The Histories

One of the masterworks of Western civilization from the Ancient Greek author and orator known as the “Father of History.”   Written in the fifth century BC, The Histories is a wide-ranging inquiry into the Greco-Persian Wars and beyond. Factual accounts of military matters on land and at sea, commanders, governments, and rulers are juxtaposed with Greek mythology. As inspiring to travel writers and journalists as it is to historians, this epic work includes a wealth of geographical and ethnographical information on the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Greece. It remains one of the West’s most important sources regarding the ancient world.   “To transfer the responsibility for events away from heaven and squarely on to mortals may seem, two and half thousand years on, an obvious task, but in so doing Herodotus fundamentally changed the way that humans look at the world—and that is why Cicero called him the father of history.” —The Guardian   “We may no longer share Herodotus’ view of the past, yet we delight in the richness of the world he sketched. Its stories, landscapes, characters, and insights into human nature linger long after the reading. What makes the work stand out above all is the Histories’ sense of wonder and discovery. Herodotus’ Histories remain a classic testament to the pleasures of researching and learning.” —The Conversation   Read more