The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories

In the 5th century BC an adventurous Ionian Greek, Herodotus of Halicarnassus, journeyed extensively through the lands of the eastern Mediterranean, from Egypt to Asia Minor, collecting tales of the upheavals that had afflicted the region in the earlier part of the century. The fruits of his wanderings were The Histories, in which he used his narrative gifts not only to chronicle the rise of the Achaemenid Persian Empire and its war with the Greek city-states, but also to recount his experiences with the varied peoples and cultures he had encountered during his journey. Herodotus earned the nickname 'the father of history' for this, the first authentic work of historical writing in the Western literary canon. In it he explored such universal themes as the nature of freedom, the role of religion, the human costs of war, and the dangers of absolute power. But in addition to his narrative of the Greek-Persian conflict, he included in The Histories rich seams of anthropology, ethnography, geology, and geography, pioneering these fields of study. Successful navigation of this sprawling, monumental work requires an understanding of ancient geography and events that will often be unfamiliar to the modern reader. Ten years in the making, Robert Strassler's magisterial new edition of The Histories is amplified by a veritable battery of editorial features - illustrations, maps, annotations, explanatory synopses, and state-of-the-art appendices on such critical themes as Athenian government, Egypt, Persian weaponry and tactics, oracles, religion tyranny and the position of women - that makes Herodotus' masterpiece more comprehensible, more accessible, even more enjoyable than ever before. The Landmark Herodotus is the definitive edition of a Western cultural milestone. It belongs on the bookshelf of every literate individual.

Table of Contents:
Introduction by Rosalind ThomasEditor's Preface by Robert B. StrasslerTranslator's Preface by Andrea L. PurvisDated Outline of TextKey to MapsBook OneBook TwoBook ThreeBook FourBook FiveBook SixBook SevenBook EightBook NineAppendix A The Athenian Governance in Herodotus - Peter Krentz, Davidson CollegeAppendix B The Spartan State in War and Peace - Paul Cartledge, University of CambridgeAppendix C The Account of Egypt: Herodotus Right and Wrong - Alan B. Lloyd, University of WalesAppendix D Herodotean Geography - James Romm, Bard CollegeAppendix E Herodotus and the Black Sea Region - Everett L. Wheeler, Duke UniversityAppendix F Rivers and Peoples of Scythia - Everett L. Wheeler, Duke UniversityAppendix G The Continuity of Steppe Culture - Everett L. Wheeler, Duke UniversityAppendix H The Ionian Revolt - George L. Cawkwell, University College, OxfordAppendix I Classical Greek Religious Festivals - Gregory Crane, Tufts UniversityAppendix J Ancient Greek Units of Currency, Weight, and Distance - Thomas R. Martin, College of the Holy CrossAppendix K Dialect and Ethnic Groups in Herodotus - William F. Wyatt, Brown UniversityAppendix L Aristocratic Families in Herodotus - William F. Wyatt, Brown UniversityAppendix M Herodotus on Persia and the Persian Empire - Christopher Tuplin, University of LiverpoolAppendix N Hoplite Warfare in Herodotus - J. W. I. Lee, University of California, Santa BarabaraAppendix O The Persian Army in Herodotus - J. W. I. Lee, University of California, Santa BarabaraAppendix P Oracles, Religion, and Politics in Herodotus - Donald Lateiner, Ohio Wesleyan UniversityAppendix Q Herodotus and the Poets - Andrew Ford, Princeton UniversityAppendix R The Size of Xerxes' Expeditionary Force - Michael A. Flower, Princeton UniversityAppendix S Trireme Warfare in Herodotus - Nicolle Hirschfeld, Trinity UniversityAppendix T Tyranny in Herodotus - Carolyn Dewald, Bard CollegeAppendix U On Women and Marriage in Herodotus - Carolyn Dewald, Bard CollegeGlossaryAncient SourcesBibliography for the General ReaderFigure CreditsIndexReference Maps

About the Author :
Robert B. Strassler is an independent scholar and the editor of the widely praised Landmark Thucydides. Andrea L. Purvis holds a PhD in classical studies from Duke University and has taught in that university's department of classical studies