Product Description
History as seen from the point of view from an ancient Greek. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Incredibly Readable
My two students, thirteen and twelve, are reading through this translation.I am too.It is a very readable, understandable translation.

Sélincourt's translation is very clear, "Herodotus of Halicarnassus here displays his inquiry, so that human achievements may not become forgotten in time, and great and marvellous deeds- some displayed by Greeks, some be barbarians- may not be without their glory; especially to show why the two peoples fought with each other."

Herodotus gives us a fascinating look at the time around 650 B.C. -479 B.C.The details are extensive and mind boggling so thankfully at the back of this edition is a structural outline to help the reader follow the thread of Herodotus' narrative.He begins with the quarrel between the Greeks and barbarians.He tells of his opinion concerning Helen of Troy.Was she a willing captive?Was she really present during the Trojan Was in Troy?

Having already read Iliad and the Odyssey, Herodotus' explanation of 'xenia' and the great sin Paris committed in making off with the wife of his host as so absolutely heinous in that culture rang true.

The heartless barbarism of most of the kings is sickeningly fascinating.

I would recommend Elizabeth Vandiver's lectures from the teaching company on Herodotus and also the text book Omnibus I by Douglas Wilson and G. Tyler Fischer as great sources for teaching this great book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A look into ancient history from an early source
I will first comment on the audio book.The narrator is Bernard Mayes, who does a good job, but the audio quality is not very good.There were periodic scraping sounds in the background that I at first thought was sound coming from my car.It took me a while to figure out it was from this recording.If it wasn't for the sound quality, I would have rated this audio book 5 stars.

This book was written in the 5th century BC by the Greek historian Herodotus.Its focus is on Greek and Persian history, though it touches on the history and culture of the entire known world.The histories are broken into nine main books, though I noted 3 main themes.

The first part was a history of many of the Greek city states mixed in with Persian history starting with Cyrus.The second main part was my favorite where he did a survey of the histories and culture of the rest of the world, which included Egypt, Libya, Arabia, and the rest of the known world.He had visited most of these places and explained what different sources said on the same subject.The last part is probably the most famous; where it describes the Persian War.He goes into great detail on the size and compositions of the armies.It is a great lesson on what will happen with an army that is too big, and shows the importance of logistics.

Throughout the book, Herodotus focuses on the prophecies of the Oracle at Delphi.It is clear that he takes those prophecies seriously and shows the fulfillment of many of them.It shows how these prophecies and other signs and wonders affected how and when leaders would decide to go to battle and make other important decisions.It is a fascinating look at the Greek worldview.

I highly recommend this seminal book to anyone interested in ancient history.

Herodotus I trust you speak your truth...
If philosophy is a tree...Herodotus is a tap root.His work, which is more than likely quite adulterated by past scholars, is much more than a window on his times...he asked many of the questions that I would ask if I went back in a time machine. What logic is the base of our intellectual pyramid...what are the roots of our primeval fears and prejudices.He tackles belief in heroes, gods, and oracles...and he informs the modern thinker of the true wisdom of ancient humans.While it is easy to think of people of his epoch as fearful, and ignorant they were...as we are...always to certain about what our senses and our thoughts reveal.

The audio presentation is lively, and although very long...a fascinating experience.I highly recommend it.

Gare Henderson ... Read more

Product Description
Herodotus, one of the earliest and greatest of Western prose authors, set out in the late fifth century BC to describe the world as he knew it - its peoples and their achievements, together with the causes and course of the great wars that brought the Greek cities into conflict with the empires of the Near East. Each subsequent generation of historians has sought to use his text and to measure their knowledge of these cultures against his words.

This commentary by leading scholars, originally published in Italian, has been fully revised by the original authors and has now been edited for English-speaking readers by Oswyn Murray and Alfonso Moreno. It is designed for use alongside the Oxford Classical Text of Herodotus, and will replace the century-old historical commentary of How and Wells (1912) as the most authoritative account of modern scholarship on Herodotus.

