Stories from Herodotus

By Lorna Oakes

This beautiful children's book retells the stories of the ancient world and brings history to life.

Herodotus wrote the first history book in the world. That is why he is sometimes called the ‘Father of History’. He lived about 2,500 years ago, and was born at a place called Halicarnassu

• Language: English
• Publisher: Claret Press
• Release date: Feb 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781910461006

Lorna Oakes

Lorna Oakes was a lecturer in Egyptology at Birkbeck College. As a Specialist Assistant in the Education Service of the British Museum, Lorna has also delivered numerous lectures on ancient Egypt and the Near East in the museum's public gallery talks programme. For almost thirty years she has led small group study tours to Egypt, Syria, China and Tibet.

Book preview

Stories from Herodotus

by Lorna Oakes

Herodotus wrote the first history book in the world. That is why he is sometimes called the ‘Father of History’. He lived about 2,500 years ago in the fifth century BC. He was born at a place called Halicarnassus in Asia Minor. The modern names for these places are Bodrum in Turkey. Herodotus was a keen traveller who went all over the ancient world and was interested in everything he saw and heard. When he came back from his travels he went to Athens in Greece and gave lectures about the places he had visited. Finally he decided to write a book about them. In the later part of his life he went to Italy where he did more work on his book and finally died there in 425 BC.

His stories are so gripping that even today people are retelling them. In 2007, Hollywood made the blockbuster movie, 300, about King Leonidas and the battle of Thermopylae.

The stories in this book are appropriate to Key Stage 2 National Curriculum. However, children of all ages will revel in their timeless appeal and cultural value.

About Lorna Oakes

After reading for a degree in Ancient History at UCL, Lorna Oakes taught Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern topics at Birkbeck College, University of London. As a Special Assistant at the British Museum she has frequently taken part in its programme of gallery talks. She has led many successful tours to Egypt, Syria, China and Tibet.

Her publications include Sacred Sites of Ancient Egypt; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pyramids, Temples and Tombs of Ancient Egypt; and Temtples and Sacred Sites of Ancient Egypt. She also produced a children’s activity book for the British Museum as well as several trails and a teacher’s guide for schools-use in the Assyrian galleries.

For Bernard, Laura and Max, my grandchildren

Herodotus’ map 400 BC

CONTENTS

PART ONE

KING CROESUS OF LYDIA

The story of Croesus and Solon

Croesus’ dream

Croesus and the Oracle at Delphi

The battle for Sardis

Croesus and Cyrus

PART TWO

The Story of Cyrus

PART THREE

HERODOTUS IN EGYPT

Cheops and the Great Pyramid

How Psammeticus became king

Arpies and Amasis

PART FOUR

GREEKS AND PERSIANS

Polycrates, ruler of Samos

Democedes, the famous doctor of Crotona

Darius and the Greeks

Xerxes and the ghost

Xerxes’ invasion of Greece

Leonidas and the battle for Thermopylae

The battle for Athens

PART ONE

KING CROESUS OF LYDIA

The Story of Croesus and Solon

Many years ago there lived a king called Croesus. He was king of Lydia which was part of the country we call Turkey today. His capital city was called Sardis. He was a very strong king and conquered all the lands round about until he had built up a mighty empire. Lydia became a very rich and powerful place and Sardis was such an important city that famous people from all over the ancient world came to visit it.

One of the first was Solon. He was a famous teacher from Athens. Because he was so wise the people of Athens had asked him to make them a set of laws. Then he went away for ten years so they could try them out. First he went to visit King Amasis in Egypt and then he came to Sardis to see Croesus. Croesus welcomed him warmly and entertained him lavishly. Three or four days after his arrival Croesus told his servants to take Solon on a conducted tour of the palace so he could impress him with its splendour and richness.

‘Well,’ said Croesus some time later, ‘I’ve heard a great deal about how clever you are and the new laws that you’ve drawn up for the people of Athens. Wise as you obviously are, I am sure you won’t have any trouble at all in answering a simple question.’

‘What do you want to know?’ asked Solon. ‘I’ll give you an answer if I can.’

‘Just a little thing really,’ said the king. ‘Who is the happiest man you have ever known?’ Croesus had only asked him that because he thought Solon would say that he was!

Solon, however, refused to flatter him and replied, ‘A man of Athens called Tellus.’

Croesus was very put out at this and asked him sharply, ‘O yes, and what made you choose him?’

‘There are several good reasons,’ Solon answered. ‘First of all he lived in a prosperous city, then he had fine sons and grandsons and lived to see them all grow up. He had