I really enjoyed this book because it is the first book of history ever written by man. Perseus and the legends of argos 549 gorgon and came bearing the head with hair of writhing snakes, for the islanders a stony death. Creation, by gore vidal, interpreting many scenes from the persian viewpoint. It is in part a gripping and much revered tale of colossal confrontation between freedomloving greek speaking peoples the athenians, spartans, and others and the seemingly unstoppable forces of the persians. July 20 this link contains a free pdf copy of herodotus book i. And whereas we meet with this title, this publication of the history of herodotus of halicarnassus, many have changed it into herodotus of thurii, for he dwelt at thurii, and was a member of that colony. Home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help greek and roman arabic germanic 19thcentury american renaissance richmond times italian poetry word counts by language. To read the history herodotus only book is to seek ones roots as a member of western democratic civilization. Home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help. The history of herodotus, parallel english greek, tr. He is known for having written the book the histories greek. An eleventh man had a vote, chosen by lot to be polemarch note of athens, and by ancient custom the athenians had made his vote.
Greek text with facing vocabulary and commentary, 2nd ed. The battle of plataea and the death of mardonios, the battle of mykale and the siege of sestos. Perseus, athena and head of medusa, apulian redfigure krater c4th b. The histories, were divided into nine books, named after the nine muses. This massive collection includes important greek and latin classics in their original languages. Athenian, heraklion, lycian, aegean, lacedaemonian, persian, dorian, and thousands more that leave one in a mish mashed world of history, superstition and fantasy.
Sep 12, 2014 herodotus was an ancient greek historian who lived in the fifth century bc c. It is in part a gripping and much revered tale of colossal confrontation between freedomloving greekspeaking peoples the athenians, spartans, and others and the seemingly unstoppable forces of the persians. Learn more about the traditional story of perseus in this article. Gates of fire, by stephen pressfield, has the battle of thermopylae book vii as its centrepiece. Herodotus first gives a description of the country, which he knows as a green pasture, bordered in the north by large stretches of snow. Sing, herodotus, of men and their deeds the imaginative. History of the peloponnesian war, the, greek historians, the complete and unabridged historical works of herodotus. Herodotus, greek author of the first great narrative history produced in the ancient world, the history of the grecopersian wars. In this eight volume collection on the persian wars, greek historian herodotus, the father of history, gives a cultured and firsthand examination of the ancient world surrounding the rise and rule of the persian empire alongside a concise history and cultural background of scythia and egypt. Mapping an ancient historian in a digital age eprints soton. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus by. But it is shorted than the other books and loaded with lots of different civilizations.
Herodotus bilingual anthology studies herodotus in print table of contents book 1 clio book 2 euterpe book 3 thaleia book 4 melpomene book 5 terpsichore book 6 erato book 7 polymnia book 8 urania book 9 calliope. The book also illuminates greek views of themselves and of peoples from the east, the problematic. Dec, 2007 this battle forms the centrepiece of book viii of herodotus histories. Digression on the spartan version of how they came to have two kings, and how one line came to have first place. Perseus collection herodotus search for documents in search only in herodotus. Once again, herodotus places himself, a man, where homer and hesiod placed a god. He was the son of the argive princess danae who was locked away in a bronze chamber by her father akrisios acrisius who lived in fear of a prophecy that he would one day be killed by her son. Ionic greek was a subdialect of the atticionic dialectal group of ancient greek. The division of the work into nine books, each titled with the name of one of the nine muses. In samos he practised the ionian dialect and wrote a history in nine books. Isthmian 3 for melissus of thebes chariot race at nemea.
Hdt prefers the greek version, which makes the dorians egyptians and traces their family back only as far as perseus 53. This battle forms the centrepiece of book viii of herodotus histories. The biblical writers borrowed from it to create characters such as the judges samson. They do not admit that the forefathers of acrisius were in any way related to perseus, but say they were egyptians, as the greeks likewise testify. With the help of the gods, perseus obtained winged sandals, an invisible helm and a magical sword.
Greece internet history sourcebooks fordham university. The history of herodotus book i the first book of the histories, called clio this is the showing forth of the inquiry of herodotus of halicarnassos, to the end that1 neither the deeds of men may be forgotten by lapse of time, nor the works2 great and marvellous, which have been produced some by hellenes and some by barbarians, may. When he was about to leave them, he despatched a man named mys, a european by birth, to go and consult the different oracles, giving him orders to put questions everywhere to all the oracles whereof he found it possible to make trial. In its first logos, we witness the naval engagement on the sea between aphetae and artemisium. If you have read the first seven books then you pretty much know what to expect. Herodotus 1 greek and latin texts with facing vocabulary. Herodotus was an ancient greek historian who lived in the fifth century bc c. The news was brought to athens, but the athenians could not believe that the armament 1 had been so completely annihilated, although they had the positive assurances of 2 the very soldiers who 3 had escaped from the scene of action. Isthmian 2 in memory of the victories of xenocrates of acragas chariot race. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus. After journeys to india and pakistan, french ethnologist michel peissel claimed to have discovered an animal species that may illuminate one of the most bizarre passages in herodotus s histories. He travelled widely in most of asia minor, egypt as far as assuan, north africa, syria, the country north of the black sea, and many parts. Urania 1 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 140. Herodotus, the histories, book 8, chapter 1, section 1.
The histories of herodotus is considered the founding work of history in western literature. The native name of this people, however, has always had an ain persian. Perseus was the son of zeus and danae, the daughter of acrisius of argos. All search options view abbreviations home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help. Fragment from histories, book viii on 2ndcentury papyrus oxyrhynchus 2099. Online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article herodotus. Perseus was one of the most celebrated heroes of greek mythology. A greek folk etymology connected perseus to the name of the persian people, whom they called the persai from old persian parsa persia, a persian. Perseus has been falsely associated as being a rider of pegasus, the winged horse. After babylon had been taken, the march of dareios himself 1 against the scythians took place. 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. Divided by later editors into nine books named after the muses, the history traces the growth of the persian empire.
