Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I am setting this one adrift for loss of interest.
I didn't actually finish reading this book, yet. I read chapters 1, 8, and 9, and parts of 3, 5, 6, and 7. What I read was good, especially chapter 1. For now, though, it goes on the shelf.
How can you give a bad review to Herodotus? I found it interesting.
This is so silly and fun and has been my favorite read in my endeavor of classics this semester
“Of all men’s miseries the bitterest is this: to know so much and to have control over nothing.”
“The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance.”
This is one of those books that offers both entertainment and intellectual stimulation in equal measure. While its status as one of the earliest works of history often places it on a pedestal, I found it to be an enjoyable and engaging read for its unique blend of storytelling and historical observation.
One of the key takeaways from this text is Herodotus’ understanding of human nature and fate. His famous quote, “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons,” encapsulates the tragic cyclical nature of life and death, particularly in times of conflict. The narrative often oscillates between profound reflections on the human condition and captivating tales of ancient peoples, making it both a philosophical and historical work.
Herodotus also frequently reflects on the complex and paradoxical nature of human behavior. In his observation that “Human beings are more inclined to believe a lie that is told in a convincing way than to be persuaded by a truthful fact,” he strikes a timeless chord about the human tendency to value appearances over truth. This theme resonates deeply, especially in today’s age of misinformation.
The book also contains fascinating accounts of wars, battles, and the rise and fall of great empires. One passage that stood out to me was when Herodotus said, “Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks.” This is a reminder that courage and sacrifice are often the underpinnings of history’s most significant moments. Whether recounting the Persian Wars or detailing the exploits of ancient kings, his storytelling captures the drama of these events in a way that makes them feel alive and vibrant.
Though Herodotus’ work is often fragmented, with a mix of history, mythology, and personal anecdotes, it still manages to hold together as a cohesive narrative. His insight into the complexity of power dynamics is reflected in the quote, “The most important thing in life is not to be afraid of what happens.” This attitude permeates his historical accounts, where power and control often come at a cost, but the resilience of individuals and societies is what ultimately shapes history.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Histories—it was both thought-provoking and entertaining. There were moments when the storytelling felt a little scattered, but those moments of insight and timeless wisdom more than made up for it. Herodotus’ reflections on life, fate, and human nature provide a rich, sometimes humorous, and always fascinating lens through which to view the past!
“The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance.”
This is one of those books that offers both entertainment and intellectual stimulation in equal measure. While its status as one of the earliest works of history often places it on a pedestal, I found it to be an enjoyable and engaging read for its unique blend of storytelling and historical observation.
One of the key takeaways from this text is Herodotus’ understanding of human nature and fate. His famous quote, “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons,” encapsulates the tragic cyclical nature of life and death, particularly in times of conflict. The narrative often oscillates between profound reflections on the human condition and captivating tales of ancient peoples, making it both a philosophical and historical work.
Herodotus also frequently reflects on the complex and paradoxical nature of human behavior. In his observation that “Human beings are more inclined to believe a lie that is told in a convincing way than to be persuaded by a truthful fact,” he strikes a timeless chord about the human tendency to value appearances over truth. This theme resonates deeply, especially in today’s age of misinformation.
The book also contains fascinating accounts of wars, battles, and the rise and fall of great empires. One passage that stood out to me was when Herodotus said, “Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks.” This is a reminder that courage and sacrifice are often the underpinnings of history’s most significant moments. Whether recounting the Persian Wars or detailing the exploits of ancient kings, his storytelling captures the drama of these events in a way that makes them feel alive and vibrant.
Though Herodotus’ work is often fragmented, with a mix of history, mythology, and personal anecdotes, it still manages to hold together as a cohesive narrative. His insight into the complexity of power dynamics is reflected in the quote, “The most important thing in life is not to be afraid of what happens.” This attitude permeates his historical accounts, where power and control often come at a cost, but the resilience of individuals and societies is what ultimately shapes history.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Histories—it was both thought-provoking and entertaining. There were moments when the storytelling felt a little scattered, but those moments of insight and timeless wisdom more than made up for it. Herodotus’ reflections on life, fate, and human nature provide a rich, sometimes humorous, and always fascinating lens through which to view the past!
First of all, I really rather enjoyed this book. I thought it would be fascinating to read about a time that long gone from someone who was actually alive back then and wrote down what he was told and witnessed himself, and overall it really was.
