Customer Reviews

A Commentary on Herodotus: With Introduction and Appendixes Volume 2 (Books V-IX)

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I used this commentary years ago. Without it, much of this book, the delight of which is in detail and nuance, would have remained obscure for me. the primary emphasis is on the Greek text, but there is a real wealth of historical information to be found here as well. The first four books of Herodotus, in particular, display a narrative richness deriving from what we would now call travel literature, anthopology, and legend. Herodotus was speaking to an educated and somewhat cosmopolitan audience whose knowledge and belief background is very difficult for a modern to replicate. The How commentary was critical for getting a real understanding of what Herodotus was talking about and in fact made it very entertaining. In particular, these first four books should be very enjoyable for those what want to get a feel for an intelligent Greek's world view at the time, without getting into the actual history of the Persian War, which really commences in the fifth book.

Although nearly a century old, this work by How and Wells remains the only complete commentary on Herodotus available in English. As the books are quite expensive, be aware that a free electronic edition is available from Project Gutenberg.

This supplement to Herodotus is the most comprehensive work on Herodotus' History. By commenting on the text, archaeology, geography, and virtually every aspect relating to Herodotus, one may become familiar with the first history of the classical era. I strongly reccomend the two volumes for anyone who has read Herodotus before, as he/she will gain a deeper study of the work.