Though time has made the exact details of Herodatus’ life unclear, we can recount the available information about his early life, travels, and influence during his lifetime. His influence on modern literature and the study of History is also apparent. Herodotus was likely born in a Greek city, Halicarnassus, within the region controlled by Persian rulers at the time. This resulted in Herodotus living as a Persian subject. Later in life, he likely resided in Athens, where he met Sophocles, a Greek tragedy playwright, after which he left for the new colony in Italy, Thurii. In certain writing, Herodotus expresses his positive opinion of Samos, an island where he may have lived in his youth (Mark, 2018). As such, there is a chance that he and his family were involved in a rebellion against Lygdamis, resulting in an exile to the island and involvement in the tyrant’s fall. Similarly, a distant family member of Herodotus, poet Panyassis, was said to have been a part of an uprising that failed.
Though his early life may be shrouded in mystery, there is ample evidence that Herodotus was a proficient traveler. His wanderings covered large parts of the Persian Empire, including traveling to Libya, Susa, Egypt, Syria, Elam, Phrygia, Babylonia, and Lydia. There are also records of his travels through Hellespont towards Byzantium, after which he visited Thrace and Macedonia. He may have even traveled further north past the Danube. His own eyewitness accounts indicated that when traveling in Egypt, he was able to witness an Athenian fleet assisting in the uprising against the ongoing Persian rule. For uncertain reasons, though likely related to political leanings, he became unpopular in Halicarnassus. It was at this stage in his life that Herodotus migrated to the Periclean Athens, a city with democratic institutions that Herodotus would often praise openly. Here he would also learn of the local topography and begin to lead citizens such as the Alcmaienoids. All of the travels and interactions were prominent in his writing and likely structured not only his approach to historical writing but to the foundation of History as well.
The History of Histories refers to a number of works by Herodotus that illustrate specific events and experiences related to the conflicts between Greece and Persia, approximately during the years 499-479 BCE (Gill, 2018). Currently, History is available in nine books though this division was not intended by Herodotus at its first publishing. The first five books illustrate the context of the Greco-Persian Wars. The following four books are narratives that recount the History of the events, which culminated in the attack on Greece by Persian King Xerxes and were followed by important Greek victories at Mycale, Salamis, and Plataea. Herodotus was not a direct historian, and the books offer two segmented parts. The first observes the structured narrative of the battles and the relations to preliminary conflicts such as the Battle of Marathon or the Ionian revolt (Pelling, 2019). The second provides story-like retellings of the development and structure of the Persian Empire, with vivid descriptions of the society, culture, geography, and History.
Herodotus was very inquisitive of the Persian-led invasions and their purpose as he was impressed by the size and diverse nature of the Persian army. He would describe its united nature while still being able to be polyglot and varied. This was very different from the Greek forces, which were riddled with political disagreements and disputes, even among commanders. Though the religion and language of the Greek troops were universal, they did not always translate to cohesive operations. Herodotus would frequently explain these cultural and fundamental differences between the forces within his work.
Within this collection of histories, Herodotus was also able to present his skills as an orator and writer, as some of his written pieces often present themselves as near performances. The combination of the two formats, the detailed introduction of the Persian Empire followed by the vivid imagery of the conflicts and wars, also added complexity to his work that was unique. Herodotus was also a notable historian for his experience as a wide traveler, his abilities as a geographer, curiosity for customs and past histories, tolerance without biases, and his keen eye for detail. The collection of these qualities within his writing made his work readable and historically important. Even without strong military knowledge, Herodotus was able to understand the strategies and strengths of the Persian forces enough to record them.
Though contemporary writers and scholars of Herodotus’ time often found him to be either a liar or a storyteller, as opposed to a real historian or chronicler, his influence on both ancient and modern history writing cannot be ignored. It is likely that the wide-spanning, engaging, and unique narrative of his works influenced the ways in which much of history recording in the modern world similarly focuses on the deep internet of customs and values of the people involved. Herodotus remains the most often-cited source of original historical informative material on Greece during 500-400 years BCE.
References
Gill, N. S. (2018). The Greek Historian, Herodotus. ThoughtCo. Web.
Mark, J. J. (2018). Herodotus. World History Encyclopedia. Web.
Pelling, C. (2019). Herodotus and the Question Why. University of Texas Press.