contrast the historical method of Thucydides with EITHER Herodotus OR Polybius. Thucydides and Herodotus are the original fathers of Greek Historiography and are considered the first two historians. Herodotus when compared to Thucydides the other Greek giant of historiography has been considered inferior by comparison. Both Thucydides and Herodotus discuss wars; Herodotus ‘The Histories” covers the Persian War wheresle Thucydides covers the “History of the Peloponnesian War”. This is where the similarities
Mediterranean region. The Persian War (499-479 BCE) witnessed a unified Hellenic response to repel foreign invaders while the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE) was distinguished by the polarization of former allies, Athens and Sparta, engaged in war. We know of these events, which transpired nearly 2,500 years ago, mainly because of the works of two men, Herodotus and Thucydides. Herodotus focused his writing on the events of, and surrounding, the Persian War where Thucydides’ major topic of inquiry
Persian Wars Timeline 560BCE - Asia Minor and Lydia - In Lydia, Croesus ascends to the throne after his father Alyattes dies, and subsequently starts to attack the Greek poleis of Asia Minor, starting with, according to Herodotus, Ephesus. 544BCE - Persians in Lydia - According to R. Sealey, the Persians successfully take over Lydia and the Greek poleis of Asia Minor in 544BCE. 514BCE - Scythian Expedition - This is the date that R. Sealey gives for the invasion of Scythia, led by Darius I. “After
Greek Sources on Sparta Tyrtaeus (7th century BC) Around the middle of the 7th century BC, Tyrtaeus wrote poetry that encouraged the Spartans to fight bravely during the Second Messenian War. They were a form of propaganda to enforce Spartan devotion and bravery, and thus were taught as a part of the Spartan education. Soldiers advanced into battle to the poetry of Tyrateus to rouse the spirit and to inspire military efficiency. Apart from fragments, four of Tyrtaeus' elegies have survived. Who
The Battle of Thermopylae from Herodotus Herodotus and His Significance As detailed in the provided primary source, Herodotus is related to the invasion of the Greek mainland by the Persian king Xerxes in 480 B.C. Herodotus was, therefore, a Greek historian born in Halicarnassus within the Persian Empire and a contemporary of Socrates. Herodotus was referred to as one of the Fathers of History who was known to have broken the Homeric traditions. As a discipline, it is essential to consider that the
the idea that all Greeks are inherently free and therefore that non-Greeks are slavish and therefore incapable of freedom (Ath. Pol. I. 1252b). Persians depicts the barbarians’ perceived obsession with hierarchal politics throughout, cataloguing the names of fallen commanders (Aes. Persae. L. 29-64, 300-331) and stressing the power and importance of Persian autocracy (L. 169-170, 212-214, 634-636), this contrasting with the apparent equality of the democratic Greeks, none of which are ever named in