The Histories Book 5: Terpsichore

By Herodotus

Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who lived in the fifth century BC (c.484 - 425 BC). He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a well-constructed and vivid narrative. The Histories-his masterpiece and the only work he is known to have produced-is a record of his "inquiry", being an investigation of the origins of the Greco-Persian Wars and including a wealth of geographical and ethnographical information. The Histories, were divided into nine books, named after the nine Muses: the "Muse of History", Clio, representing the first book, then Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope for books 2 to 9, respectively.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
• Release date: Aug 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781681462943

Herodotus

Often referred to as the “father of history,” Herodotus was born in what is now modern-day Turkey in 484 BCE. He travelled the world in order to collect eyewitness accounts of the Greco-Persian Wars and conduct first-hand research, and his work is amongst the earliest Greek prose to survive in its entirety. Although Herodotus’s method of collecting information was unique for the time, he, like many Greek scholars of the period, is criticized for manipulating his reporting of events and witnesses accounts in order to improve the narrative tone. The Histories is Herodotus’s only known work, and is still referred to by modern historians as providing an important perspective on life in ancient times. Recently, Herodotus’s written account of the Battle of Thermopylae was adapted into the film 300 by Zack Snyder. Herodotus is said to have died in 625 BCE at the age of 60, although this date cannot be confirmed.

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The Histories

Book 5: Terpsichore

By Herodotus

Start Publishing LLC

Copyright © 2015 by Start Publishing LLC

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First Start Publishing eBook edition July 2015

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ISBN 13: 978-1-68146-294-3

Book 5, Terpsichore

1. In the meantime those of the Persians who had been left behind in Europe by Darius, of whom Megabazos was the commander, had subdued the people of Perinthos first of the Hellespontians, since they refused to be subject to Darius. These had in former times also been hardly dealt with by the Paionians: for the Paionians from the Strymon had been commanded by an oracle of their god to march against the Perinthians; and if the Perinthians, when encamped opposite to them, should shout aloud and call to them by their name, they were to attack them; but if they should not shout to them, they were not to attack them: and thus the Paionians proceeded to do. Now when the Perinthians were encamped opposite to them in the suburb of their city, a challenge was made and a single combat took place in three different forms; for they matched a man against a man, and a horse against a horse, and a dog against a dog. Then, as the Perinthians were getting the better in two of the three, in their exultation they raised a shout of paion, and the Paionians conjectured that this was the very thing which was spoken of in the oracle, and said doubtless to one another, Now surely the oracle is being accomplished for us, now it is time for us to act. So the Paionians attacked the Perinthians when they had raised the shout of paion, and they had much the better in the fight, and left but few of them alive. 

2. Thus it happened with respect to those things which had been done to them in former times by the Paionians; and at this time, although the Perinthians proved themselves brave men in defence of their freedom, the Persians and Megabazos got the better of them by numbers. Then after Perinthos had been conquered, Megabazos marched his army through the length of Thracia, forcing every city and every race of those who dwell there to submit to the king, for so it had been commanded him by Darius, to subdue Thracia.

3. Now the Thracian race is the most numerous, except the Indians, in all the world: and if it should come to be ruled over by one man, or to agree together in one, it would be irresistible in fight and the strongest by far of all nations, in my opinion. Since however this is impossible for them and cannot ever come to pass among them, they are in fact weak for that reason. They have many names, belonging to their various tribes in different places; but they all follow customs which are nearly the same in all respects, except the Getai and Trausians and those who dwell above the Crestonians. 

4. Of these the practices of the Getai, who believe themselves to be immortal, have been spoken of by me already: and the Trausians perform everything else in the same manner as the other Thracians, but in regard to those who are born and die among them they do as follows:—when a child has been born, the nearest of kin sit round it and make lamentation for all the evils of which he must fulfil the measure, now that he is born, enumerating the whole number of human ills; but when a man is dead, they cover him up in the earth with sport and rejoicing, saying at the same time from what great evils he has escaped and is now in perfect bliss. 

