Research Paper On Herodotus

Herodotus was a Greek historian, considered to be the father of History, who lived between 485 and 425 B.C. and published the work Histories. The publication was divided into the nine books, which narrated in detail the course of the Persian Wars, and ended with the victory of the Greeks over Darius and Xerxes. Although moral and religious aspects guide the narratives, many descriptive and ethnographic characteristics of the barbarian population are introduced, by recording numerous features of their common life and customs. Furthermore, the author established a clear picture of the known world, its various races, and previous histories of regions that possessed a form of heritage. Herodotus did not only collect contrasting opinions, but also

Its purpose and stories are very different from each other, which makes difficult to identify the unifying principle of such materials. Additionally, Herodotus relied on extensive travels in order to collect all of the information, sometimes by witnessing events, or gathering information from other’s experience. The author not only depended on archaeological artifacts, but visited monuments and consulted both scholars, and religious figures of every location. For example, his investigation regarding the myth on Hercules, in which the author folds unrelated elements together, despite of these elements being unreliable onions. Lastly, Herodotus traveled much of the known world including Egypt, Asia, Babylon, and Greece. His direct contact with other cultures, as well their intellectual, obligated Herodotus to separate himself from his perception of the native people. Documenting his observations, experiences, and further describing Egypt’s geography, ethnography, history and heritage, finally making the analysis of Book II

Such are illustrated by the story of Cheops, Chephren, Mycerinus, and the building of the pyramids of Giza. The author also explain the division of Egypt into twelve parts, and the rule of a different king per section. Lastly, narrating the story of the marriage between Lidece and Amasis. Herodotus describes the Egyptians as very superstitious, ceremonial, knowledgeable, skillful and educated. He believes that Egyptians are unique due to climate, influence of the Nile, which force them to practice different customs and laws. Geographic details are also described in book II, Herodotus gives data on Egypt’s geography. Describes its desert climate, notes the lack of wild animals but the abundance of domestic animals. The author writes the measures and distances between locations, and Egyptian territory. Also, the large Nile delta is defined, describing its seasonal floods, and Egyptian agricultural