Books I-IV cover the history and cultures of Lydia, Egypt, Persia, and the nomads of Scythia and North Africa, in their contacts with the Greeks from mythical times to the start of the fifth century BC; these themes, with many digressions, are woven into an account of the expansion of the Persian Empire and its relations with the Greeks. ... Read more

Product Description
A very entertaining book full of amusing stories antidotes and observations. Some true and some Mythical. So much more then a history book its really a historical novel as the author invented dialogue for the historical figures. It’s for this reason that the text is sometimes called “The Book of Lies” by more exacting historians.. this book is the first History book. In fact we get the word history from this book. The Greek writer Herodotus traveled all over the ancient world and collected stories, tales and fables from Greece and Egypt. This is the main source of the last stand at Thermopoly by the 300 Spartans. This is the original story of the “Boy on the Dolphin”. This is the book that was being read by the Gregory Fines in “The English Patient” [Reformated for Kindle] ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Travels with Herodotus
Herodotus created a completely new kind of literature...written history.Thanks to him, some of the most famous stories from antiquity have come through time to us, such as the heroic stand of King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae.Herodotus was also one of the first travel writers, sharing stories about his own travels and passing on tales (often fictious or fanciful) that he heard from fellow travellers.He was not always accurate but Herodotus has never stopped inspiring travellers in later generations.Hollywood includes him from time to time, such as in the marvelous film The English Patient (yes, it was Ralph Fiennes) whose main character carried The Histories with him everywhere. Globetrotters love him too.If you are interested in his modern reincarnation, then consider reading the charming book "Travels with Herodotus" by the recently deceased Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski.

Who the bleep is "the Gregory Fines" !!!
Warning --haven't read this edition but I could hardly get past the editorial review.Who the heck is "the Gregory Fines" from The English Patient? Hello?It's RALPH FIENNES in the movie who is reading from Herodotus.

It is very scary when the editorial reviews and product descriptions are incorrect.Check your sources, Amazon! ... Read more

Product Description
Herodotus's great work is not only an account of the momentous historical conflict between the Greeks and the Persians but also the earliest sustained exploration in the West of the problem of cultural difference. François Hartog asks fundamental questions about how Herodotus represented this difference. How did he and his readers understand the customs and beliefs of those who were not Greek? How did the historian convince his readers that his account of other peoples was reliable? How is it possible to comprehend a way of life radically different from one's own? What are the linguistic, rhetorical, and philosophical means by which Herodotus fashions his text into a mirror of the marginal and unknown? In answering these questions, Hartog transforms our understanding of the "father of history." His Herodotus is less the chronicler of a victorious Greece than a brilliant writer in pursuit of otherness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mirror of Herodotus
I read this book because I was interested in Herodotus' representation of the Scythians.The book had its interesting points, but it was a little intellectual, in the negative sense of that word.I often had the feeling that the writer was saying something important, but I missed his point.Over my head?Maybe.The representation of the other, of course, is the point, and the subject matter - Herodotus - is very appropriate too.But I actually feel Herodotus himself is a better commentator and feel that all Hartog accomplished was to make it sound pompous and obscure.Oh well, I guess I'd never cut it as a French intellectual!

All the same, I would have ordered the book but for the hefty price tag, primarily because I am interested enough in the subject matter to give it a second, more careful read. ... Read more

Product Description
Herodotus (c480-c425) is 'The Father of History' and his Histories are the first piece of Western historical writing. They are also the most entertaining. Why did Pheidippides run the 26 miles and 385 yards (or 42.195 kilometres) from Marathon to Athens? And what did he do when he got there? Was the Battle of Salamis fought between sausage-sellers? Which is the oldest language in the world? Why did Leonidas and his 300 Spartans spend the morning before the battle of Thermopylae combing their hair? Why did every Babylonian woman have to sit in the Temple of Aphrodite until a man threw a coin into her lap, and how long was she likely to sit there? And what is the best way to kill a crocodile? This wide-ranging history provides the answers to all these fascinating questions as well as providing many fascinating insights into the Ancient World. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The gall of it all
Indeed the gall. The gall of an academic amoeba such as I daring to review a work such as this is quite ridiculous. How could I for a moment think I could recreate in words the excitement I felt when I read this for the first time back in high school. The fact that this work took my fancy far more than the rubbish the English department was foisting onto me in terms of actual having some fluidity, emotion, action and adventure to its brew. For this work does indeed transport the reader to a different time and place entirely and while obviously much of that is down to the translator the actual original must also have been a great read. And that is very much the crux of the matter - the fact that you can read this tome on a number of levels, either you can switch your brain on `full suction' in an academic manner and really pore over the thing like an archaeological vulture or you can sit back and just enjoy reading a selection of first hand accounts, imaginative retelling of earlier tales or mere repetition of hearsay.

