HERODOTOS AS A HISTORIAN
Please bring a copy of Herodotos to the tutorial
Tutorial paper 2:
Was Herodotos the 'Father of History' or the 'Father of Lies'?
Discuss with particular reference to Book II.
Questions to consider for the tutorial discussion:
1: What does the account of the gold digging ants tell us about Herodotos' historical techniques?
Does he believe the story, and why? (Read the account below.)
2: Consider Herodotos' statement at II.123 (given on the next page).
Does this mean he is credulous and the Histories should not to be taken as serious history?
3: Read some or all of Book II of Herodotos, and consider what his sources of information were and how accurate these would be.
From your own copy of Herodotos, read passages II.3, II. 65, and 123, and consider what these tell you about his methodology.
4: Does Herodotos work under a religious framework? Consider II. 112-120 (esp. 120); assumption in VII. 133; judgement in VIII. 77.
READING (for all students)
Read the passages below, and Herodotos Book II, passages 3, 65, 112-120, 123, Book VII.133, VIII.77.
Try to read several passages of Book II if you can, to give you some further ideas about Herodotos' qualities as a historian.
It is also useful to read the introduction to the Penguin edition of Herodotos.
ADDITIONAL READING (for students preparing papers)
Fornara, C.W. Herodotos: An Interpretative Essay
Hart, J. Herodotus and Greek History
Luce, T.J. The Greek Historians, pp. 15-59
Ancient evidence to consider about
HERODOTOS
i. Herodotos I (preface)
Herodotos of Halikarnassos here gives the results of his investigation (historia), so that men's achievements may not in time become forgotten, nor great and wonderful deeds, some displayed by Greeks and some by barbarians, lose their fame, and especially to show the cause of the war they fought against each other.
ii. Herodotos I.5.3-4
I.5.3 This is what the Persians and Phoenicians say.
And concerning this I am not going to say that they were so or not, but I myself know who was the first to act unjustly against the Greeks, and after pointing this out I will proceed onwards with my account, relating the details of small and large cities of men alike.
I.5.4 For the majority of those which were formerly large have become small, and those which used to be small were great in my own time.
So, knowing that human prosperity never remains in the same place, I will make mention of both alike.
iii. Herodotos II.99.1, II.123.1
II.99.1 Up to this point, what I have written is based on my own observation and judgment and investigation, but from now on I am going to record the accounts I heard from the Egyptians; but I will also add to these from my own observation....
II.123.1 Anyone to whom such things are plausible may believe the tales of the Egyptians; but my appointed task through the whole work is to record what I have been told by everyone as I heard it.
iv. Herodotos III.102.2-3, 104.1, 105.1-2, 116.1-2: Gold digging ants
III.102.2 In this sandy desert are ants, not as big as dogs but bigger than foxes; the Persian king has some of these, which have been caught there.
These ants live underground, digging out the sand in the same way as the ants in Greece, to which they are very similar in shape, and the sand which they carry from the holes is full of gold.
III.102.3 It is for this sand that the Indians set forth into the desert.
They harness three camels apiece, males on either side sharing the drawing, and a female in the middle: the man himself rides on the female, that when harnessed has been taken away from as young an offspring as may be.
Their camels are as swift as horses, and much better able to bear burdens besides.
III.104.1 Thus and with teams so harnessed the Indians ride after the gold, being careful to be engaged in taking it when the heat is greatest; for the ants are then out of sight underground.
III.105.1 So when the Indians come to the place with their sacks, they fill these with the sand and drive back as fast as possible; for the ants at once scent them out, the Persians say, and give chase.
They say nothing is equal to them for speed, so that unless the Indians have a head start while the ants were gathering, not one of them would get away.
III.105.2 They cut loose the male trace-camels, which are slower than the females, as they begin to lag, one at a time; the mares never tire, for they remember the young that they have left.
Such is the tale.
Most of the gold (say the Persians) is got in this way by the Indians; they dig some from mines in their country, too, but it is less abundant.
III.116.1 But in the north of Europe there is by far the most gold.
In this matter again I cannot say with assurance how the gold is produced, but it is said that one-eyed men called Arimaspians steal it from griffins.
III.116.2 But I do not believe this, that there are one-eyed men who have a nature otherwise the same as other men.
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Herodotos, imagined likeness
Naples Museum
Lefkandi Centaur 'the first masterpiece of Greek sculpture'
terracotta, 900 BC
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