Historians

Question 1

Who was Herodotus?

Answer 1

A Greek Historian from Halicarnassus
Wrote ‘‘The Histories’’ in 440-20BCE
Main source of the Greco-Persian War (499-79BCE)

Question 2

How did Herodotus get his information?

Answer 2

Oral retellings from descendants or possible survivours
Visited a lot of archaeological sites

Question 3

What were the downsides of using Herodotus as a source?

Answer 3

Known to exaggerate certain events
Does not credit his sources
Sometimes Athenian bias (Themistocles. Thebes, Corinth)
Faulty memory
Not a tactician - wrote about battles

Question 4

What were the positives of using Herodotus as a source?

Answer 4

First-hand experience
Generally reliable on principal events
Background in Persian history and culture

Question 5

Who was Thucydides?

Answer 5

An Athenian aristocrat/historian/general
Wrote the ‘History of the Peloponnesian War’ from c.420s - 404

Question 6

How did Thucydides get his information?

Answer 6

Interviewed people who were at the events
After exile, travelled the Greek world (more eyewitnesses)

Question 7

What were the positives of using Thucydides as a source?

Answer 7

Captured the essence of speeches
Desire to write truthfully and objectively

Question 8

What were the negatives of using Thucydides of a source?

Answer 8

Slight aristocratic/athenian bias towards radical democrats (Cleon)
Summarises events (Pentecontaetia)
Barely gives contrasting stories to events (only his truth)

Question 9

Who was Diodorus Siculus?

Answer 9

Greek from Sicily
Wrote ‘Universal History’ between 60-30BC
Mostly sourced work from Ephorus
Poor chronology

Question 10

Who was Plutarch?

Answer 10

Greek from Boetia
Well-educated (access to libraries/sources)
Wrote ‘Parallel Lives’ (c.120AD)
Biographer - not an historian
Less critical - only occasionally compares/contrast stories