Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    THE HISTORIES
    THE HISTORIES
    THE HISTORIES
    Ebook1,024 pages18 hours

    THE HISTORIES

    By Herodotus

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    This eBook edition of Herodotus' Histories has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices.
    The Histories of Herodotus is one of the first accounts of the rise of the Persian Empire, as well as the events and causes of the Greco-Persian Wars between the Achaemenid Empire and the Greek city-states in the 5th century BC. Herodotus portrays the conflict as one between the forces of slavery (the Persians) on the one hand, and freedom (the Athenians and the confederacy of Greek city-states which united against the invaders) on the other. The Histories is now considered the founding work of history in Western literature. Written in 440 BC in the Ionic dialect of classical Greek, The Histories serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that were known in Western Asia, Northern Africa and Greece at that time. Although not a fully impartial record, it remains one of the West's most important sources regarding these affairs.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMusaicum Books
    Release dateNov 2, 2018
    ISBN9788027244546
    THE HISTORIES
    Author

    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.

    Read more from Herodotus

    Related authors

    Related to THE HISTORIES

    Related ebooks

    Ancient History For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Alchemy enters Europe

      Feb 28, 2020

      Alchemy enters Europe
      5 min read

    • Article

      Marks of Significance: On Punctuation’s Occult Power

      Jul 31, 2019

      The manipulation of the odd symbols we call letters and punctuation lend themselves to the discovery of greater truths, guideposts to a type of paradise. The post Marks of Significance: On Punctuation’s Occult Power appeared first on The Millions.

      11 min read

    • Article

      Reading Ancient Texts

      Oct 19, 2021

      It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the nameless medieval scribes who copied ancient texts and made sure they survived. However, these unsung heroes were only human. They made mistakes and copied only texts they believed to be useful.

      4 min read

    • Article

      Top 10 Books About Online: An Excerpt from ‘Attention: Dispatches from a Land of Distraction’

      Aug 13, 2018

      1. The Catalog of Nibru (Various, circa 21st to 20th Centuries B.C.) I, the king, was a hero already in the womb I am a king treated with respect Not only did the lord make the world appear in its correct form Lady of all the divine powers These line

      8 min read

    • Article

      A Textual Pompeii

      Jan 23, 2023

      A Textual Pompeii
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Big Idea: Could The Greatest Works Of Literature Be Undiscovered?

      May 30, 2022

      When the great library at Alexandria went up in flames, it is said that the books took six months to burn. We can’t know if this is true. Exactly how the library met its end, and whether it even existed, have been subjects of speculation for more tha

      4 min read

    • Article

      Book Reviews

      Aug 24, 2021

      By James M. Banner, Jr. ISBN: 978-0300238457 Yale University Press (2021) - $28.00 www.yalebooks.yale.edu Historians examine their subjects with respect to their political leanings, or themes such as colonialism, resistance, race, sexual orientation,

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Leiden Amun Papyrus

      Aug 22, 2022

      The Leiden Amun Papyrus
      5 min read

    • Article

      Introduction To Papyri: A Study In Six Examples

      Oct 19, 2021

      Our first example comes from the Egyptian town of Hermopolis and contains the myth of the battle between the gods Horus and Seth, a story we know primarily thanks to papyri. This fragment is not written in hieroglyphs. That script was designed for in

      2 min read

    • Article

      Classical Corner

      Feb 25, 2021

      Classical Corner
      3 min read

    • Article

      Post-colonial Bad Jokes

      Mar 25, 2021

      Post-colonial Bad Jokes
      5 min read

    • Article

      Chronology Matters

      May 30, 2022

      DATING ANCIENT PAPYRI To understand why dating a papyrus is important, it is useful to consider why we are studying antiquity at all. Of course, the main reason is because there is so much to be amazed about, so much to enjoy. There’s nothing wrong w

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Tantalizing Promise

      Aug 4, 2023

      A Tantalizing Promise
      4 min read

    • Article

      Michael Wood On…

      Apr 11, 2024

      I MET UP WITH A CHINESE FRIEND THE OTHER day at the British Library. What better place to reflect on human history as told through its literature? From Michelangelo and Leonardo, to the Ma'il Qur'an and the Codex Sinaiticus; from Jane Austen and Geor

      2 min read

    • Article

      Was Arthur historical?

