Father of History". Herodotus was engaged in the collection of historical data, traveled a lot, and was considered an excellent geographer. But the most famous thinker became after writing the book "History". It gave a description of ideas about the world. Of course, in such a presentation that was relevant at the time when Herodotus lived. The historian drew his conclusions on the basis of travels to Italy, Asia Minor, Egypt, Babylonia, Persia, to other states and to the islands of the Mediterranean. It is known that Herodotus was also on the Black Sea, in particular - in the Crimea, as well as in the possessions of the Scythians.
He described different kinds of wars. In his "History" you can find stories about the Greco-Persian battles. Herodotus told in detail the history of the state of Egypt. He also described the life of different peoples.
Life of Herodotus
This Greek thinker was born around 500 BC. BC. at Halicarnassus. It is a city in Asia Minor. Herodotus was born into a rich, noble family. His parents were engaged in trade.
At the age of 20, the scientist went to travel to collect information about the wars of the Greeks with the Persians. However, the result of this trip was to obtain not so much such information as to conduct a significant study of the different peoples of the world, their roots and origins, about which the Greeks knew practically nothing.
Historians and archaeologists managed to find out which routes Herodotus followed on his journey. He went up the Nile. After he visited Egypt, he reached Babylon. This is exactly 2 thousand km from the Aegean Islands. Scientists suggest that he was also in Susa, but not all researchers of the life of Herodotus are inclined to agree with this opinion.
Another assumption of historians concerns Herodotus' visit to the Black Sea coast, in particular the Crimea. But the fact that the ancient Greek thinker visited Southern Italy, becoming a participant in the formation of a Greek colony, is known for certain.
Herodotus visited the battlefields of the Greeks with the Persians in order to accurately study the directions of the campaigns, the names of the commanders of the troops and the details of this war. In his History, Herodotus describes the customs of the Persians. According to the original traditions, the representatives of this people did not depict the gods in the guise of people. They also did not build churches and chapels. And, interestingly, they did not make sacrifices. However, they had religious rites and performed them on the mountain peaks.
Herodotus also noticed that the Persians did not eat meat, but were very fond of plant foods. In particular, fruits, cereals. They also adored winemaking, as well as all kinds of entertainment events.
The Persians were interested in the traditions of other peoples, gave a comprehensive education to their children, and respected the rights and freedoms of all people. They despised only those with leprosy, considering them great sinners. So wrote Herodotus.
The peoples living along the banks of the Danube were called Scythians. Herodotus wrote about them, as well as the landscapes on which these people lived. The river, then the Danube was called Istra, was always full-flowing, gave a lot of fish.
In the legends about the Scythians themselves, Herodotus relied on the myths that existed at that time. They speak of alliances between the militant Scythians and the Amazons. For a long time the custom was preserved not to marry the bride until she killed the enemy.
Many dangers lay in wait for Herodotus on his journey through ancient Egypt. Snakes, wild tribes and animals. He wrote about his personal impressions of this country in his memoirs. There was also information about the terrain and natural features of Africa.
Striking was the attitude of Herodotus to the data on the animal world. In everything he found a connection with a person. He wrote that in Egypt people are in closer contact with the fauna than in Greece. The scientist also spoke about a certain agreement that the Egyptians concluded with a cat, a crocodile, an ibis. The picture that Herodotus described in relation to Egypt coincides with the data of modern historians, or is accepted by them as quite plausible.
By the way, Herodotus had a chance to publicly voice his travel notes. The inhabitants of Greece liked his stories very much, historians say. Until the end of his days, Herodotus traveled to different countries, received true recognition from the Greeks and earned the status of a historian, educator and brave traveler.
Innovation or plagiarism?
People all over the world, especially scientists, can be grateful to Herodotus for the knowledge that he gave. At the time of Herodotus and before him, the Greeks did not even keep a chronicle of the winners of the Olympics, not to mention putting on parchment information about the history of cities, different countries and peoples. At best, the chroniclers presented dry facts. But there were no literary works similar to those created by Herodotus.
As they say, truth is born in a dispute. Herodotus had an opponent and at the same time an ally, the historian Hecataeus. In the controversy of scientists, interesting ideas and thoughts were born. However, specific data that Herodotus argued with Hecateus cannot be found in his teachings. He liked to express himself like this: "the Ionians testify" or "ordinary Hellenes ...". What he mentioned in these statements about Hecatea can be guessed.