5. Those who dwell above the Crestonians do as follows:—each man has many wives, and when any man of them is dead, a great competition takes place among his wives, with much exertion on the part of their friends, about the question of which of them was most loved by their husband; and she who is preferred by the decision and so honoured, is first praised by both men and women, then her throat is cut over the tomb by her nearest of kin, and afterwards she is buried together with her husband; and the others are exceedingly grieved at it, for this is counted as the greatest reproach to them. 

6. Of the other Thracians the custom is to sell their children to be carried away out of the country; and over their maidens they do not keep watch, but allow them to have commerce with whatever men they please, but over their wives they keep very great watch; and they buy their wives for great sums of money from their parents. To be pricked with figures is accounted a mark of noble rank, and not to be so marked is a sign of low birth. Not to work is counted most honourable, and to be a worker of the soil is above all things dishonourable: to live on war and plunder is the most honourable thing. 

7. These are their most remarkable customs; and of the gods they worship only Ares and Dionysos and Artemis. Their kings, however, apart from the rest of the people, worship Hermes more than all gods, and swear by him alone; and they say that they are descended from Hermes. 

8. The manner of burial for the rich among them is this:—for three days they expose the corpse to view, and they slay all kinds of victims and feast, having first made lamentation. Then they perform the burial rites, either consuming the body with fire or covering it up in the earth without burning; and afterwards when they have heaped up a mound they celebrate games with every kind of contest, in which reasonably the greatest prizes are assigned for single combat. This is the manner of burial among the Thracians.

9. Of the region lying further on towards the North of this country no one can declare accurately who the men are who dwell in it; but the parts which lie immediately beyond the Ister are known to be uninhabited and vast in extent. The only men of whom I can hear who dwell beyond the Ister are those who are said to be called Sigynnai, and who use the Median fashion of dress. Their horses, it is said, have shaggy hair all over their bodies, as much as five fingers long; and these are small and flat-nosed and too weak to carry men, but when yoked in chariots they

Reviews for The Histories Book 5

[cecrow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the world's first history textbook (so to speak), Herodotus chronicles the wars between Persia and Greece - and so much more. As new historical figure or locales are introduced into the narrative, he frequently pauses to detail that person or place's history even when it has little bearing on the main event. The sum is a fascinating amalgam of fact and fiction: enough facts to provide an outline of the Greco-Persian Wars and the environs in which they took place, together with the people who carried it out; and enough fiction to add an aura of mythology to the undertakings, providing a challenge in prose to Homer's poetry.Inevitably the question arises of what to believe, so you'll want a good edition with footnotes or endnotes to help you parse it all. Herodotus' absurd description of a hippopotamus alone is enough to throw everything else into question, and that's just one of many examples. Whether he travelled as widely as his narrative implies, or saw with his own eyes as much as he claims, are open questions. There's also no telling how reliable his other sources were - something he gamely questions, but never enough to prevent him from sharing a good story. Expect some entertainment with your history.It's much easier reading than I'd assumed going in, and translator Aubrey de Selincourt's 1954 effort probably deserves the credit for making this such a compelling read. Even if you don't believe a word of what Herotodus says (although archeology has been able to back up quite a bit), the 'Father of History' still put together a great epic. For all that his effort is slandered, dating all the way back to ancient times, at least he gave it a shot and - most telling - none of his contemporaries ever tried to top him.

