History Extension Notes

Resource Description

Herodotus:

Who was the historian?

• Born Halicarnassus – 484 – 430BC
• Claimed he was Greek despite living in the boundaries of the Persian Empire.
• Has contact with both Greeks and Persians
• Lives through Persian and Peloponessian wars.

What was the purpose of his history?

• “To preserve the memory of the past”
• “so that the achievements of great men will not be forgotten”

What type of History did he write? How did he construct his history? From where did he get his sources?

• Military history.
• Oral sources
• Model of homer
• Own experience, local named oral sources – Priests/priestesses, Administrators, great families.

What criticisms are levelled at this historian? What historical debates has their work raised?

Detlev Fehling argues that he invented sources and info.

• How does he communicate with foreigners?
• Invented speeches?
• Only uses limited range of sources?
• Accuses him of supernatural causation and determination.

How has their approach to history shown change or development from previous approaches to History? How did their work impact on later historians?

• In Herodotus’ time it was acceptable to invent things that may or may not have happened.
• More recently, they write down everything as it happened – no fiction
• Invented genre of history with local legends and histories.

Extra info:

• B4 herodotus – Mythical and poetry.
• Local collections of stories.
• Attidoraphers – written about Attica
• Etrological – explains the origins of names or customs.
• The Histories – Persian invasion of Greece.
• Anachronistic: to take things out of their time and put them in an inappropriate one.