About
Herodotus, born around 484 BCE in Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum, Turkey) and died between 430 and 420 BCE, probably at Thurii, is the author of the Histories, the oldest surviving work of historiography in Western literature. In it, he recounts the origins and course of the Greco-Persian Wars (499-479 BCE). He traveled extensively across the Persian Empire and the Greek world, and spent time in Athens, where he knew Sophocles. Cicero called him the 'Father of History'. His work, written in the Ionic dialect, combines inquiry, ethnography, and storytelling, and he is also considered a pioneer of ethnography.
Major works
- Histoireshistorical inquiry
Key milestones
- c. 484 BCEBorn in Halicarnassus, a Greek city under Persian rule.
- c. 444 BCEParticipated in the foundation of the Panhellenic colony of Thurii in southern Italy.
- c. 430-420 BCEDied, probably at Thurii.
Themes
Greco-Persian WarsEthnographyInquiry and historical methodStories and digressionsSkepticism toward sources
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordreference.com · oxfordbibliographies.com