The fact that disputes took place is stated in some ancient sources. In particular, there are up to 10 references to the fact that Herodotus rewrote some of the thoughts of Hecateus, passing them off as his own. Historians compared the texts of their predecessors and concluded that there were not only polemics between scientists, but also plagiarism. However, in ancient Greece there was no concept of plagiarism. It was believed that the author, who rewrites and thereby transmits thoughts from the books of his predecessors, shows the highest respect for them. Later, Aristotle copied from the publications of Herodotus, while not quoting, and not even mentioning his name anywhere.
Such conclusions have put modern researchers in front of the idea that Herodotus was a simple plagiarist. He criticized Hecataeus, but it was unfounded, historians concluded. This applies not only to the borrowing of ideas and thoughts, but also to the transfer of geographical data, as well as information obtained during alleged travels.
Herodotus ridiculed Hecataeus for claiming that the earth was a regular circle. Herodotus did not agree with the opinion of Hecataeus that Asia is equal in size to Europe, speaking of the undoubted superiority of the latter in terms of territory.
However, already in the time of Hecateus and Herodotus there were people who doubted the authenticity of their teachings, geographical knowledge, set forth in various sources. Librarians, scientists, poets argued about this. Some authors considered the book of Herodotus, which was kept in the Library of Alexandria, a fake. However, it is impossible to reliably establish who copied from whom.
Herodotus - the first historian in world literature
And yet, scientists tend to believe that it is Herodotus who is the most important researcher and historian. He stated the facts, he was interested exclusively in geographical discoveries, albeit not his own. He wrote a lot about the mythological side and the beliefs of the people of ancient Greece. The thinker also spoke about the origin of cities and colonies. Herodotus dressed the dry historical narratives of his predecessors into interesting stories.
Hecateus did nothing in this regard. Therefore, our contemporaries consider Herodotus to be the most important historian of ancient Greece, who left a significant mark on world literature and culture in general.
The stories of Herodotus contain very valuable materials, since they are based not only on mythology, but also on the empirical experience gained by him during his travels. By the way, the thinker did not criticize the ideas and materials collected by his predecessors, but clothed them in rational narratives based on evidence-based principles. Already for this, he received respect from modern researchers, writers and historians, as well as Greek scholars.
Herodotus set forth different versions of his predecessors about certain events, compared them and said which of the thoughts seemed to him the most reliable and why. So he reasoned about the connections of Argos with the Persians. Guided not by political considerations, but by objective assessments, Herodotus put forward a number of versions and brought them to the evidence base. True, it is now impossible to establish which of the ideas can be reliable, and whether they have a right to exist at all.
Judging by the way Herodotus himself expressed his thoughts, scientists came to the conclusion that he himself was not 100% sure that there is at least one of the correct ideas and versions of this or that event or historical fact. . In the same case, when the scientist was confident in his correctness and the reliability of the facts, he cited the only correct version of events and gave a complete explanation of everything.
For example, a narrative that tells about the death of Cyrus. Herodotus had only one thought about his death, and he adhered to it, despite the existence of other ideas among other thinkers.
So, the teachings of Herodotus, of course, must and it is important to consider the most ancient literary monument. In world history, this thinker played an almost key role. What modern researchers and historians are talking about.
Ioannis Kapodistrias.
Among the many glorious and prominent Hellenes, the figure of Ioannis Kapodistrias rises separately. This man is not just a well-known person, he is the smartest politician and diplomat who, with his labors, laid the foundation of Greek statehood.
Kirill Sazonov (Ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ!)
Honey in Greece
The last emperor of Byzantium
Constantine XI Palaiologos is the last Byzantine emperor who found his death in the battle for Constantinople. After his death, he became a legendary figure in Greek folklore as the emperor who must wake up, rebuild the empire, and rid Constantinople of the Turks.
The afterlife of the ancient Greeks
Before expounding this side of the culture of the people of Greece, it is worth remembering a very famous myth. He tells about a couple in love: Eurydice and Orpheus. The girl died from a cobra bite, and her young man could not come to terms with the cruel loss. He went for his beloved to the underworld of the dead to King Hades himself in order to persuade him to return his beloved to him.
