What’s it about?: Greek historian Herodotus’ account of how the Greek states struggled to fight the Persian Empire in the fifth century BC. It is a first-hand source, recounting the Greco-Persian Wars, through its various stages.
My opinion: I loved History of the Peloponnesian War when I read it as a student, and I thought I’d feel the same way about The Histories. However, compared to Thucydides, I found Herodotus to be very unfocused. And I’m not the only one to think this; Herodotus is considered by many historians to be unreliable, as in he made up a ton of stuff. Then again, you could say the same of many ancient historians. There are just too many digressions in The Histories to keep me hooked. The natural wonders of Egypt, or the flora and fauna of Europe, or the weird and wonderful beings encountered. All of these things are worthy of longform text on their own, but when juxtaposed with the history of the Greco-Persian wars, they’re just distracting.
There is some good: The Battle of Thermopylae is essential reading for any student of history, of course. Then you have the Battle of the Fetters, which comes to mind every time I think of groups, movements, and organisations who think they’re challenging the status quo. Sparta’s attitude going into the battle was one of arrogance, while the non-militaristic Tegea appeared to pose little threat, if any. Herodotus doesn’t provide much in the way of details, but it turned out to be the ultimate upset victory, shaming Sparta for years to come.
Whereas Thucydides is linear, focusing on a certain era of events, Herodotus is all over the place. That being said, Thucydides did have Herodotus in mind as a model for writing History of the Peloponnesian War, so it’s not like you can’t learn from him. And, it’s up to the historian to do their own research, corroborate sources, and build on what’s there. Thucydides travelled around, interviewing participants in the war. That, and he commanded some troops himself. He is more reliable.
Although, what frustrates me about The Histories might be what wins other people over. One could argue that this juxtaposition of historical fact and storytelling is a valuable insight into the ideas and values of Greek culture at the time. What facts and events are given priority, and the stories they tell, can still be valuable. These processes tell us a lot, and the texts still have their value. I’ve known people — teachers and students alike — who swear by Herodotus for this reason.
Definitely worth holding onto for reference. That’s why The Histories is still on my shelf, but it’s not something I’d recommend to a layperson who just wants to know their ancient history.
Lawrence Deveney 