I read the Penguin Classics Deluxe edition, which is full to bursting with useful notes, comes with thirteen different and very handy maps, and two introductions. These are by the translator (Tom Holland) and editor (Paul Cartledge) and show their admiration for Herodotus' work. Both were lovely to read and made me even more excited to dive into the work.
When it comes to general reading enjoyment, I have to admit that I was sometimes a bit bored and was looking forward to finally finishing it (I think it took me at least a month to read it, longer than while I spent only two weeks on War and Peace). There are a fair few longer passages on rivers, through which regions they flow, why they rise at what time, and so on. I really struggled to concentrate on these parts, because, frankly, I'm just not interested in that. But that, of course, is my personal opinion, and I think others might find the detailed descriptions of the land's makeup more than two thousand years ago very fascinating.
There is also a huge variety of characters that are introduced at one point and then reappear at a point much further on in the narrative. The notes were really helpful here because they indicate where characters were mentioned before. I would have been completely lost without them. I was also a bit lost on the different origins and histories of the different peoples, unfortunately. This might be easier upon a re-read, I think. When it finally came to the Greco-Persian War, I felt a bit underwhelmed as well, but that might just have been my personal opinion, I'm not a big fan of long and tedious battle scenes.
These were the only things I disliked about The Histories, though. Otherwise I was actually drawn into the story at several points, despite the fact that it is a more or less historical narrative. The stories about single characters, like Croesus' rise and downfall or how Darius became king were highly enjoyable. The part of the narrative concerned with Egypt was also really readable and entertaining, especially the parts about the mythical creatures living there, such as the phoenix. This may not be historically correct on all points, but it just cave the otherwise often dry narrative a bit more colour.
So over all, I'm glad to have read this book and I'm sure I'll reread it at some point. There's just so much in there, it definitely lends itself to rereading!
I read the Penguin Classics Deluxe edition, which is full to bursting with useful notes, comes with thirteen different and very handy maps, and two introductions. These are by the translator (Tom Holland) and editor (Paul Cartledge) and show their admiration for Herodotus' work. Both were lovely to read and made me even more excited to dive into the work.
When it comes to general reading enjoyment, I have to admit that I was sometimes a bit bored and was looking forward to finally finishing it (I think it took me at least a month to read it, longer than while I spent only two weeks on War and Peace). There are a fair few longer passages on rivers, through which regions they flow, why they rise at what time, and so on. I really struggled to concentrate on these parts, because, frankly, I'm just not interested in that. But that, of course, is my personal opinion, and I think others might find the detailed descriptions of the land's makeup more than two thousand years ago very fascinating.
There is also a huge variety of characters that are introduced at one point and then reappear at a point much further on in the narrative. The notes were really helpful here because they indicate where characters were mentioned before. I would have been completely lost without them. I was also a bit lost on the different origins and histories of the different peoples, unfortunately. This might be easier upon a re-read, I think. When it finally came to the Greco-Persian War, I felt a bit underwhelmed as well, but that might just have been my personal opinion, I'm not a big fan of long and tedious battle scenes.
These were the only things I disliked about The Histories, though. Otherwise I was actually drawn into the story at several points, despite the fact that it is a more or less historical narrative. The stories about single characters, like Croesus' rise and downfall or how Darius became king were highly enjoyable. The part of the narrative concerned with Egypt was also really readable and entertaining, especially the parts about the mythical creatures living there, such as the phoenix. This may not be historically correct on all points, but it just cave the otherwise often dry narrative a bit more colour.
So over all, I'm glad to have read this book and I'm sure I'll reread it at some point. There's just so much in there, it definitely lends itself to rereading!
Part encyclopaedia, part travel guide, part war chronicles, The Histories written by Herodotus around 455 BC is a rambling assortment of likely truth and undoubted imagination which finally culminates in the war between the Persian Empire and the Greeks, specifically Athens and Sparta. Along the way we witness numerous conflicts around the Eastern Mediterranean, and pictures of the various civilizations, including Persia, Sparta, Egypt, Ethiopia, Arabia, India, and numerous others.
The Histories have been divided into 9 chapters or ‘books’ with the final three describing the war between Xerxes’ Persian Empire forces and the Greeks, touching lightly on the Battle of Marathon in book 6 before the ultimate clash of armies at Thermopylae, and navies at Salamis, as depicted in Aeschylus’ The Persians.
My copy is the Penguin edition (ISBN 9780140449082) translated by Aubrey de Selincourt and revised by John Marincola, with helpful maps and numerous footnotes.