      Dec 3, 2020

      Man or Myth Tony Sullivan Pen & Sword 2020 Hb, 246pp, £19.99, ISBN 9781526763679 Perhaps no figure blurs the line between myth and history as much as King Arthur. Was there an historical Arthur, and if so how much does he resemble his literary counte

      8 min read

    • Article

      Why The Rosetta Stone Initially Stumped Linguists

      Oct 25, 2021

      While the stone’s discovery was monumental, it originally provided linguists with more questions than answers.

      2 min read

    • Article

      The State Of It

      Sep 12, 2021

      The State Of It
      6 min read

    • Article

      Legends And Pseudonyms

      Feb 28, 2020

      One of the joys of being a writer is seeing your name in print (see my own humble byline above) yet in the past many authors of alchemical texts hid their identity behind pseudonyms. Were these noms de plume a method of concealment or conceit? As wit

      5 min read

    • Article

      The State Of It

      Sep 12, 2021

      The State Of It
      6 min read

    • Article

      Across The Wine-dark Sea

      Nov 23, 2021

      Across The Wine-dark Sea
      6 min read

    • Article

      Henry Vaughan’s Eternal Alchemy

      Apr 16, 2021

      What faith teaches is that we're all exiles from that Zion that is eternity, to which we shall one day return. What Vaughan understands is that if we seek eternity, it is now. The post Henry Vaughan’s Eternal Alchemy appeared first on The Millions.

      9 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for THE HISTORIES

    4/5

    1,009 ratings34 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      Strangely compelling, for ancient history -- especially in this (de Selincourt) translation.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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".
    • 4/5
      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!
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Who am I to write a review of Herodotus’ The Histories? I am not a classicist, a historian, or a scholar. I wouldn’t know the difference between translations, which one is “most true” to the original, which one provides the most accurate analysis of the texts and its accuracies and inaccuracies. So, I have decided that the only way I could review this book is to express how readable it is for a non-scholar who wants to read one of the most ancient of histories, of a time and place far removed from our own, about alien cultures and beliefs, and a complicated war between the ancient Greeks and Persians. The only reason I read this version is that when I mentioned to my brother once that I had never really read any of the Greek historians, he said I had to read this one and then loaned me his copy. It took me a couple of years, but I finally got around to it. And I found that what he told me is true. The Histories is extremely readable and interesting. Herodotus spent a lot of time giving a background of the conflict, and mixes the historical with what we would call the mystical or fantastic. A lot of time is spent describing the cultures of the Egyptians, the Persians, and the various Greek city-states. If I forgot the significance of a name, I could just look him (rarely a her) in the index, where a short description could be found. If I became confused about where the Thracians were from, I could look at several helpful maps in the back.There were several times that I became overwhelmed by the details (I guess I didn’t appreciate knowing what colors and costumes each people wore during battles). I also had difficulty following from one battle to another, but I’m not sure if that was the fault of the text.I therefore recommend this for the casual, armchair historian who just wants to learn more about the ancient Greeks while reading a good story. I suspect the book would also work for the more serious scholar who wants to study the text.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Herodotus was hailed as "The Father of History" by Cicero; To me, he might as well be the Father of Humanism.

      I've read a few war epics, Homer's Iliad, Hugo's Les Misérables and Tolstoy's War and Peace, The Histories excels them all in terms of scope, structure, richness of content, intricacy and theatrical grandeur. The main theme / storyline is the Persian Wars, i.e., the conflicts between the Persian Empire and Greek nations, culminating in the invasion of Greece by Xerces I; the underlying theme is the struggle between tyranny and freedom, between the inexorability of fate and the triumph of the human spirit.

      Like threads in a beautiful Persian tapestry, Herodotus weaves together numerous elements in his narratives, the histories and geographies of the many nations in Asia and Europe, the customs, cultures and achievements of the peoples, the remarkable characters and lives of individuals, and the oracles foreshadowing their fates, from kings to slaves, heroes and thieves, men, women and children, their words and deeds all distinct and memorable.

      Some accused Herodotus of making up fanciful stories rather than recording the facts. I'm reminded of Thomas Mann's comment on War and Peace, "Seldom did art work so much like nature; its immediate, natural power is only another manifestation of nature itself; " If the best art is but a manifestation or imitation of nature, why make up stories when the facts themselves are much more wondrous and glorious?

