He was the son of the argive princess danae who was locked away in a bronze chamber by her father akrisios acrisius who lived in fear of a prophecy that he would one day be killed by her son. The history of herodotus by herodotus the internet classics archive. Artabazanes claimed the crown as the eldest of all the children, because it was an established custom all over the world. Perseus was one of the most celebrated heroes of greek mythology. With the help of the gods, perseus obtained winged sandals, an invisible helm and a magical sword. Perseus collection herodotus search for documents in search only in herodotus. Histiaeus goes to sardis, where artaphrenes accuses him of being the author of the ionian revolt 1. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus.
Being the second book of the famous history of herodotus london. Herodotus book 7 commentary beta edition 14 mb pdf aug 2012 rightclick on pc, ctrlclick on mac for option to download directly this link contains a free pdf copy of an unrevised draft of herodotus histories book 7. As he had not sired a son, acrisius went to consult the oracle. Histories by herodotus translated by george rawlinson book 4 melpomene. Ancient man and his first civilizations the persian wars by herodotus written 440 b. According to the persian story, perseus was an assyrian who became a greek. Histiaeus goes to sardis, where artaphrenes accuses.
Herodotus, histories book 7 page 61 perseus, the son of danae wanting to establish for himself his own kingdom, despised that of the medes. Herodotus 7 beta greek and latin texts with facing. Greek and roman arabic germanic 19thcentury american renaissance richmond times italian poetry. At the beginning of the histories, herodotus sets out his reasons for writing it.
And first, dividing the city into three parts, he gave a share in the government to his brothers pantagnotus and syloson. Thus i have traced the descent according to the account given by the hellenes. Greek researcher, often called the worlds first historian. Herodotus histories book ii classical wisdom weekly. July 20 this link contains a free pdf copy of herodotus book i. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. Greek text with facing vocabulary and commentary under a creative commons license. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages. Then when his mother had come, he put into her hands some of the inner parts of the victim, and besought her, saying as follows. All search options view abbreviations home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help. Books iv and v of ovids metamorphoses include the version of perseus tale that had. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus by. Perseus compared to moses and the danites of jaffa by.
The ten generals are of divided opinion, some urging to attack, others urging not to. Herodotus histories book ii the second book of the histories, called euterpe 1. The histories by herodotus, first edition abebooks. Mother, i beseech thee, appealing to the other gods and above all to this zeus the guardian of the household, to tell me the truth, who is really and truly my father. One of western historys greatest books springs to life in tom hollands vibrant new translation herodotus of halicarnassuswho was hailed by cicero as the father of historywrote his histories around 440 bc. Herodotus was an ancient greek historian who was born in halicarnassus, caria modernday bodrum, turkey and lived in the fifth century bce c. In book 3, passages 102 to 105, herodotus reports that a species of foxsized, furry ants lives in one of the far eastern, indian provinces of the persian empire. See all books authored by herodotus, including the histories, and selections from herodotus, and more on. He was fascinated by the behavior of the nile, as he had never seen nor heard of any river that behaved like it. They do not admit that the forefathers of acrisius were in any way related to perseus, but say they were egyptians, as the greeks likewise testify. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures.
Herodotus the great greek historian was born about 484 bce, at halicarnassus in caria, asia minor, when it was subject to the persians. Written in 440 bc in the ionic dialect of classical greek, the histories serves as a. The history of herodotus by herodotus, part of the internet classics archive. Polymnia now when tidings of the battle that had been fought at marathon reached the ears of king darius, the son of hystaspes, his anger against the athenians, which had been already roused by their attack upon sardis, waxed still fiercer, and he became more than ever eager to lead an army against greece. King polydectes commanded he fetch the head of medusa. This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. An eleventh man had a vote, chosen by lot to be polemarch note of athens, and by ancient custom the athenians had made his vote. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9. Top american libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. New translation, selections, backgrounds, commentaries norton critical editions by herodotus, walter blanco and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Power of vast thracian nation limited by disunity 3. The passage, from book i of his histories, is interesting in the way herodotus contrasts the behavior and values of the persians with those of the greeks, with the. Widely referred to as the father of history first conferred by cicero, he was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically and critically, and then to. Greek text with facing vocabulary and commentary, 2nd ed.
The history of herodotus by herodotus, part of the internet. He travelled widely in most of asia minor, egypt as far as assuan, north africa, syria, the country north of the black sea, and many parts. Herodotus has 361 books on goodreads with 122451 ratings. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. May 19, 2014 a delightful new translation of what is widely considered the first work of history and nonfiction.
