The Histories (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

~ Herodotus (Author), Carolyn Dewald (Editor), Robin Waterfield (Translator) "Here are presented the results of the enquiry carried out by Herodotus of Halicarnassus..." (more)
Key Phrases: perfumed spices, twenty stades, grain route, King Darius, Euxine Sea, Red Sea (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"The father of history," as Cicero called him, and a writer possessed of remarkable narrative gifts, enormous scope, and considerable charm, Herodotus has always been beloved by readers well-versed in the classics. Compelled by his desire to "prevent the traces of human events from being erased by time," Herotodus recounts the incidents preceding and following the Persian Wars. He gives us much more than military history, though, providing the fullest portrait of the classical world of the 5th and 6th centuries. This readable new translation is supplemented with expansive notes to help the reader appreciate the book in depth.

About the Author

Carolyn Dewald is Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Southern California. Robin Waterfield is a distinguished translator whose version of Plato's Republic has been described as `the best available'.

Product Details

• Paperback: 840 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192824252
• ISBN-13: 978-0192824257
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #305,548 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Readable, Nice Price, and Lots of Maps, June 22, 2001

By	Timothy Dougal (Joliet, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This Oxford Classics edition has much to recommend it. First, it is translated into smooth modern English, which, while not conveying every subtlety of Greek, will nontheless help the present-day reader through this long work. Second, the price is under $10. Third, there is an excellent map collection at the back showing the ancient world as we see it and as Herodotus saw it. The notes, bibliography, appendices, indexes, timeline and glossary all make this a great resource for the student or casual reader. There is enough mention of content in all the other reviews. I just wanted to point out the advantages of this edition.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful translation of an historical classic., January 25, 1999

By A Customer

This new translation by Robin Waterfield is smooth, colloquial, and easily readable, comparable to Robert Fagles' outstanding new translations of Homer's Illiad and Odessey. Carolyn Dewald has provided 150 pages of detailed and highly useful notes, all unobtrusively placed at the end of the book. Ten maps show virtually every geographical detail needed to follow Herodotus's tour around the known world, and a detailed index makes finding people--though not keywords--easy. All in all, an enjoyable read.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent edition, September 20, 2006

By	P. Mizukami - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not going to review the book itself, just point out that this is, if not the best, one of the best editions of Herodotus' Histories available in the English language. You can't go wrong with this one.

Herodotus is extremely readable no matter what translation you choose, but Robin Waterfield's translation is a delight to read and flows better than any other I've tried. The translation is not the only reason to buy this edition, though. Oxford also included lots of supplementary information. Carolyn Dewald provides us with a great introduction, going over Herodotus' style, narrative habits, themes, and the importance of the Histories as history. Dewald has also written short commentaries on each of the books, which are followed by very informative paragraph-by-paragraph notes. These notes alone make this edition worth the investment.

Short glossaries of greek and foreign terms used by Herodotus are also included, as well as 10 very useful maps, and notes on greek clothing, weights, measures, money and distances.