Embedded Files
Herodotus ~ “The most hateful human misfortune is for a wise man to have no influence.”
Herodotus was born in Halicarnassus a Greek city in southwest Asia Minor and lived in the 5th Century. Herodotus was a Greek Historian from Ionia. He is most notably known for his writing of The Histories. This book records the history of the Persian Empire and its growing conflict with the Greeks known as the Persian Wars. The first six books deals with the growth of the Persian Empire under the rulers of Croesus and later Cyrus the Great. The second book is largely concerned with Egypt and the annexing of it by Cyrus's successor Cambyses. The next four books consist of the expansion of the Persian Empire under Darius, the Ionian revolt and the burning of Sardis. The sixth book details the first Persian attack of Greece and the defeat of the Persians at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C.E. The last three books describe Xerxes invasion of Greece and their eventual defeat at Salamis and Plataea in 479 B.C.E. ***Continued after the image below****
Click on Map for larger image
[Herodotus continued] It is obvious from his writings that he was a seasoned traveler and regularly visited many places and cities. This is evident from his writing where he is describes visiting places such as the Nile, Sicily and even interviewing the priests at Babylon (in Mesopotamia). It would be fair to say that Herodotus was the first person of his time to actively travel around the world to report his accounts. It is because of this that he has become known as the Father of History.
There is not a lot of information about Herodotus and most of our information about him comes from his actual writing itself. It has been debated vigorously by historians that he was born between 500 B.C. and 470 B.C. The reason for this is that in his writing of The Histories he does not actually mention having witnessed the Persian War of 480-479 B.C. The date of his death is also a mystery and has been argued by historians over the years. It is believed that Herodotus died in the period of 429-413 B.C.E during or right after the plague of Athens, which claimed the lives of thousands of Athenians. Thucydides tells of Deccelea being plundered by Spartans in 413 B.C.E. This something that Herodotus in does not mention. Therefore it is fair to assume that he died between 429-413 B.C.E.
Thucydides ~ “The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom, courage.”
Thucydides was a Greek historian who was born in Alimos between the years 460 and 455 B.C.E and died between 411 and 400 B.C.E. He is known for his book The History of the Peloponnesian War which details the war between Sparta and Athens in the 5th Century. As with many authors of that time much of the information we know about him comes from this, his sole work, where we gain our views of his personality and his thoughts on the leaders of Athens.
Thucydides was an Athenian aristocrat who it is believed was in his late twenties or early thirties when the war first broke out in 431 B.C.E Thucydides famously describes to us the plague of Athens in 430 B.C.E, which killed nearly a third of the Athenian population and also Athens leader Pericles. Thucydides gives us a detailed account of the plague and the hardship it caused the Athenians.
"Externally the body was not very hot to the touch, nor pale in its appearance, but reddish, livid, and breaking out into small pustules and ulcers. But internally it burned so that the patient could not bear to have on him clothing or linen even of the very lightest description; or indeed to be otherwise than stark naked. What they would have liked best would have been to throw themselves into cold water; as indeed was done by some of the neglected sick, who plunged into the rain tanks in their agonies of unquenchable thirst; though it made no difference whether they drank little or much. Though many lay unburied, birds and beasts would not touch them, or died after tasting them".
It is also known that he was an Athenian general (Strategos) in 424 B.C and was in command of 7 ships which were stationed at Thasos and was subsequently to blame for the capture of Amphipolis.
"It was also my fate to be an exile from my country for twenty years after my command at Amphipolis; and being present with both parties, and more especially with the Peloponnesians by reason of my exile, I had leisure to observe affairs somewhat particularly2"
This led to him being condemned to death and fleeing to his Thracian estate. Thucydides did not return to Athens for another 20 years. It was because of this that he decided to write The History of the Peloponnesian Wars. Having been exiled from Athens, Thucydides was able to travel among Peloponnesian allies, gave detailed accounts from both sides. Using interviews, researching records, providing giving eyewitness accounts and his own take on events provides an insightful look at the war from both sides. While Herodotus is the first to dedicate himself to recording "history," Thucydides was the first to try and BE OBJECTIVE (meaning he focused on telling both sides of the story).
The date of his death is also the subject of much debate as some argue that because of the abrupt ending of his narrative in the middle of 411 B.C., he may have died around that time. However, it is also stated by Pausanias that a law was passed which allowed Thucydides to return to Athens in 404 B.C. but he was murdered on the way home. Therefore as is evident there is room for much debate on when he actually died but it would be fair to assume that he died between 411-404 B.C.E.
MORE QUOTES from Thucydides:
We secure our friends not by accepting favors but by doing [favors for] them.
Men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them.
History is Philosophy teaching by examples.
A nation that draws too broad a difference between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse