Herodotus 'Cruelty In The Histories'

The stories of The Histories, written by Herodotus, have the theme of punishment scattered throughout. Many of the stories are based upon punishment and cruelty, partly because this book tells the story of how the Greek city states fight off the Persians time and time again. However, it is not only in battle it cruelty and punishment seen; the idea of punishment and cruelty for power, revenge, and control is seen throughout the entire work.
Among the stories of The Histories, the punishments that Herodotus includes are astonishing in their cruelty or initiative. This is particularly true of certain longer sections including the feast that Astyages prepared to punish Harpagus’ disobedience (1.118–119) or Hermotimus castrating Panionius and his sons in revenge for his own mutilation (8.105). Elsewhere, however, startling punishments are evidence of the variety of human accomplishment, though not always admirable, show the desire for revenge. Such desires can lead to terrible tragedies, which Herodotus recognizes as part of the historical record. Herodotus may dwell on horrors like Hermotimus’ punishment, perhaps to suggest that the tragic cannot be
Herodotus notes the Persian custom of “netting” a conquered island in order to kill or deport its inhabitants (6.31). He also describes the Persian practice of collective deportation, which brought so much suffering to several Greek communities in the aftermath of the Ionian Revolt. Most notably, the Persian use of mutilation will be seen in the final punishment of Masistes’ wife. This section, however, seems to be more about cruelty rather than punishment. The punishment of Masistes’ wife is taken to an extreme level, and she receives a punishment that she does not deserve. Her entire body is mutilated by dogs, on the orders of Amestris, who believes it to be Masistes’ wife’s fault that her husband has begun an affair with Masistes’ daughter (9.