HERODOTUS

 

HERODOTUS (Gk.Hēródotos), author of theHistories, the first monumental Greek work in prose which is still extant (5th cent. B.C.E.). Information on his life is very late, primarily derived from two articles in the Suda, a Byzantine lexicon. According to this source Herodotus was born in Halicarnassus and emigrated in 444 to Thurii in southern Italy, where he died. Whether he was in Athens during the 440s giving some lectures and whether he had a close relationship to this town and to the circle around Pericles has been debated in recent scholarship.

i. Introduction to the Histories.

ii. The Histories as a source for Persia and Persians.

iii. Defining the Persians.

iv. Cyrus according to Herodotus.

v. Cambyses according to Herodotus.

vi. Darius according to Herodotus.

vii. Xerxes according to Herodotus.

viii. Mardonius according to Herodotus.

ix. Tigranes and the battle of Mycale.

x. Artayctes and the finale.

xi. Selected bibliography.

(Robert Rollinger)

Originally Published: December 15, 2003

Last Updated: March 22, 2012

This article is available in print.
Vol. XII, Fasc. 3, pp. 254-288