[mattries37315 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A generation had no living memory of the greatest danger that the Greeks had ever lived through, but one man decided to change all that and gift posterity with a new genre. The Histories written by Herodotus details 80 crucial years from the rise of the Persian Empire to the defeat the remnants of Xerxes expedition and the events that led to the latter.Using knowledge gleamed from extensive travel across the ancient world Herodotus begins his historical narrative by giving the ‘legendary’ encounters between the peoples of Europe and Asia before delving into the more ‘historical’ events that lead to Xerxes’ grand expedition. Herodotus details the history of the kingdom of Lydia that was the first to conquer populations of Greeks, those in western Anatolia, and how its great king Croesus lost his war to Cyrus the Great thus placing those same Greeks under the rule of Persia. The history of the Medes and their conquest by the Persians is related then the subsequent history of the Persian Empire until the Ionian revolt which led to the intervention of Athens and setting the stage for Darius expedition to Marathon. Intertwined with the rise of Persia was Herodotus relating the events within various Greek city-states, in particular Athens and Sparta, that contributed to the reasons for first Darius’ expedition and then to Xerxes’. Eventually his narrative would go back and forth between the two contending sides throughout the latter conflict as events unfolded throughout 480-479 BC.The sheer volume of material that Herodotus provides is impressive and daunting for a reader to consider. Not only does he cover the political and military events, but numerous past historical and general culture aspects as well as lot of biographies and antidotal digressions that add color to the overall piece. Given that this was the first history ever written it’s hard to really criticize Herodotus—though Thucydides apparently had no problem later—but some digressions I wish Herodotus had left out or not heard at all.The Histories by Herodotus is one of classic historical works that needs to be read by anyone who enjoys reading history. Whether or not you love the style of writing or even the topic, this book is important because it literally is the first history book.

[alexanme-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Most interesting I think if read as an originating piece of the theory of historiography, or as a divergent theory of historiography.

[samtekoa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's a classic it should be read. I'm guessing George Bush didn't read it otherwise he would have gotten in and out of Iraq faster. "Soft countries breed soft men." Cyrus

[floratina · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

READ IN DUTCH/GREEK

This was our final assignment in my Greek class. So I read passages in Greek, translating them in Dutch. Some of the stories of the Histories are very famous, but I'd never realised they came from Herodotus.

[sszkutak_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting and entertaining history book. For class we had to read sections regarding different ethnic groups and Herodotus does a wonderful job telling the reader about them. This was a suprisingly quicck read and kept my attention the whole way.

[crystallyn_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the most fascinating history books I've ever read. Herodotus tries his best at being unbiased and doesn't always succeed, which makes this history even more intriguing. That's forgivable, however, because this is really one of the world's earliest attempts at creating a book of history. Herodotus had no rules by which to write. So when he includes heresay and myth it makes the book all the more exciting.

[lukerik-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rawlinson's translation is old fashioned, though perfectly serviceable and this edition lacks some of the critical apparatus some other editions have, but it was the way I discovred Herodotus so can't help loving it.

[whjensen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really 2 books in 1, Histories gives an overview of both the Persian/Greek conflict and the cultures surrounding it. To fully appreciate this book, it is important to be able to divide it in your mind - a Fodors Guide for the Ancient Mediterranean and a History 101.Although most would agree that Herodotus had a problem with facts, it is important to look at it contextually. Herodotus was one of the revolutionaries in history - he set out to make an honest book, comparing different versions of history and ethnography and explaining why he believed a version was true.Worth reading but remember - categorize it in your mind as you read!

[mikebridge_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a very clear and readable modern English translation of Herodotus. The notes at the end are more complete than anything I've ever seen before, and the introduction is a good guide for someone like me who has very little background in ancient Greek history.

[aaronbaron_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A milestone in European thought. A combination travelogue and history of the ancient world, rife with fascinating commentary. A lot of the bookk is complete fantasy, with gold digging ants and winged serpents, but a good deal more consists of astute observations and almost scholarly research. This is one of the primary historical sources for the Persian Wars, superbly described and analyzed. Herodotus also does well by Egypt and Scythia, the former admired, the latter feared. It is difficult to say which aspect is the more entertaining: the kingdoms, people and events described or the complex mind of the author and the culture that produced him.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Much the most readable ancient historian, for me. It may not all be true, but I believe Herodotus put down what his informants told him.

[pickwick817 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have this in two volumes. I give the first a 5-star rating and the second a 3 to 4 star rating. The first was very interesting because it described the way of life in the parts of the world Herodotus had vistied as it was 2500 years ago and earlier. The second described Persian invasions of Greece during his lifetime. Very detailed, a little slow. Now I want to see the movie "300".

