February 8‚ 2009 The Battle of Thermopylae From Herodotus’ The Histories The Battle of Thermopylae‚ which Herodotus recorded in his writing The Histories‚ was one of the most arduous and notable battles of western history. Herodotus was an extremely significant historian who lived during the 5th century B.C. In this primary source writing‚ he portrays how Xerxes was superstitious and tyrannical‚ how the battle informs you about the Spartan culture
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revenge on the opposing empire‚ however‚ died in 486 BC. Succeeding the throne was his son Xerxes who set out to advance with Darius’ planned invasion of Greece. Xerxes planned his attack with new strategies‚ combining both a land and sea offence. As this would require a large army accompanied by a supportive and communicative navy‚ this logistical exercise took nearly four years to prepare. Hearing of Xerxes planned invasion in just 481 BC simultaneously resulted in a quick development of the Greek
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Herodotus was born in 485 BC in the Greek City of Halicarnassus and is known as the pioneer of history. His series of books‚ The Histories was the first piece of literature that described historical events. No writer had ever attempted to analyze events in history before Herodotus‚ he catalyzed the study of history and allowed scholars to have a deeper understanding of events in the world. The Histories was an account of the Greco-Persian wars‚ which was a series of wars between the Persian Empire
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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
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Family Background and status Xerxes was born a royal prince and would have had all the respect and prestige associated with his status. He was not the eldest son of King Darius I. Darius had three sons by another wife whilst he was still but a lord. For Darius to strengthen his calm to the Persian throne‚ Darius married Atossa ‚ the daughter of Cyrus the Great. Xerxes was the eldest son of this union. This made Xerxes the son of the king‚ grandson of the founder of the empire and the son with the
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Throughout the Histories Herodotus chronicles many stories taking place over eighty years. The climaxes of the Histories are the great wars between the Greeks and the Persians. With that in mind it seems reasonable that Herodotus serves as a spectacular source for military matters of the ancients. Truly it is a great source‚ historians can learn about ancient armies building bridges to move their forces across bodies of water and Herodotus tells his readers that barbarians use short spears and wear
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Xerxes succession to the throne after his father‚ Darius‚ was not straightforward as many factors surrounding hi succession of the Persian kingship from Darius influenced xerxes succession. During the time Darius was king he had other children outside his marriage to Atossa. As Artabazanes was Darius’ eldest son‚ he had appeared to be named as Darius’ successor in 507BC. Quarrels over the succession of the new king erupted between followers of Xerxes and Artabazanes. Artabazanes claimed that he
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Similarities in the failures of Xerxes’ invasion of Greece and the Sicilian Expedition On paper‚ Xerxes and the Persians‚ along with Alcibiades and his Athenians‚ would be overwhelmingly favored to win over Greece and Sicily. However‚ although both the Athenians and Persians not only far outnumbered their opponents in manpower‚ weaponry‚ and utilities‚ they still shockingly were both beaten and sent back to their homelands. The reasons for why two superpowers such as these would fall to a cluster
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Herodotus in the The Histories‚ Book V claims“There is nothing in the whole world so unjust‚ nothing so bloody‚ as a tyranny” Greece‚ in 500BC was under the rule of one such tyrant‚ Pisistratus.In order to stay in power‚ tyrants of ancient greece created a prosperous society. Tyrants created a prosperous society by establishing worldly order‚ redistributing power to the middle class and creating a unified society. To start‚ Tyrants in Athens creating relations with other city states to maintain a
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Herodotus c.484 B.C-c.429/425 B.C. Greek historian. INTRODUCTION Called the "father of history" by the Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero‚ Herodotus is best known for his long and compelling prose account of life in Greece‚ Asia Minor‚ and Egypt which focuses on the causes and events of the Greco-Persian Wars. For Herodotus‚ history (historiai) meant "inquiry‚" and his attentions in the History are devoted not just to epic moments in the past‚ but also to geography‚ ethnology‚ and myth
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