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)
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
What were the positives of using Herodotus as a source?
First-hand experience
Generally reliable on principal events
Background in Persian history and culture
Who was Thucydides?
An Athenian aristocrat/historian/general
Wrote the ‘Pentacontaetia’ and ‘History of the Peloponnesian War’
How did Thucydides get his information?
Who was Plutarch?
Who was Diodorus Siculus?