[jpsnow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's all in here -- facts, battles, espionage, emotion, sex, beauty, culture, religion, and atrocity. The main characters: Xerxes, Cyrus, Darius, Croesus, Solon, Alexander. This is as enjoyable reading as any modern history. In addition to providing the facts, Herodotus conveys the sometimes contemplative nature affecting his choice of what was "worthy to be recorded." The people and events seem very real because he balances major events with everyday details. The latter include the customs of the people involved, from their marriage rites to their favorite insults ("worse than a woman" was apparently quite popular with the Persians). Though not the primary theme of the work, I was greatly affected by a number of events that were remarkably comparable to Biblical stories. Assuming we know the earliest writing date, the Old Testament scenarios could at least be claimed as the source for the parallel in other cultures -- not so with New Testament events. Among the examples: parting waters at Thales (Book I, #75); a child to reign unless a king kills him; prophecy and gifts from the Magi (I, #107); a new baby from Petra being the rock that will one day make right the city of Corinth (V, #92); referring to Neptune as the "savior" (VII, #192); the parting of the sea due to an ebb tide that flows back and kills those crossing (VIII, #129); "he who seeks his life will lose it..." (Book VII, #39). We also see similarities related to cultural beliefs and legends: In II, #50-53, Herodotus explains how the Greek god names came from the Egyptian; Egypt had a Helen story; Egypt had a Jupiter; 12 cities (I, #12); Persia named for Perses (son of Perseus) (VII, #61); the sun darkened by arrows (VII, #226); Croesus to be overthrown by a mule (I, #31-#93). Customs: burying alive (Book VII, #114), two different incidents regarding Greeks who didn't make it to the battle in time and were scorned by their countrymen. Herodotus covers more common details: grain boats, dress, marriage, the sick. And he covers epic moments: the 10,000 "immortals," a secret message on the tablet beneath the wax, and uses of water for defense (and turned against). In Book III, #72, Darius provides a very pragmatic stance on lying, claiming that a man lies or tells the truth both for the same purpose of achieving something. In situations where there is no value in maintaining trust, lying is an effective means to an end. Darius is chosen as king by his horse being the first to neigh at a certain point on the trail. Two versions are given of how he made that happen, both involving the scent of a mare. Book IX, #98: "Nothing mortal travels so fast as these Persian messengers. The entire plan is a Persian invention; and this is the method of it. Along the whole line of the road, there are men (they say) stationed with horses, in number equal to the number of days which the journey takes, allowing a man and a horse to each day; and these men will not be hindered from accomplishing at their best speed the distance which they have to go, either by snow, or rain, or heat, or by the darkness of night. The first delivers his dispatch to the second..." In Book VIII, #118, Xerxes and men are crossing in an overloaded boat. The helmsmen mentions the best strategy is to lighten the load. The king's guards jump out. The king reward the helmsman with a crown and beheads him for costing him his men.

[gbill_7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been awhile since I read it, but I absolutely loved this book at the time, and in picking it up recently I still find it fascinating. "The Histories" culminates in Xerxes invasion of Greece, but before doing so sets the stage by providing a history of Lydia, Egypt, the Persian empire under Darius, and of course Athens and Sparta. The book is absolutely chock-full of interesting events, culture, and perspectives that are either long gone ("Until their fifth year they are not allowed to come into the sight of their father, but pass their lives with the women. This is done that, if the child die young, the father may not be inflicted by its loss"), or just as true today, 2000+ years later ("No one is so foolish as to prefer war to peace, in which, instead of sons burying their fathers, fathers bury their sons.") It's hard to do the book justice in a review; as I flip through it there is just way too much to extract. The section on Egypt with accounts of the building of the pyramids and mummification was wonderful, as were the classic stories of the Persian invasions into Greece. By the way, forget the awful movie "300" which tells of Thermopylae, read Herodotus!Many have drawn attention to the fact that in some cases the "History" provided is almost certainly not factual and plays between reality and lore. Herodotus is often criticized for this but I found the book all the more interesting as a result. To those who would harp on this point, I would recall Mark Twain's comment about history and question how much else of what we read as "history" is a truly objective recounting of events. :-) I am also reminded of a coincidence that occurred as I read Herodotus for the first time: I came across an article in Time Magazine that explained the discovery of the giant gold-digging "ants" he described in modern-day Pakistan, which turned out to be marmots, and indeed burrowed in gold-bearing soil. The translation by Rawlinson is superb, as are the footnotes provided with the text. I highly recommend this particular version of the "The Histories". One quote for the road; Xerxes while watching his massive army on the move: "'There came upon me', replied he, ' a sudden pity, when I thought of the shortness of man's life, and considered that of all this host, so numerous as it is, not one will be alive when a hundred years are gone by.'"

