Herodotus' "Histories"

[Rane Longfox]

I have had a copy of Histories staring at my accusingly from my bookshelf for ages. I'm quite interested in the ancient world he presents, though I would be the first to admit I don't know much about it. Is it possible to read it stright through, as a book, or is it more of a reference source for flciking through when you need to know something?

 

[Blue Mythril]

I personally have never tried to read straight through it as a book, though I'm sure it could be done. My step-dad tried it thoguh and lost interest. I've always looked at the sections relevant to a particular point in history or concept and find Herodotus to be of great interest because his work is very much a narrative, he's a great story-teller. In fact, my Mum argues that he shouldn't be called the first Historian but the first journalist

 

[littlemissattitude]

Or maybe the first tabloid journalist? I mean, Herodotus wasn't exactly into fact-checking. Although I have heard that he is more accurate in some things that he is often given credit for. Anyway, as for reading him straight through - I suppose it could be done, but I haven't. I did enjoy reading passages, though, when they were assigned in my ancient Greek history class at university.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I've read Herodotus, and frankly found it boring! The problem may have been that I tried to read it as a first-hand hstorical source for the Greek-Persian war - when what it actually is a long and roundabout discussion of Greek and Persian historical lore, stuffed with tall tales and anecdotes.

Don't get me wrong, there are some superb nuggets of information in there, but the whole book came across to myself as a little rambling.

It's probably worth reading on the merit of the fact that someone tried to compile a lot of information and history of the world from a comtemporaneous ancient historical perspective.

However, it doesn't really read like either a novel or a focused historical account in the same way as Thucydides, Xenophon, Tacitus, Suetonious, or Josephus.

 

[Rane Longfox]

Thanks guys I think I'll just read a little bit first and see if its worth carrying on. Guess it won't be a problem to just leave it for a week or so if I want to read something else, which is good

 

[Blue Mythril]

If that doesn't work just flick through the index for a topic of interest

 

[Stalker]

Herodotus writes stories that sometimes are confusing, or when he starts enumerating various tribes and peoples and their ancestors, and the ancestors of their ancestors, attributing all legendary qualities to them one can find only in the myths, you may grow even more lost and confused.

However, I you are interested in a particular period of history before 5th century, Herodotus is probably the only man who can telly a genuine story in the end.

 

[BAYLOR]

He liked to tell stories . He was known being inaccurate and fanciful on a number of things. For examples, the building of the Pyramids according to him it was Slave labour. Historians along siege debunked that one.Tthe Pyramids were in fact ,built paid laborer who were not slaves.

 

[paranoid marvin]

He liked to tell stories . He was known being inaccurate and fanciful on a number of things. For examples, the building of the Pyramids according to him it was Slave labour. Historians along siege debunked that one.Tthe Pyramids were in fact ,built paid laborer who were not slaves.

Hmm, I'm still not convinced on this one. And it being so long ago, it's difficult to know much about life back then. For sure Egyptians owned slaves, so why would they pay workers when they had unpaid labour available? Obviously many of the tasks involving the planning, management, stonework and designing would more likely be professionals, but those quarrying the stone and the physical labour used to move it - ie the largely unskilled work - could be done by slaves.

No doubt any slaves would be looked after relatively well and would need to be well fed in order to make them more effective workers, so evidence of camps for workers doesn't necessarily mean they were voluntary workers.

There's also the question of what qualifies someone as a slave, certainly back then. In England, serfs worked the land and owed allegiance to the landowner. There may be times when their lord would ask them to pay taxes, work their lord's land or do other tasks so as going to war. And they didn't really have much choice about moving on and finding a better lord, because they weren't allowed to. After the Black Death, labour shortages meant there was a larger demand for workers. Some decided to move to other lords who would offer them better terms, so a law was passed forbidding them from doing so. So although they weren't slaves in name, serfs didn't fare much better. Perhaps in Egypt the workers were those who owed a debt of (paid) servitude to build their Pharaoh's tomb?

 

[Snicklefritz]

Couple of sources re skilled labor on the pyramids:

Hawass, Z. (2006). Mountains of the Pharaohs: The Untold Story of the Pyramid Builders. a detailed account of the workers who built the pyramids and the different types of labor that were involved in the construction process.

Lehner, M. (2008). The Complete Pyramids: Solving the Ancient Mysteries. overview of the construction of the pyramids, including the use of skilled workers and craftsmen.

 

[svalbard]

Wasn't the first ever strike recorded for Egyptian workers on one those big building projects.

 

[paranoid marvin]

And the first ever pyramid scheme as well.

 

[svalbard]

Brilliant.

 

[BAYLOR]

And the first ever pyramid scheme as well.

Well, we now know that Charles Ponzi's Hero was Herodotus . I suspect that had Herodotus been alive in Ponzi's time , he too would have gotten duped by Mr Ponzi.

 

[Cthulhu.Science]

Well, we now know that Charles Ponzi's Hero was Herodotus . I suspect that had Herodotus been alive in Ponzi's time , he too would have gotten duped by Mr Ponzi.

And I was taught the Egyptian public works projects - pyramids, temples, etc. were essentially make-work programs to keep the population busy between plantings, harvests and plantings.

Regarding Herodotus -- very much like the Odyssey -- you either have to read it in the original ancient Greek or find a really good translation. There are a lot of crappy 19th century translations written in a style designed to be boring.

For the Odyssey I recommend the translation by Richard Burton -- No the other Sir Richard Burton. (Sir Richard Francis Burton)