Ancient Historians Flashcards
Who was Herodotus?
A Greek Historian from Halicarnassus
Wrote ‘‘The Histories’’ in 440-20BCE
Main source of the Greco-Persian War (499-79BCE)
Who was Thucydides?
An Athenian aristocrat/historian/general
Wrote the ‘Pentacontaetia’ and ‘History of the Peloponnesian War’
Who was Plutarch?
Who was Diodorus Siculus?
How did Herodotus get his information?
Oral retellings from descendants or possible survivours
Visited a lot of archaeological sites
What were the downsides of using Herodotus as a source?
Known to exaggerate certain events
Does not credit his sources
Sometimes Athenian bias
Faulty memory
Not a tactician - wrote about battles
Supernatural bias
What were the positives of using Herodotus as a source?
First-hand experience
Generally reliable on principal events
Background in Persian history and culture
How did Thucydides get his information?