Perseus and the legends of argos oxford university press. Divided by later editors into nine books named after the muses, the history. The biblical writers borrowed from it to create characters. Here are presented the results of the enquiry carried out by herodotus of halicarnassus. Fragment from histories, book viii on 2ndcentury papyrus oxyrhynchus.
The histories book 9 ebook by herodotus rakuten kobo. Herodotus histories can be read online at perseus digital library. Offerings to oracle of amphiaraus in thebes by croesus 52. Herodotus, freely available from the perseus online library, to capture all the placenames mentioned in the. The history of herodotus by herodotus, part of the internet classics archive. The politics, excerpts from books i, iii, vii and viii, at. Written from the 450s to the 420s bc in the ionic dialect of classical greek. Histories and of bringing herodotus world into peoples homes. Chemmis cheops chronology classical geographers copt cult cyrene delta driotonvandier elements evidence fgrh gardiner gauthier greek griechische geschichtsschreibung helck herodot herodotus history horus iegypte index inscriptions introductory kees kienitz king kitchen leipzig lloyd london machimoi. Perseus perseus facts and information on the greek hero.
Being the second book of the famous history of herodotus london. He then sought out the ancient graeae and stealing their single eye compelled them to reveal the location of the gorgons. Perhaps the wide range of the histories puts too many demands on commentators, but herodotus has not been blessed with many modern commentaries. Read the histories book 9 calliope by herodotus available from rakuten kobo. Herodotus awards himself the ability and authority to decide which deeds of men are sung or unsung, which is to define history, whereas hesiod and homer allocate this authority to the muses.
The history of herodotus, volume 1 by herodotus full. The opening logos of book four tells about their way of life. The battle of artemision, the invasion of northern greece and the sacking of athens, the battle of salamis. King polydectes commanded he fetch the head of medusa. Greek researcher, often called the worlds first historian. Perseus, in greek mythology, the slayer of the gorgon medusa and the rescuer of andromeda from a sea monster. The history of herodotus, volume 1 by herodotus full text. Histories, thucydides translated into english volume 1 1 of 32 translations. The battle of salamis was the first great and unexpected victory of the greeks over the persian forces under xerxes, whose defeat had important consequences for the subsequent history and selfimage of europe. He travelled widely in most of asia minor, egypt as far as assuan, north africa, syria, the country north of the black sea, and many parts of the aegean sea and the mainland of greece. The histories of herodotus is considered one of the seminal works of history in western literature. In book 3, passages 102 to 105, herodotus reports that a species of foxsized, furry ants lives in one of the far eastern, indian provinces of the.
Greek and latin grammars and commentaries are also included. Erato aristagoras, the author of the ionian revolt. Summary of and commentary on herodotus histories, book 8. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, book viii. The flags in the text are links to the greek as printed on facing pages in the loeb edition. In the histories, he describes the expansion of the achaemenid empire under its kings cyrus the great, cambyses, and darius i the great, culminating in xerxes expedition to greece 480 bce, which met with disaster in the naval engagement at salamis and the battles at plataea and mycale. At the beginning of the histories, herodotus sets out his reasons for writing it. Homer, iliad, book 1, line 1 perseus digital library. He remains the leading source of original information not only for greek history between 550 and 479 bce but also for much of that of western asia and of egypt at that time. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Herodotus recounts this story, devising a foreign son, perses, from whom the persians.
The book also illuminates greek views of themselves and of peoples from the east, the problematic relationships between different greek states in the face of the invasion, and the role of the divine in history. There are several greek cities on the shores of the black sea, where people have a more or less decent life style. We will fight against him without ceasing, trusting in the aid of the gods and the heroes whom he has disregarded and burnt their houses and their adornments. The nine books of herodotus histories, translated by g. The recent boom in the study of herodotus, however, is now set to includealongside the italian lorenzo valla series, now nearing completiona battery of new commentaries in english on all nine books. According to the persian story, perseus was an assyrian who became a greek.
For the commander of the athenian trireme, when he saw her bear down on one of the enemys fleet, thought immediately that her vessel was a greek, or else had deserted from the persians, and was now fighting on the greek side. The history of herodotus, parallel englishgreek index sacred texts. Herodotus, the histories, book 1, chapter 1, section 0. Written in 440 bc in the ionic dialect of classical greek, the histories serves. The first words of the histories, in which he presents himself as the. Greek oracles consulted by croesus re attacking persia reply that he croesus will destroy a great empire, and should ally with most powerful greek state 53. Herodotus the great greek historian was born about 484 bce, at halicarnassus in caria, asia minor, when it was subject to the persians. The history of herodotus, parallel englishgreek, tr. A student project which links to the perseus images related to colonization, as well a. The history of herodotus, parallel englishgreek index. It was a greek hero, bellerophon, who tamed and used pegasus in battle. Herodotus has 361 books on goodreads with 122451 ratings. Herodotus claims to have traveled extensively around the ancient world, conducting interviews and collecting stories for his book, almost all of which covers territories of the persian empire.
Sing to me oh muse the nine muses of the greek mythology were deities that gave artists, philosophers and individuals the necessary inspiration for creation hesiod reveals that they were called muses or mouses in greek, as the greek word mosis refers to the desire and wish. Pharaoh, by boleslaw prus, incorporating the labyrinth scenes inspired by herodotus description in book ii of the histories. The greeks appointed to serve in the fleet were these. 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 wellconstructed and vivid narrative.