The Histories (Everyman's Library) [Hardcover]

Herodotus (Author), George Rawlinson (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 1997

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

Herodotus is not only the father of the art and the science of historical writing but also one of the Western tradition's most compelling storytellers. In tales such as that of Gyges—who murders Candaules, the king of Lydia, and unsurps his throne and his marriage bed, thereby bringing on, generations later, war with the Persians—he laid bare the intricate human entanglements at the core of great historical events. In his love for the stranger, more marvelous facts of the world, he infused his magnificent history with a continuous awareness of the mythic and the wonderful. For more than a hundred generations, his supple, lucid prose has drawn readers into his panoramic vision of the war between the Greek city-states and the great empire to the east. And in the generosity of his spirit, in the instinctive empiricism that took him searching over much of the known world for information, in the care he took with sources and historical evidence, in his freedom from intolerance and prejudice, he virtually defined the rational, humane spirit that is the enduring legacy of Greek civilization.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Since the release of the film version of Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient, there has been renewed interest in the Histories of Herodotus--the book the dying patient treasures so much.

The writings of Herodotus are the ground zero of Western history. He lived during the fifth century B.C.E, and his Histories chronicle the events of the Persian Wars, which were within living memory when he wrote. He was the first writer to examine real, rather than mythical history, and although his work lacks the rigor of later histories, it has a breathtaking scope. Herodotus is a wonderful storyteller, and in recalling the wars with Persian invaders, he ranges across the ancient world, mixing politics with natural history and anthropology. These are traveler's tales, and a great deal of their appeal to a modern audience lies in the way Herodotus describes the cultures that influence his story. The societies of Scythians, Arabs, and Egyptians are depicted in detail, from their political structures to their dining habits. Herodotus created a sense of history for his people, and he gives us a picture of a distant past that reminds us of the vast continuum of civilization.

About the Author

Herodotus was a Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, in Asia Minor, in the fifth century B.C. Called the Father of History, he wrote the first comprehensive attempt at secular narrative history, long considered the starting point of Western historical writing. The focus of his Histories is the Persian Wars, but he includes fascinating digressions on the histories of Bablyon, Egypt, and Thrace, as well as studies of the pyramids and various historical events. He was the first writer to evaluate historical, geographical, and archaeological material critically.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 816 pages
• Publisher: Everyman's Library (March 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375400613
• ISBN-13: 978-0375400612
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.7 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #554,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Edition, June 11, 2001

By 

Michael H. Siegel (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Histories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

I was surprised to find the Histories to be so readable and enjoyable. I'm not used to thinking of a history book as a page-turner but the last four chapters of the Histories, which describe the Persian wars, were compelling reading. That's not to slight the first five book, which describe the world of Herodotus' time and the rise of the Persian, Egyptian and Greek Empires in fascinating detail.

Despite the rather formal language of the translation, the Histories are very engaging. Herodotus not only illuminates critical details of historical events but enlivens them with anecdotes and legends, some of this likely apocryphal. Rawlinson's translation is very good and his footnotes, despite their age, are outstanding. The best thing is that they are footnotes, not endnotes, so you won't break your fingers constantly flipping to the back of the book.

One critical missing element, however, is a map. A map of the world in Herodotus's time (such as I found online) would really make a lot of the events clearer.

In the time since I have read Herodotus, I have begun to appreciate how his Histories are the cornerstone of a classical education. The Histories are constantly referenced in western literature in everything from the Divine Comedy to the English Patient to Lawrence of Arabia to Ball Four.

If you're trying to give yourself a good foundation in history and western culture, this is the best place to start.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book in a Tough Translation: There Are Better!, July 24, 2008

By 

JMB1014 "JMB1014" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Histories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

I am surprised to see people raving about this edition of Herodotus while conceding that the translation is a bit "formal" and that it would have helped to have "a map."

Indeed!

There are better translations - certainly more readable ones. And the three editions I own all have maps. Preeminent among available editions for the non-specialist is the Landmark Herodotus, first issued in November 2007, edited by Robert Strassler (editor of the Landmark Thucydides, and now the Landmark Xenophon's Hellenika), which is just crammed with lots of very fine maps (127, no less), helpfully placed in the text just where you need them and referenced in notes so you can easily find the places being mentioned as you go. There are also footnotes, marginal glosses, headings, a chronological summary of events, black and white pictures and photographs. A set of appendices by leading specialists provides insight from the best of current scholarship into many issues and areas about which readers may wish to know more, including religion, triremes, weights and measures, important lineages, and the like. The translation may lack the delights of a work with real literary grace but it is very easy to read and quite competent. In fairness, the literary quality seems to improve and "rise to the occasion" in the more dramatic, final 3-4 books. This edition is really indispensable. The maps alone more than justify the extra cost because you have every opportunity now to see where the places were and where things happened. It makes an immense difference. Considering all the other helpful and up-to-date materials that are included, that is an outstanding, handsome volume.

For those who, like me, prefer to read Greek with more than one translation, the David Grene and Aubrey de Selincourt versions are quite good. Both are highly readable, racy and literate. They also feature notes and a few maps, though these features are less accessible than in the Landmark. Robin Waterfield also does a good job, though I find his English prose a bit choppy. You can get these translations in paperback.

I have struggled with Rawlinson's translation: it is a tough read. Some critics assert that he captures in English more of the spirit of Herodotus' original Greek. That may be true. But if you really mean to haul your way through the entire Herodotus, and you really should because it is great stuff, do yourself a favor and read a more contemporary translation. As you are slogging along in Egypt, Scythia or Salamis, watching digressions and divagations piling up along the way, you will be glad you did.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Father of History, October 29, 2003

By 

South Dakota Farmboy "sdfarmboy" (Avon, SD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Histories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

Herodotus is called "the father of history" and this book is the reason why. It's the earliest attempt at unbiased history, and that attempt was the catalyst for those historians who followe: Thucydides, Xenophon, etc. Even the common usage of the word "histories"--meaning "inquiries"--is due to Herodotus.

This book is filled with stories of all of the people with whom Herodotus was familiar in the ancient Mediterranean world, and a remarkable number of his stories and his descriptions are still considered to be accurate. Of course, some are off a bit, and some are way off the mark, but understanding how well he did--given the information and the means of communication and transportation that were available to him--leave me in awe.
The stories are colorful and wonderful. I was often amazed at how I'd known of many of them before without realizing that they'd come from Herodotus. Still, there are some major drawbacks to reading Herodotus.

First of all, it helps to have an understanding of the ancient world that Herodotus describes. A good map would have been a helpful appendix, but Google searches and some good historical websites are great aids to understanding all of the peoples and places he describes.

Second, Herodotus' writing is not linear in the way that history is written today. His narrative is multi-leveled and sometimes circular as he describes an area or a group of people, then describes those who came before them or influenced them. If you can keep this in mind, it helps to understand why he describes what seem to be tangential topics.

If you're interested in ancient history or like colorful stories, I HIGHLY recommend reading Herodotus. I wish that I had read him earlier as he would have provided a better basis for understanding the thoughts and writings of others who followed him.