Inappropriate is another word that springs to mind when I think of how wrong it is that I should try to review this item when, ultimately, I am incapable of providing you with a blow by blow analysis of the historical importance of this work by the father of history. Suffice to say that it's still a standard text throughout a number of school systems and surely has provided fertile grounds for armchair historians and yes, even travel buffs, for many years given the almost fantastical episodes and details that flow from the page and one is force to wonder if the father of lies himself didn't have a sparkle in his eye as he wrote his masterwork all those centuries ago. Not to mention how it has been trawled through with a fine tooth comb by so many of the worlds historical scholars. One can only imagine how many university students have gone cross eyed while studying this gift from antiquity into the wee small hours.

Presumptuous is probably an apt word that others may use in reference to me if I were to post a review on this product given how my own feeble prose is so inadequate for the task of trying to convey the importance of this work to our understanding of not just the cut and dried aspects of the ancient Mediterranean world but also the more intangible attitudes and social mores of the time. And certainly I would have to admit to myself my presumptuous nature if I were to dare to wholeheartedly recommend this to anybody with an overarching interest in antiquity, in classical fiction such as Jason and the Argonauts and the like and indeed anybody enamoured of history. I won't recommend it however to history students. After all, you'll probably be assigned it as required reading. And if you aren't, read it during a break between semesters for your own enjoyment.

All up I trust that you, dear reader, understand why I won't review this work due to my inability to do the product justice. ... Read more

Product Description
"The father of history," as Cicero called him, and a writer possessed of remarkable narrative gifts, enormous scope, and considerable charm, Herodotus has always been beloved by readers well-versed in the classics. Compelled by his desire to "prevent the traces of human events from being erased by time," Herotodus recounts the incidents preceding and following the Persian Wars. He gives us much more than military history, though, providing the fullest portrait of the classical world of the 5th and 6th centuries. This readable new translation is supplemented with expansive notes to help the reader appreciate the book in depth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

10,000 Rabbit Trails
This is a very fine translation of one of the most important books from the ancient world. Be forewarned, this is not easy reading for the ordinary or casual reader of history. The university level teacher or classical scholar will savor every page. Herodotus does not give you a simple narrative. He starts you out and then runs you down ten thousand rabbit trails so you may forget where you started and where you were trying to go. He introduces names and places in a staggering volume in just a few pages. He will introduce a person and then tell you all about his great grandfather,grandfather,father,mother,siblings, every person he killed and every woman he ever slept with. He goes to great length to tell you how the Greeks chose their commanding general at the Battle of Marathon but he gives you sparse detail about how they actually won that famous conflict. The breadth of people and events Herodotus covers is huge but the pathway is not linear.

Huzzah for Herodotus! The Ultimate Enquiry Mind
What amazed me about this book was Herodotus'curiosity and lack of ethnocentrisism. Herdotus wasn't simply interested in chronicling major events, but delving deeper to understand why the events occured in the first place.Furthermore, he does something that many scholars and policy makers today should do more of; that is, he trys to understand other cultures in order to make more sence of their actions. In this endeavor, he should not only be called the "Father of History", but also the Father of Anthropology.But, perhaps he understood way back then that history and anthropology, as well as geography are all complimentary.

While Herodotus - being a Greek himself - undoubtedly sees the Greeks as heroes in their struggle against the Persian invasion, he shows them to be extremely jealous, greedy, arrogant and even treacherous.This is something that many of the ancient world - including the Greek world - would rarely do to their own kind.Therefore, Herodotus is also one of the first examples of someone critquing their own culture.

Herodotus makes it clear that the causes of conflict were complex - often stemming from selfishness, such as the Greek Histiaeus wanting to start an Ionian revolt just so he could leave the Persian court - and the "heroes" were no knights in shining armour.The best example is Themistocles, who was instrumental in saving Athens due to his insistence in forcing a sea battle in the Salamis straights. Rather than dying with the reputation as a heroe, he ended his life in excile collaborating with the Persians against Greece.It would be as if after leading the Americans to victory in the American Revelution and being President, George Washington was exciled to England and became and an advisor to the British king on how to retake America.

While it may not have been his intention, one irony that becomes apparent regarding the Spartans and Athenians is that democratic Athens has an imperialist impulse from the outset of their victory at Salamis, while the oligarchic - some may even say proto-facist - state of Sparta is very reluctant to take any offensive measures and are rather content to stay in their peninsula. They were complaining about simply sending troops into central Greece to stop the Persians.

Unfortunately, many "progressive" historians cut out the inconvenient truths of this history and make it into more of a black and white affair.For me, it was Herodotus' inquisitive mind, search for the truth - by revealing contridictory accounts - and, relative to ancient authors, very unbiased account that makes this work a must read for anyone interested in western civilization, ancient history, and world history in general.