      You live many lives when you read this book. A masterpiece.


    • 4/5
      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
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
       I loved this, it kept me gripped right the way through the 4 volume edition I borrowed from the library. He sets out to tell the history for the Persian wars, only he gets a bit sidetracked! Takes a whole book to describe Egypt, for example. Full of action, fine descriptions of places and tells tales. And he's so interested in anything and everything that it is full of little details, a real magpie of a mind at work. I can quite see how he comes to be called the father of history and the first writer of literature, because this doesn't actually fall into either category neatly - it is probably best described as a history embroidered with literature. It isn't all entirely factual, the men with eyes in their chests probably never existed, except in heresay, but that's how he gained his information - visit places and ask everyone about what's just over the horizon.
    • 3/5
      Most interesting I think if read as an originating piece of the theory of historiography, or as a divergent theory of historiography.
    • 5/5
      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.'"
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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)
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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.

    Book preview

    THE HISTORIES - Herodotus

    #cbook_preview_excerpt.htmlݮ$ױ&*e_5>$[@RԐq`eUeUvVf1vt%af1/ >th(-|}k[{We+V~?8 }wӏ>}W?;.~wG?uiU_}wSM}tc8/j՗4TVSwdnf\m{{N`> o˓it.U{8lu5ۣ-T͈)Cs=v=6ƎVc{ٮ.C3%mwccol6}{}nVաgW9fhw8qco|L<(bJ[ ǪO#VaƀZ;r붚G1d)~cvWĥ۝h ^KFQc1?fƑ}z-1VMw|e?nN_uqÿGư}[S'yhN̈́uDmk{g9g1zW[;f4rpA] %6_!sb|R^Z{u(zpiwh6Հ'qv_Wdlʄz8`|nXl۷&ވK%6.