Summary

Herodotus is not only the father of the art and the science of historical writing but also one of the Western tradition’s most compelling storytellers. His Histories is regarded as one of the seminal works of history in Western literature. He wrote these accounts of the fifth-century-BC wars between the Greeks and Persians with a continuous awareness of the mythic and the wonderful, while laying bare the intricate human entanglements at their core. This volume is one of the first accounts of the rise of the Persian Empire and serves as a record of the ancient traditions and politics of the time.

In the instinctive empiricism that took him searching over much of the known world for information, in the care he took with sources and historical evidence, in his freedom from intolerance and prejudice, Herodotus virtually defined the rational, humane spirit that is the enduring legacy of Greek civilization.

Originally published in the fifth century BC

Review Quotes

“Herodotus gives more sheer pleasure than almost any other writer.”- New York Times Book Review

“Herodotus emerges in all his charm and complexity as a writer and the first historian in the Western tradition, perhaps unique in the way he has seen the interrelation of fact and fantasy…Herodotus crowds his fresco-like pages with all shades of humanity. Whether Herodotus’ view is ‘tragic,’ mythical, or merely common sense, it provided him with a moral salt with which the diversity of mankind could be savored.”- Christian Science Monitor

“Renowned in his own time for his humanity and wide-ranging curiosity, Herodotus shows an insatiable appetite for both useful information and a good yarn, and The History is a starting point for any student of the past.”- Amazon.com, editorial review

Summary

Xenophon, after being exiled from Athens, spent the last years of his life hunting, writing, and recalling in his books the great days of the Persian expedition. This record of one of the most famous marches in history contains an account of the day-to-day life of ordinary men and soldiers. It demonstrates how Greek theories of government and morality worked out in practice—for with his admiration for the great, Xenophon had a rare ability to understand and describe the outlook of lesser men. His own fortunes, too, are intensely moving. Cool, calculating, brilliant, and intensely pious, he is one of the most fascinating characters of history, and his account of his own doings is so far from being self-conscious that he seems to be one of the very few Greeks whose ways and manners have been accurately documented.

Originally published in Greek in the fourth century BC

Author Bio

Xenophon (c. 431–355 BC) served for some years as a mercenary in the Middle East and Asia Minor and later wrote pioneering works on history, politics, and philosophy, as well as a number of technical treatises.

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The Giants of Political Thought Series

Common Sense examines how Americans defended the right to resist unjust laws and how this right of resistance was transformed into a right of revolution. It examines Thomas Paine’s views on the difference between society and government, his defense of republican government, his total rejection of hereditary monarchy, and his belief that Americans should take up arms against the English government.

The Declaration of Independence articulates the principles of the American Revolution. This program discusses natural rights, government by consent, the social contract, the difference between alienable and inalienable rights, and the right of revolution against oppressive governments.

The Giants of Political Thought Series offers an easy and entertaining way to broaden your mind and your awareness of great ideas.