Fun book
This is great, fun book to read. This is a book you can read for enjoyment. I was reluctant to read it because I assumed it would be difficult because it was written around 425 BC. I assumed because it was ancient it would be difficult to read. That was wrong. It's a very entertaining read. It's also extremely interesting. Herodotus was a very smart and learned man for his time and it is interesting to read what he thinks. And the commentaries at the back of the book are also well done. Often the commentaries will note that Herodotus is just wrong in what he says, but sometimes he's right. I find myself switching between Herodotus and the commentaries. If you're at all interested in ancient history, you will not regret buying and reading this.

Magnificent text, great translation, helpful notes, misguided organization
Herodotus's Histories are a treasure trove of wisdom, anecdotes and sheer joy. In the words of Robert D. Kaplan, "Thucydides may have been the more trustworthy historian, but Herodotus would have been more fun to share a wineskin with--and is a better guide to the god-filled geopolitics of the current era." (Kaplan's remarkable article on Herodotus, titled "A Historian for our Time", is available at [...]

I fully agree with other reviewers about the beauty of this translation, which results in a fluent and pleasant text. I am also overwhelmed at the abundance of notes and commentaries about perhaps most paragraphs in the book.

The problem is, while the translation increases our reading pleasure, the organization of this edition does not help the reader: the use of endnotes rather than footnotes means that readers have to keep moving to and fro between the text and the end of the book. Worse still, there is no footnote numbering, so readers must turn at virtually every paragraph to the end of the book, so as not to miss possible clarification. Eventually, I decided to check before reading each of the nine chapters ("Books") and mark the endnoted paragraphs myself.

Perhaps Oxford's intention was, as another reviewer put it, to ensure that notes were "unobtrusive" and the reader would have the clean text before his eyes. I beg to differ: few modern readers could do without the additional explanations provided in the notes. And, if they felt they could, or so wished, they would have a wealth of translations to choose from, much poorer in notes than this one.

I think no other edition of the "Histories" has so many maps. These are necessary and helpful. But they could have been clearer. In some of them, it is hard to tell land from sea, for example.

I do look forward to a "Landmark Herodotus" similar to the magnificent "Landmark Thucydides", with notes AND maps exactly where they are needed, so the reader never has to leave the page he is reading. This may sound shallow, but it greatly facilitates concentration. And this, after all, is supposed to be one of the main benefits of a fluent and pleasant text in the first place.

Joy to read!
Growing up in Turkey, every student had to study world history including the events covered in this book. However, our history lessons consisted of memorizing dates and names of what was in the state approved text books. The contrast of that approach, to learning history by reading the original works is huge. What a joy it is to read Herodotus' book! The book is about the Persian Empire which was huge extending from India and Central Asia to the Danube in Europe. I loved the diversions from the main events and all the stories and myths.Besides the well known Persian/Greek wars there were so many other lesser known but just as exciting events. One of them was Darius's expedition into Southern Russia to attack the nomadic Scythians. I didn't realize that Darius attacked them from the West crossing the Danube.The building of the bridge over Danube and the hardships in crossing rivers in old times was eye opening.I also loved the maps and read all the 200 pages! of historical notes and a section on ancient weights, units, and money.

If you enjoyed this book you might also enjoy the "Peloponnesian War" by Donald Kagan. Although written by a contemporary historian, it reads as if you are watching the events in person. Fantastic reading for history lovers.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

not formatted for the Kindle
Kindle readers, be advised:This version does not include a Table of Contents.A Table of Contents is displayed in the Sample download, but is NOT in the downloaded book.

A new type of literature
Herodotus created a completely new kind of literature...written history. Thanks to him, some of the most famous stories from antiquity have come through time to us, such as the heroic stand of King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. Herodotus was also one of the first travel writers, sharing stories about his own travels and passing on tales (often fictious or fanciful) that he heard from fellow travellers. He was not always accurate but Herodotus has never stopped inspiring travellers in later generations. Hollywood includes him from time to time, such as in the marvelous film The English Patient whose main character carried The Histories with him everywhere. Globetrotters love him too. If you are interested in his modern reincarnation, then consider reading the charming book "Travels with Herodotus" by the recently deceased Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski.

