Greek author and geographer Herodotus is recognized as the first historian. Herodotus wrote "The Histories," a lengthy account of the Greco-Persian Wars, which he published somewhere around the year 425 B.C. (The term "historie" in Greek means "inquiry"). No author has ever studied the history so methodically and thoroughly or attempted to explain the causes and effects of its occurrences before Herodotus. Historical analysis evolved after Herodotus into a crucial facet of political and intellectual life. Since 2,500 years ago, scholars have been following in Herodotus's footsteps.
Early Years
Herodotus was born at the Greek city of Halicarnassus, a bustling economic hub on Asia Minor's southwest coast, around 485 B.C. He was descended from a prosperous and well-traveled Greek-Carian merchant family. (The Minoan-descended Carians had already arrived in that region of Asia Minor before the Greeks.)
Halicarnassus was ruled by the despot Lygdamis while it was a satrapy, or province, of the Persian Empire in the middle of the 6th century B.C. The family of Herodotus rebelled against Lygdamis' reign and was exiled to the island of Samos.
Herodotus briefly visited Halicarnassus when he was a young man to take part in an anti-Persian uprising that failed. But after that, the author never went back to his hometown.
Where "the Histories" Came From
Herodotus spent his life wandering from one Persian province to another rather than settling down. He traveled from Greece to Egypt across the Mediterranean, then via Palestine to Syria and Babylon. He left for Macedonia and traveled to every Greek island, including Rhodes, Cyprus, Delos, Thasos, Samothrace, Crete, Samos, Cythera, and Aegina.
Herodotus sailed from the Black Sea to the Hellespont and continued until he reached the Danube River. Herodotus amassed what he called "autopsies," or "personal enquiries," while on the road. He took notes of the sights and created recordings of oral traditions, myths, and legends from the past.
Herodotus went back to Athens when he wasn't on the road, where he rose to fame. He performed readings in public areas and was paid by authorities for his appearances.
The citizens of Athens decided to thank him for his contributions to the city's intellectual life in 445 B.C. by awarding him a reward of ten talents (about $200,000 in modern currency).
In "The Histories,"
Herodotus dedicated his entire life to writing "The Histories," a narrative of the causes and outcomes of the Greco-Persian Wars (499–479 B.C.). It is from Herodotus' work that we derive the contemporary definition of "history."
The wars were simply described in "The Histories" to some extent. Here is the story of Herodotus of Halicarnassus' investigation, which he conducted in order to preserve human actions from the ravages of time and to document both Greek and barbarian great and miraculous feats.
By describing the Persians' imperial worldview, Herodotus said that the battle was also being attempted to be explained, "to illustrate what prompted them to fight one another." Herodotus is largely responsible for what we know about the Battle of Marathon. The observations and narratives from Herodotus' journeys were also included in "The Histories," both genuine and made-up.
Herodotus referred to earlier writers' works as "logographies," which are modern-day equivalents of travelogues—separate accounts of people and places that do not make sense as a unit. Herodotus, on the other hand, assembled a comprehensive narrative that accounted for both the why and the how of the Persian Wars using all of his "autopsies."
The Greco-Persian Wars
Editors divided Herodotus' Histories into nine books after his death. Each had a name derived from a Muse. The first five books attempt to explain the emergence and fall of the Persian Empire by looking to the past. They detail the people and culture of each kingdom the Persians conquered as well as its topography.
From the Persian monarchs Darius and Xerxes invading ancient Greece to the Greek victories at Salamis, Plataea, and Mycale in 480 and 479 B.C., the next four books describe the tale of the Greco-Persian Wars itself.
The encyclopedic approach of Herodotus did not provide much opportunity for analysis. He accords equal weight to every element of his story, including the main themes, side topics, and fictional elements.
He demonstrates how Persian arrogance contributed to the fall of a powerful kingdom, but he also gives much weight to slanderous stories about individual failings and moral lessons.
Herodotus also cautioned readers that since most of "The Histories" was based on tales he heard while traveling, he was unable to verify what he included in them.
History of the Past's Legacy
Herodotus was frequently accused by rival historian Thucydides for adding "fables" to his account only to make it more "delightful" and enjoyable to read. Thucydides relied entirely on "factual" information to present a less subjective description of "what had been done."
Indeed, there are individuals who call Thucydides “the first historian” and Herodotus “the first liar.” But no matter how one judges his reporting, Herodotus will undoubtedly get credit for taking a dull political subject and converting it into literature.