[thewasp_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book deserves "5 stars" for its historical importance. Unfortunately, my knowledge of this period is minimal and I often lost the thread of the narrative - this was not helped by Herodotus's fondness for digression. While some parts were a slog . ALL THOSE NAMES . Much was very interesting, although sometimes incredulous.

[hhornblower_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun, highly readable translation of a hugely historical work. It really made the world of over 2,000 years ago come alive. That being said, this isn't a book you burn through in a day or two. I'm a slow reader to begin with, but this took awhile to get through, referencing the copious notes and many pages of maps does slow one down.

[paulagraph · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It took me a long time to get around to reading Herodotus (over 15 years) & a long time to read him once I did. Writing in the 5th century BC, Herodotus set the tone for much of Western history writing afterwards. Like that of the epic poets, his chronicle chiefly concerns rulers & wars. That said there are many interesting, even amusing, digressions regarding local customs, religious practices, gender relations, etc. For the lay reader (one with no particular knowledge of Western antiquity)confusion will reign in regards to names, locations & dates. Like its 20th century offspring, 100 Years of Solitude, names repeat over generations. We are talking sons of sons, etc. Sometimes Herodotus recites genealogies in a manner reminiscent of Genesis. There will be a place & a progenitor (sometimes that will be a god or human who consorts with a god). As for location, trying to pin down exactly what Greece might be is quite difficult as it seems to be a moving target depending on which city or island is in or out of the confederacy at any given time or depending on whether you are talking about Greeks as an ethnic group or as a political one. The maps included at the beginning of the Penguin Classics edition are only mildly helpful. I would have loved to be able to superimpose modern maps onto ancient ones & vice versa. Just getting a grip on what is Africa (not called such by Herodotus, but rather Egypt,Libya & Ethiopia/ Kush), what is Europe (the Bosphorus is key, although at times Europe seems to be elsewhere than Greece)& what is Asia (perhaps one of the reasons it is hard to get a grip on where Greece is is that Greeks are established also in Western Asia, in what we now call Sicily & southern Italy, as well as North Africa). In short there was a whole lot of mixing going on. A few things that I found quite remarkable in light of modern history are as follows: Herodotus never mentions race as we know it & only very rarely skin color or hair texture (& when he does it is primarily to note that the Ethiopians were considered to be the most perfect physical specimens of the human race, as well as the longest lived); Herodotus never mentions the Jews at all, whether as inhabitants of Judea or elsewhere, although Jews certainly were part of the Ancient World that he writes about-he does mention Palestine, but the Phoenicians & Assyrians seem to have been the most important players on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean ; although females are generally regarded as property throughout the world Herodotus reports on, some do have power & influence & occasionally, as in the case of the naval commander Artemesia, male positions. When women do assume gender-proscribed roles, Herodotus takes that in stride, as if it's to be expected & lauded, all the while the norm remains otherwise. Most of The Histories is taken up with the rise of the Persian Empire from Cyrus through Xerxes, along with some history of Egypt up until the defeat of Egypt by Cambyses in 525 when Egypt fell under Persian power. The book ends with the defeat of Xerxes by the Greeks (Athenians, Spartans & Allies)in 478.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These are the reasons for the Persian invasions of Greece, in 490 and 481 -79 BCE, and the methods used to defeat them. A good deal about the Persians, not many Greeks being mentioned by name.Herodotus probably died about 429 BCE. He was a believer in setting out the evidence for a disputed point in the text, and sometimes left the reader little doubt as to which version of the facts he preferred. His account demonstrates an early stage in the development of historical methodology, and we are certainly much in his debt for his methods. I think he was the "Father of history" for his courage in placing alternatives before his readers.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found this interesting and amusing to read, but by the time I reached Book Six, I was finished. Not being a scholar, I feel no compulsion to finish, having read enough to know who Herodotus was, how he wrote and what he wrote about. At this point in my life, I believe I would prefer a straight forward history with lots of photographs and detailed maps.