~q>25》a %͓\:pO=]oWiJh(d­׻xQ=M^~;|^C6V:vS5ڑQl C{9c^j{9Fjϓ-~[Qm'4h [oBؙ-CZmikgzٝd/$ #ҦnM_w_i-=_v fb5>t2Ib %fIQ \&vr[ZhcOk.GsLMT̓[ui#=58UP5-k_?>)(A<^h]&jj0#X۾\<\fg6nd}o30u;Q&Gƭo5 4&->_v2=>j"u) ׸wwySg:Rش^LJv;4 թ(NW4>dVrfaV)V:Z;议[hg3ؚ}U;B/:57ӈ<;.l:XF5S|8 ft%tM1M*)ti擘)II*]4 0Ct-I-t$_LCu>j3"Q./!_ܭ.<YB"3_Ɗ l?&w_m~ATp74<8[`QH:B53[4 _7NG]Y㹅q؜EIڌs5iU_ktK_,d%6fsA,jM743T)<쁽VjX;i H.ym80]scdB6$ Fxi⠎ ukw |ɐCcYC5!Ba?z88SCFKKeTf]R}]?bd)*3ӵuN`/ƕ8c0Z)d0oVu.Kșq)/ e4NA%2;]TDxHa=lIf·pZPkh[t>5pcotEA4nƷVlc` )kr}dJֲEN{fo4#[ G9PT"b?)f4fk,6SxȟPNUv#韊3Q7H-8p⑴NǤ}0bx#& 5Ģ}m6'LX )PgMCBG#D:n z_}^2|EPin{7|Ϳ~_33YNdW?Ai&k~[} 7˿Ow?X`?.GF?P|;ﭾ_~C?gؿ}?;+mXW;fڔMM5UzUߙS1a_m-"v9m__y_>|7iC&9RRu&;?Q]%ߪBܬ!i=r!$]sk܅|T BXpzqweᔎՃ$uqF{KkBnRP0>}(m*?n1O"# W0#yMZCe~\J]ݸlM]'R2COeciM`Lsy><$ܲy0jV\5)AeO9-Zfj@R~rTR'ױ:#؀C_Uj>&~b;0l_} nBlrt9H|ȳm+YZק͍7]CqfA-^j+T~R7v 8T`S:G/X|JUV…^+T)HUƺ"l{{tCeк2g/>Wځ5R>ݮ1zQ8W; LBW!lL/>4ƴa, Ь~M Qį9Axt~ii쌧+Ltl0U[Ed+cKv53Q\JvCu#O[V(O! :%;ѣ^* cq䜌F *Eٮ`{"]u49λl (EXjAy2 ڤii muٷPn{Qk޼^|pV 3[X:|]#b72QKEn=Г蚸ŗ:%& &X}(!r\c YJ,c`ŠmrF!_ۅ6 ڤ{ ׁB%D$^?|#N;Hv.a=vL3A?g—.(t QB A\!-ՇaZ(*!@QżwSmJ*#m!2l b}PW:tb2FBjKtX+fҶ~?1iUĺNQZnI1:CXo|/%mZƾCP@sb11c|{f\>H=y>ĺ]OCc $Aw\Cs4#f'f(MB>4} 1(I!TJsxuLERkjxrPews1E|\i|!xZ+acȄT`(ݱ72FM"yaɁz:7>4ibGPWt7f&(R`) idްQY<, AmvAɲ:r(0]4_`V9ƴKy:k%` 5)0kqͮLLOH|mZgB+"Lls arr^ono~zFz5a8zV;HmQD&L?lz ;|hjCICd|].>k]݂ы,>O$֢;nJl|M7hM*`Imol$I>eI$kwmIuhTXǶ F:X#O՘څe P ٕpgxNRm7⻾O-HiVdŠnm 8y QMtFś<,^eB;O1Yn_[.q'? 7X,sFS@H!&sW} SC1<. v&&}lPoanse){Y@j&maȮMa@'|fhD.G>҆"s!VSxhq)oK+=mhۊ"Oo/];e9NX¨v >ۉΛ\R{$hA0XSUE'.7)ƈsQ8>_D5 jU5ޔ{~Ht%D Puù-ɖVSius =KHJK)dJw+l!򝼕 wRUFV{#TkWvNn;;~2gdշהcٹMoۺUMeT'Tss|UϯsIEQ}lS̚pģV]U@K~n_S&; "?no~-D)GVjptSHg[1=eayyp.Dx_hZBd%ZS~14o^Te ^IckBC3TVPT9 vɍfߠwvzR.o'Kmt-SY//{q2k9^~K%+սS*xz;<%U=҄)uB fR:fbꁙI5_Z1 W^r49unLdZ<6)‡x@>/U=aHQ,@ZUԫپFɴd ՜?͆=jH9@9LZ*-s 2:6iZ/K.$.@i뇟(mXٜqdI<99y6=5z#- ף:O5UĶA_!_a K꿊*/[Bkv+<}c!.ԙBm?6+zV_0b{Ҍbج>/mNYbF @=PxyX4UoصpEm(v_"]2.x N,6)K&$ ٨WLa͎-L3xv *T4jTW\d,ε%I{?