The first book of the histories, called clio this is the showing forth of the inquiry of herodotus of halicarnassos, to the end that 1 neither the deeds of men may be forgotten by lapse of time, nor the works 2 great and marvellous, which have been produced some by hellenes and some by barbarians, may lose their renown. Perseus, athena and head of medusa, apulian redfigure krater c4th b. Herodotus the histories, book 6, erato 4393 affairs in greece next year darius sent down his new soninlaw, mardonius, with a large army to cilicia. Sincerely, andre herodotus book six discussion questions 1. A greek folk etymology connected perseus to the name of the persian people, whom they called the persai from old persian parsa persia, a persian. Herodotus 1 greek and latin texts with facing vocabulary. Herodotus 484425 bce the greek historian who wrote extensively on the persian empire, here describes persian customs as they would have been practiced around the year 430 bce at susa and other persian communities. He then sought out the ancient graeae and stealing their single eye compelled them to reveal the location of the gorgons. Thats not to slight the first five book, which describe the world of herodotus time and the rise of the persian, egyptian and greek empires in fascinating detail. Suidas medusa there is a story told in hellas that before xerxes set forth on his march against hellas, he sent a herald to argos, who said on his coming so the story goes, men of argos, this. Online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article herodotus. Herodotus claims to have traveled extensively around the ancient world, conducting interviews and collecting stories for his book, almost all of which covers territories of the persian empire. Herodotus would have made his researches known to the larger world through oral recitations to a public crowd. Home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source.
Im not used to thinking of a history book as a pageturner but the last four chapters of the histories, which describe the persian wars, were compelling reading. John marincola writes in his introduction to the penguin edition of the histories that there are certain identifiable pieces in the early books of herodotus s work which could be labeled as performance pieces. When cyrus had brought his life to an end, cambyses received the royal power in succession, being the son of cyrus and of cassandane the daughter of pharnaspes, for whose death, which came about before his own, cyru. The nomad tribe known as dahae robbers is mentioned for the first time in the daiva inscription of xerxes. Dear mother, i beseech you, by all the gods, and chiefly by our own. Herodotus recounts this story, devising a foreign son, perses, from whom the persians. The deposed demaratus questions his mother about his birth. The histories of herodotus is considered the founding work of history in western literature.
His description of the tribes in the sahara belongs to the most reliable parts of his histories. Herodotus, the earliest greek historian in the proper sense of the term, and the father of history, was according to his own statement, at the beginning of his work, a native of halicarnassus, a doric colony in caria, which at the time of his birth was governed by artemisia, a. To read the history herodotus only book is to seek ones roots as a member of western democratic civilization. Formal impeachment procedures are begun, and sparta appeals to the oracle at delphi. The history of herodotus, parallel englishgreek, tr. Herodotus has a wonderful, gossipy style that makes reading these histories more fun than studying the rise of the persian empire and its clash with greecehowever, thats exactly what readers will do in this engaging history, which is full of interesting digressions and asides. Herodotus account of egyptian history and customs, contained in book ii of his long narrative history of the persian wars, is a classic example of the father of history at work. So they took the child that was preferred by its mother and brought it up at public. Perseus perseus eurymedon, for his mother gave him this name as well apollonius of rhodes, argonautica iv. Herodotus book 2 page 91 the danaans then, were a group whom the greeks thought of, at first, as coming up out of the land of egypt, but about seven generations later these same danaans were coming out of joppa in. Herodotus histories with their historical, geographical, ethnographic, and religious aspects, have always been a source of delight and interest, not only for generations of readers, students, and storytellers, but also for artists a complete list of the painting representing scenes from herodotus histories is a task for a large community of scholars from different fields. Histiaeus flees to chios, where he is accepted after initial mistrust 2. The kings of the dorians they say counting up to perseus, son of danae. Hdt prefers the greek version, which makes the dorians egyptians and traces their family back only as far as perseus 53.
On the side of the barbarians the number of vessels was six hundred. It was not till perseus, the son of jove and danae, visited cepheus the. Herodotus, the histories, book 1, chapter 1, section 0. As usual, herodotus narrative looks more reliable when he describes the recent past.
Smiths dictionary of greek and roman biography and mythology. Chris watts mothers book parts 1 6 jimeva crime time. Thereupon indeed the spartiates in accordance with the messenians suggestions keep guard over the mother of aristodemus children and grasped that after the same fashion she was honoring the earlier in respect to both foods and baths, because she knew not for the sake of. Full text of the historry of herodotus vol vi see other formats. In the meantime those of the persians who had been left behind in europe by dareios, of whom megabazos was the commander, had subdued the people of perinthos first of the hellespontians, since they refused to be subject to dareios. The native name of this people, however, has always had an ain persian. Olympia, by this victory gaining the same honour as his mothers son miltiades had won. In the histories, he describes the expansion of the achaemenid empire under its kings cyrus the great, cambyses, and darius i the great, culminating in xerxes expedition to greece 480 bce, which met with disaster in the naval engagement at salamis and the battles at plataea and mycale. Hellenes generally,i mean that the names of these kings of the dorians are rightly enumerated by the hellenes up to perseus the son of danae leaving the god out of account, and proved to be of hellenic race. It remains one of the wests most important sources.
He cannot deceive artaphrenes, who compares him to the maker of a shoe that aristagoras has put on. He has been called the father of history, as well as the father of lies. The story of perseus and medusa, an interpretation of its. He travelled widely in most of asia minor, egypt as far as assuan, north africa, syria, the country north of the black sea, and many parts of the aegean sea and the mainland of greece. Fearful for his future, but unwilling to provoke the wrath of the gods by killing the offspring of zeus and his daughter, acrisius cast the two into the sea in.
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