Excellent
This is a must read for the Europeanhistory student.After reading several quotes from the book I decided to purchase it.Very informative.This version is also formatted well. ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is not the text itself
Please be aware that this Kindle "book" does not contain the text of the Commentary on Herodotus. It is merely a "placeholder" file that was originally created by Project Gutenberg to refer people to the actual text. The complete text, in .PDF or .DOC format, can be downloaded for free at Project Gutenberg's website. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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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 self-image of Europe. This battle forms the centre-piece of book VIII of Herodotus' Histories. 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.This introduction and commentary pays particular attention to the history and culture of Achaemenid Persia and the peoples of its empire. It offers much help with the language of the text (which has been prepared for ease of reading), and deals with major literary and historical questions.It will be of especial use to intermediate and advanced Greek students, but also provides up-to-date scholarly materials for graduate students and professional classicists. ... Read more

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With A Literal Interlinear Translation, Accompanied By Illustrative Notes. On The Plan Recommended By Mr. Locke. ... Read more

Product Description
The Sixth Book of Herodotus covers the history of Greece in the first decade of the fifth century BC, including such momentous events as the Ionian revolt and the Marathon Campaign. This commentary, aimed at undergraduates and sixth-formers, is intended to introduce them to the work of one of the most significant and entertaining writers of his day, whose influence on the development of prose literature in general and historiography in particular was of paramount importance. This edition is intended to replace that of E.S. Shuckburgh, first published in 1889 at a time when the student's knowledge of Greek grammar and syntax was very much greater than is the case today. In addition several generations of scholars have broadened immeasurably our understanding of Greek history since Shuckburgh's day. Accordingly this commentary explains points of grammar and syntax while at the same time covering the historical interpretation. The book reproduces Schuckburgh's Greek text, but comes with a new introduction and up-to-date bibliography. ... Read more

Product Description
Herodotus of Halicarnassus was an Ionian traveler and storyteller who lived in the 5th century BC. He is almost exclusively known for writing The Histories, a collection of "inquiries" about the places and peoples he encountered during his wide-ranging travels around the Mediterranean littoral and into the Mesopotamia. ... Read more

Product Description
Herodotus (484-ca. 425 BCE), the 'Father of History,' wrote this account of the ephocal conflict between the Greeks and Persians between 430 and 424 BCE. The title of the work, 'Historie' means 'Inquiry.' Subsequently it became the name of the science of history, and via Latin passed into other languages including English.

Divided by later editors into nine books named after the Muses, the History traces the growth of the Persian empire, starting with Croesus of Lydia, though Cyrus and Xerxes. The pivotal event of the History is the Battle of Marathon (490 BCE), where the Persians were defeated by the Greeks. A decade later the Persians, led by Xerxes, returned but were decisively defeated at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BCE. One can only wonder what the world would have been like if the nascent Greek democracy and high classical culture had been nipped in the bud by Persian despotism.

Beyond the historical narrative, Herodotus is one of the primary sources for information on ancient lands and peoples, including anthropological, geographical, and other information. There are extensive details in the narrative relating to the spiritual practices and beliefs of the Greeks and other peoples. Herodotus has been perennially controversial. However, he was careful to qualify information which he found dubious and evaluate variant theories on their merits. While specifics of his account have been challenged, his preeminence as the inventor of the methodology and philosophy of history are undisputed.--J.B. Hare ... Read more

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A series of texts in Classical Civilisation, encompassing literary, historical and philosophical subjects.Herodotus, writing in the second half of the 5th century BC, is the first historian of western civilisation. His narrative tells of the expansion of the Persian Empire in the 6th and 5th centuries BC and the wars between Greece and Persia in 490 and 480 BC. Some of the most famous battles of history, Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis, are dramatically described in his work. However, Herodotus' greatness lies not only in the momentous nature of the events he describes. His purpose is to explain why the wars happened and his sophisticated and complex answer encompasses the relation of gods to men, the nature of different peoples and the character of individuals. Herodotus says that he will write equally about the two sides of the war, and his narrative of the clash between East and West, between democracy and autocracy, has striking, and disturbing, modern resonances. ... Read more

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Selections from Herodotus' History which follow the events of the great war between the Greeks and the Persians. The translated extracts include Herodotus' descriptions of the preparations for war and of the great land- and sea-battles which took place. Linking commentaries explain Greek and Persian strategies and battle manoeuvres. Background information on the ships and on the soldiers fighting in the war is also given. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Persian Wars
Not being an expert in translations from ancient Greek to English, I can only comment that I got what I wanted out of the MP3 CD. To learn about the Persian Wars. The narrator is easy to understand, and made a worthwhile presentation. ... Read more