Herodotus Research Paper
Herodotus: The Father of History
Many students today propose the question, "why do we study history, what does it have to do with us?" This question is not a new idea; in fact, the Greeks didn't concern themselves with true scientific history until after 500 B.C. Up until this point the Greeks focused mainly on myths and legends that explained how to please their many gods. It wasn't until the time of Herodotus that any emphasis was placed on recording a true account of the past. In Herodotus' writings The Histories, he tells us his reasons for recording this history:
In this book, the result of my inquiries into history, I hope to do two things: to preserve the memory of the past by putting on record the astonishing achievements both of …show more content…
These nine books give us a recollection of the Greco-Persian wars and the history that led to their conflicts. The first two books tell the history of Ancient Near East, Egypt, and Babylon. The third and forth book show the rise of the Persian Empire. The last five books focus on the Greco-Persian wars in chronological order. Herodotus used existing inscriptions and oral accounts from people who lived through the early Greco-Persian wars. The first war was thought to have taken place just before Herodotus's life, and the second war was thought to have been fought while Herodotus was a child. This would have made it easy for him to get testimonies from people who were affected by and even participated in the early …show more content…
But archaeological work in the Middle East has proved that much of his account of Egypt and Babylon is more accurate than was commonly assumed, and scholars have assessed him more carefully. (Starr, 149)
Herodotus, the father of history, is not the most accurate historian. The difficult process of note taking in his time prevented him from keeping an accurate account of his findings. Herodotus had to rely on his memory while writing The Histories. In his accounts there are flaws in his dates and geography, however the archaeological evidence to back up the overall account proves that his works are based on facts. Herodotus writes about other cultures from an almost unbiased position. When telling accounts of Persians in war, he is very fair. Herodotus does not treat Persians as barbarians but rather studies there history and culture to help him understand the conflicts they have had with the Greeks. Another account of his unbiased writings is with the Egyptians. Lindering
Many students today propose the question, "why do we study history, what does it have to do with us?" This question is not a new idea; in fact, the Greeks didn't concern themselves with true scientific history until after 500 B.C. Up until this point the Greeks focused mainly on myths and legends that explained how to please their many gods. It wasn't until the time of Herodotus that any emphasis was placed on recording a true account of the past. In Herodotus' writings The Histories, he tells us his reasons for recording this history:
In this book, the result of my inquiries into history, I hope to do two things: to preserve the memory of the past by putting on record the astonishing achievements both of …show more content…
These nine books give us a recollection of the Greco-Persian wars and the history that led to their conflicts. The first two books tell the history of Ancient Near East, Egypt, and Babylon. The third and forth book show the rise of the Persian Empire. The last five books focus on the Greco-Persian wars in chronological order. Herodotus used existing inscriptions and oral accounts from people who lived through the early Greco-Persian wars. The first war was thought to have taken place just before Herodotus's life, and the second war was thought to have been fought while Herodotus was a child. This would have made it easy for him to get testimonies from people who were affected by and even participated in the early …show more content…
But archaeological work in the Middle East has proved that much of his account of Egypt and Babylon is more accurate than was commonly assumed, and scholars have assessed him more carefully. (Starr, 149)
Herodotus, the father of history, is not the most accurate historian. The difficult process of note taking in his time prevented him from keeping an accurate account of his findings. Herodotus had to rely on his memory while writing The Histories. In his accounts there are flaws in his dates and geography, however the archaeological evidence to back up the overall account proves that his works are based on facts. Herodotus writes about other cultures from an almost unbiased position. When telling accounts of Persians in war, he is very fair. Herodotus does not treat Persians as barbarians but rather studies there history and culture to help him understand the conflicts they have had with the Greeks. Another account of his unbiased writings is with the Egyptians. Lindering