[saturnloft · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Written in the 5th century BC, this is a fascinating snapshot of ancient Greek life and beliefs. Herodotus's narrative of the Persian War and the famous Spartan stand at Thermopylae are worth the price of admission alone, but where he really shines is in his many passages of sheer made up nonsense. For instance: his description of the hippopotamus - highly creative, highly wrong. Also, his ideas about the practices of other cultures are fairly ridiculous in some places, but this is what makes it so fun. He must have been a real hoot to hang out with, the kind of fellow who told fireside tales that kept listeners hanging on every improbable word."And there are these flying snakes, right?"Right, Herodotus, right.

[datrappert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My Barnes & Noble edition read well and I soon sunk into the magic of Herodotus's history of the Persian Wars (and whatever else was on his mind!) A better read than Thucydides.

[rboyechko_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Definitely a must read for anyone interested in ancient history. There is no doubt that much of the book is fiction, yet it's great for what it is.

[riskedom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I suppose we don't need another review of such a well known work, but since I just finished rereading it I thought I might put down some thoughts. For one, here is a book whose tangents tend to be its most redeeming qualities. Everytime Herodotus goes off storyline, my mind gets more engaged rather than less engaged. This I find to be quite a unique feature. A condensed version of Herodotus, say with only main points about the rise of the Persian Empire and the Persian War would be not nearly as interesting and possibly not worth rereading unless you were a professional historian.

[thrama_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

for many years, this has been my bedside book; I could always pick it up and read a story or two at random when I woke in the night. It is full of wonderful stories. I am now using Ammianus in much the same way; his is a little more serious but with robin seager's studies on the side, Ammianus doesn't need to be read strictly in order in the usual way. At any rate, I find it more fun this way.

[tara714 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a really great read! I don't know if it was the translation and the way Herodotus actually wrote, but it felt like he was there having a conversation with you. A must read for anyone interested in ancient history, especially the persian conquests. Word of advice though, read the notes as you are reading the book. I didn't do that, but I wish I did. Next time I read it I will.

[fearless2012 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is often said that Herodotus is more pleasant to read than Thucydides, but I find that Herodotus is *only* pleasant compared to Thucydides. (7/10)

[beholderess · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Herodotus paints a fascinating picture of the ancient world - full of colour and wonder. His wild (and I mean wild) inaccuracies only make him more enjoyable to read.

[mkfs-354306 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Strangely compelling, for ancient history -- especially in this (de Selincourt) translation.

[maxernst11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Knap historisch document.Inhoudelijk evenwichtige verdeling tussen actie en beschou?wing, maar met wel lange aanloop. In de compositie zitten soms vele, storende flashbacks en uitweidingen over allerlei details. Causaliteit: de grote mannen en hun hebzucht, eerzucht, moed en opoffering, maar ook dromen (voorspellende waarde), orakels (komen steeds uit), en ingrijpen van "God" (op 2-tal plaatsen als zeer ree?l omschreven, elders gesuggereerd). Het lot is op de achtergrond aanwezig, maar niet uitgesproken.Opmerkelijk is de licht bewonderende ondertoon bij de beschrijving van de verrichtingen van de Perzen, cfr vooral Cyrus; de Ioni?rs worden daarentegen als regelrecht uitschot omschreven, de Atheners zijn maar zo zo; over Sparta blijft Herodotus neutraal.