My thoughts: Herodotus was the first writer to attempt to record history putting men at the source of their own decisions without the continual presence of various Gods (although reliance on consulting the advice of the Oracles was a very significant strategy to reassure kings they were doing the right thing). Herodotus is called the Father of History but also the Father of Lies, as although he tries to separate his personally verified facts from hearsay, his natural history at least is very imaginative (dog-headed men, flying snakes migrating from Arabia to Egypt, hippos with horses’ manes and tails, crocodiles with ears and golden earrings, and cats leaping deliberately into house fires)
Herodotus treats many of the earlier Persian actions without rancour, particularly those of Cyrus and his successor Darius. Xerxes is not as favourably depicted, as demonstrated by his madness when his bridges spanning the Hellespont are destroyed by storm and he decides to have the river flogged with whips and branded with hot irons in retribution.
When the two forces are about to meet, Herodotus makes much of the fact that it was Athens’ decision to stay firm and resist the invaders that saved Greece (and subsequently Europe) from Asiatic tyranny, despite Sparta providing considerable manpower and the generals to run both the sea and land campaigns, most notably Leonidas, King of Sparta and his famous 300 countrymen who stood and resisted the Persians at the Pass of Thermopylae.
Again the logic of reading the classics in chronological order is useful to me, as mention is made not only of the events in Homer’s Iliad, but also the works of Hesiod, Aesop, Sappho, Pindar and Aeschylus.
Favourite lines/passages:
“No one is fool enough to choose war instead of peace – in peace sons bury fathers, but in war fathers bury sons.” Croesus, defeated King of Lydia
“Retreat is no longer possible for either of us ; if we do not inflict the wound, we shall assuredly receive it” Xerxes, King of Persia commits his empire to the War
And what Monty Python fan could resist the description of the Indian tribe the Padaei, who live on raw meat, and especially eat any of their friends who fall ill, before the ‘meat’ can be ruined, despite the protestations of the sick person that they are not sick or feeling better.
This was book #30 in my journey to read all the classics of world literature. You can join me at my blog : chronolit.com
The Histories have been divided into 9 chapters or ‘books’ with the final three describing the war between Xerxes’ Persian Empire forces and the Greeks, touching lightly on the Battle of Marathon in book 6 before the ultimate clash of armies at Thermopylae, and navies at Salamis, as depicted in Aeschylus’ The Persians.
My copy is the Penguin edition (ISBN 9780140449082) translated by Aubrey de Selincourt and revised by John Marincola, with helpful maps and numerous footnotes.
My thoughts: Herodotus was the first writer to attempt to record history putting men at the source of their own decisions without the continual presence of various Gods (although reliance on consulting the advice of the Oracles was a very significant strategy to reassure kings they were doing the right thing). Herodotus is called the Father of History but also the Father of Lies, as although he tries to separate his personally verified facts from hearsay, his natural history at least is very imaginative (dog-headed men, flying snakes migrating from Arabia to Egypt, hippos with horses’ manes and tails, crocodiles with ears and golden earrings, and cats leaping deliberately into house fires)
Herodotus treats many of the earlier Persian actions without rancour, particularly those of Cyrus and his successor Darius. Xerxes is not as favourably depicted, as demonstrated by his madness when his bridges spanning the Hellespont are destroyed by storm and he decides to have the river flogged with whips and branded with hot irons in retribution.
When the two forces are about to meet, Herodotus makes much of the fact that it was Athens’ decision to stay firm and resist the invaders that saved Greece (and subsequently Europe) from Asiatic tyranny, despite Sparta providing considerable manpower and the generals to run both the sea and land campaigns, most notably Leonidas, King of Sparta and his famous 300 countrymen who stood and resisted the Persians at the Pass of Thermopylae.
Again the logic of reading the classics in chronological order is useful to me, as mention is made not only of the events in Homer’s Iliad, but also the works of Hesiod, Aesop, Sappho, Pindar and Aeschylus.
Favourite lines/passages:
“No one is fool enough to choose war instead of peace – in peace sons bury fathers, but in war fathers bury sons.” Croesus, defeated King of Lydia
“Retreat is no longer possible for either of us ; if we do not inflict the wound, we shall assuredly receive it” Xerxes, King of Persia commits his empire to the War
And what Monty Python fan could resist the description of the Indian tribe the Padaei, who live on raw meat, and especially eat any of their friends who fall ill, before the ‘meat’ can be ruined, despite the protestations of the sick person that they are not sick or feeling better.
This was book #30 in my journey to read all the classics of world literature. You can join me at my blog : chronolit.com