=Tl# ]xP7+_ČDZ'[?UUŧq&O֎<)=XbT HGY:МJ|@c QJA1cVShC@Dtt#at/T!a8;DOt] =Ҩ~ uKJEKHM3y&; s`h6steo`̳TGjX2;"$Qfbjߜ vh8 6D_}t gڹ wQ!l$gX,0BKazJZ +6"#.X@!c;=:` 31L^D{U:P](JTfVAP thJO%).m!ėR]⾳Xi>1q"27Q߿.8 #m8p8"΁_}/]ž|>S-9ӅdmڡaCK'Lʤd3]SJH6츔JBw2/jFH!V.<|}$6ܓ{Y{ n8pvgAm̫JBVŽsuky]#BnM@SKR%dHtӀ)- /xC`ⲼHI{,/R~nBP[Ĺ*sW]D}eP5Z;F`z~L(H S`u/N%Q'BM!}'z@qP?kO K0i\<]H9')LhqL͆RI%]RBhWDyC23qfWAy>:s!elCiu.Oyt]}nlH9Dg!)[HA .([\[g k^ȭ8:|_o6)DlL V;bɑsP/umF!K-leJT!(!P=]1֗l:}#q bx~2= +xN!Z"W AcCo!;[엫wޣ^DC?`3HD2x6i j 01Sk>[@#due l+M3޻.pl66_(jǺ/m\V]蚑>=ϱI=D9d:AqR{Cug0"/Jf-eΓσl=׃pw%6V-CT$UkVL#+Lvھ6ՏȒ"3y`. ="ۭzOu6C":l_8pb /,[ Y(,r@qa9}7 yPrƟ* ,Aܖ_g7_UMB*4RJh 77kgݝ\oݨOaα"xmQK =H #)ٞtMcVprXOۣ@X &3]X>4n5mm4g)'GsҢKLwwjU^@Cre!?qSF1W+ҿz|5_7svbzuaVRr0j *ꪊW<9]!AMkaO)gNrZr0B}+"T^kmi u,Jncehl6(@Hf"؛UXjJ *C+el~Lc{bs)I>6Z;E PZ̑IUlzPSvݽ,C []Bf xm #vU4 hitSd!|uJ. ǐsꇣ`B=eR 7;_cDKd%݊;VG6;6E۫ucS* u{_D9JQ'gVH} Au'|9U.1x`~xOM9#$̨ A$h)3N))5X8k+&y#OOFK{}XSvRObT/#QW;z#oE\;z"7EksxezB7+t6 >+l~ P 6yE:5p^r!|B6tK ס:m/lBQ`y WOIE*ANڋ~͑FEYAyXa7Le6unсi:aT2'*g/0ay?yGHy_믒os^rE4'TJ63ZrmR,ש[F0{uA#ĒQC7*fLLks`B]1O9vu@I4Lg;ӯLŋ2m+ԁK=r3ָE5ghIa9/.8chkq"!͑c.+٪s1}3Ft4Wd0dYjv.w74OcJFup=OTxcbU;烝2hGG1u/zEjG #]8bI'XR7٤d:=n˜2q-IG{nF=< CG?bg3/j{7 ɚMai\JEr!Ug3m"or'Kx2X)bDz?ӈGI5V{ԟ k] X,, Hj{9P>ᴀ`b c5֦[ɕxl!\CՋ8^fD7=bmE͌KyU\aUt86a|VcK'R捆aiqn啣Ý;e/ap$\ h' ';foHz12r&φ뷔it8ܠȬDL3Z 76*kDp|Ի"S"yj1IX9G蛶39v<_WZa47u"{{>v2%KR )}0d,sv4H-9c@L\Aqg^W$7h޴96a }49#Z"`z A>4u>VDӓO2{2RiA? J7olԝ ؠR"L#2EselYE2mV$}r3TT/n %03:oB9`2ۛO9K#mY-; 67.$uQdCbҏQ?QtqZ7ȥh PDo4p6}Q~rmzZ]13>I"&Ep!ẹ*ӷ/aa~a8 J~z*z0;9E3dˇBԮWyp+ЂxQNx6%>UVDԻ-=*ȟڃya/F~LI]"r1k֧3\Q&2c1wI7!CǹG̍cbC\}!a\R)hN<9=n.f ް9œ\ŏN|Elv1fVzx=+U]߬͒o)dv|sG zKMOxmwջ?= 1[n.4 -r)M#gڤ V!R|BG1PSE~ޮXL__,LYf)9HQm"W>SfpwеEj[6?&7v,ʪ} i>+z%C@tiN_n:u&o%X"dkԼAw%mv:&b0Na$_H+G"<{ ,@q#wko蟊.NbbM9'VE]RBǤUJK4\!Zu YZJGyՇ. EA[S]# }짋i7[%J= Usv,/(d*ק"|iN˖ŢZ`K"& SygN{{SvAa>[4kb*VU48YjqV]4R[\iѦbR3n!;a}6\eQ8M]\F"{+`761 "CG48o}YK5%T@ na]i Gy$m{s$/{ X:#ho/{`?.z}!e5^֥Rq\[A:u$?tg=I-`|!>dF8lb5!νNJơ%6͊|A /.5/4Ozx-Vj v!hh50#5-͛xھOlP$-Leq^ R%}mƞ9]?G ?ŔCKҲ!SH2cSEy@NFN%DPWc: v4gXpGn , &_*"C7yh>KyyMG"FXsAϺ'jjMʧ¼C0NHKVAԟ44y?zMnTp@YE7_1P.0d䭼CvLcp CO5 F~4B~n;y("&w6Eg1Ƣa76ՐrX) tY5 0={ؽn/ڊM7y[9I;6S>!!}T5믿 MYtz][}k0!ikkwwMiO ۲B JXD}:&ƗMcV#ldI8h4'ee 3NSP }_Q0A}'DI4C@,}%f&CktN:~\7‹A=صpldƬ۲|bĐsCu-{0'V}S6{Lj 4 )ړZyaX֐bޱ4=_Wn8JFylLJr%U2KBew}^L3BiEsHCS߅#dd 8*ra)^3"BC)՜ >3Dd0)yȑ-o5cC桰5m}Jzuma!/@9@uЧ=ZY6!c( )_Ƙ u)`t$vXnl/ %D3N[4({T; mъ 0o8 ^ W9旔mmLԒ^+G9 .R8ё!4Ϝi]ƸGwsT@9^ה֪vxbmt_2*)xӼ%)g4ޫ>:}N{Q WU㌎"dU6z'!rsq1"qlz͎8*1IAV}?Hx:Miʹz:R |.Xd"HPx[fZڇ!C{;k1 ư hYҽao\Dsy̠mG>qh!׈) yO'/E€M7_3L 7\Q| \u]4=07*GVrAZ^ni}~1,MHۣ_^rT^.N 3Xt]G*7m=իLvh%GKm/|c?CLQE#}fFeKFeTW{aidIP`hG&g-'%9(nogL|Nl`Mr#x>~{nxޔ>LňcRj&S08`owQͤi\^"~=hEY#P3xmj.O oѮF:pt6{dVRbVV 'h}NI,r%@1AҮy1ڌqQ JpWFnzt!#EV*|v9p}2HM*;ߎ|,F'9T* o +B;7F&݄.@Auw`DM>!OӨ( ҪB%{ D*/}9;@tNL+0ScZIJ .9<K?✢P2y+NIbu\4=s`[>>c}Jce I +!M*a,% ^sە xN[J2^׹UJAζ⨕n+O3:;pN1xaҧGG<9I"$v Lh = T oɕ!=ca(ν)# Ί##wYDzem3xzxꃻ}(М"W@~fin BtOy|+0,KDjU]OWj'JK$QsvR\B+sҴR`#jۻW#qnCnu 3<59U FP߹ackx= ŰE>U0bɏg"k0JY/ DΏs I煳RI~9 wl|5sfFS|щNau8P"goG:rg|x٧(:^. 'UE+34ˈ_nbjc^G.zPW.=yC{N8nJR0o&XS?^\ozOZMx^ yoBR! c\U5i$ uFZl0*VZȐ ظ"lԍZl8s^:e+D}g9HSDǭue=[rPip?1Jc61%o,}$|~YؕS'iˑ"RW=6b}<"Nlk:*gn4ll&W"AXKUR"lQX>kR3ckbGZ\4aT K:h]p+F~'`lSpN{GrzVWYo6tSbnؕg3Lgj؋}jƑقj:˨Qo$K7 pmɮBV >7|_{]ۋ1<9`$55ZXwg+f5f.- :+z,a}=耙p2^ؓ=X=~>Ј'`$482/BQ-}|gdPBf1O{qR H)XP_~q=(O)OϡmTx7 \4 WSZKxwc v]:ErPB¬&0sh$<4;aemb5-1ײ{Mλ=L)E1|JͿ"8\!7!2;TeOX0~0kͰmc{C[i@j{^JgB /80ʄjR0zJv\?((_qCȋkQUVi~dIiD, GE&7/eİC]dl_MY_z`.%Vg^-- hsCY N$c*jPx/h+ޅ ?2;(1a;}7 k]qJ=Ns>(K9J_W6?-g0BTa{bz/6$X?wl1ػr_yw ?rs4xE/}Nk}u.3F%|ɢ RnhRTUDs4;9lVPv)ω0̝ihx:I"exډyWU2EL4{w @IP[LqKSDKqwOJG+eRefSR6Ws%ZPp Q{[.MH yT y8ӕeűhr;?NIO/xtQOhQy=+c"r{r喗Ω7z P ϓxG;eq3K.6~gܻl;|^p1;Y{9t,Zzei_6kN)a"SQ,`gS5>cg~z_jeYSCrOj"26P+=Ti07|5Q̐)x} K+_
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1