Herodotus Biography
Herodotus – an ancient Greek historian, nicknamed the “father of history.” One of the first geographers and scientists-travelers. On the basis of the seen and questioned information gave the first general description of the then known world. Almost all known countries of their time traveled to write their famous “History”: Greece, South Italy, Asia Minor, Egypt, Babylonia, Persia, visited most of the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, visited the Black Sea, Crimea (up to Chersonesos ) and in the country of the Scythians. The author of the works devoted to the description of the Greco-Persian wars with the description of the history of the state of the Achaemenids, Egypt, etc.; gave the first description of life and life of the Scythians.
Herodotus was born about 484 BC in the small Asian city of Halicarnassus. He came from a rich and noble family, who had extensive trade ties.
In 464, Herodotus set off on a journey with the original purpose of
It was possible to restore the routes of Herodotus’ travels. He climbed up the Nile to Elephantine (Assuan), the extreme boundary of Ancient Egypt, passing near the first threshold. In the east, he reached Babylon, two thousand kilometers from the Aegean Sea, perhaps even that he had reached Susa, but this is only an assumption. In the north, Herodotus, perhaps, visited the Greek colonies, based on the Black Sea coast, on the territory of modern Ukraine. In the west, he visited southern Italy, where he took part in the founding of the Greek colony. Also visited the current Cyrenaica and the current Tripolitania.
Since the purpose of his travel was events related to the Greco-Persian wars, he sought to visit the areas where the fighting took place, in order to get all the details he needed on the spot.
This part of its history, Herodotus begins with a description of the customs
Herodotus belongs to the first surviving to us description of Scythia and the peoples inhabiting it, mainly from the inquiries of knowledgeable persons from among the Greek colonists (there is no evidence that Herodotus visited the Crimean and Azov cities). Characterization of the Scythian rivers Herodotus begins with Istra (Danube), which “flows through the whole of Europe, starting in the land of the Celts.” He considers Istra the greatest known river, besides it is always deep, in summer and in winter. After Istra the largest river is the Borysfen (Dnepr). Herodotus correctly indicates that it flows from the north, but says nothing about the Dnipro rapids, therefore, does not know about them. “Near the sea, the Borisfen is already a powerful river, where the Gipanis [Southern Bug], which flows into the same [Dnieper] estuary, joins it.”
In her descriptions, Herodotus retells many myths about the origin of the Scythian people; in which a large role is assigned to Hercules. Description of Scythia, he ends with a story about the Scythian marriages with warrior women from the tribe of the Amazons, which, in his opinion, can explain the Scythian custom that the girl can not get married until she kills the enemy.
Herodotus had information about the western shores of the Black Sea from the mouth of the Dniester to the Bosphorus and most of the coast of the Balkan Peninsula.
Herodotus’ travels covered also North-East Africa: he visited Cyrene. His description of this part of the continent – a mixture of questionnaires and personal impressions – is the first characteristic of the relief and hydrography of Ancient Egypt and the territories to the west of it.
In the exotic fauna, he is interested in part by the strangeness of the appearance and behavior of animals, but even more is the nature of the connections that arose between man and animals. This relationship in Egypt is much closer than in Greece, and imposes unusual obligations on a person. Herodotus reflects on the “treaty” concluded by the Egyptian with the cat, ibis and crocodile, and his studies allow him to make astounding discoveries not in relation to the animal, but in relation to man.
The traveler is happy to collect information about outlandish rituals. His picture of Egypt, however marvelous or incomplete it may be, is nevertheless largely confirmed by modern historians, or, at any rate, considered plausible by them.
Returning as a young man to his homeland, to Halicarnassus, the traveler took part in the popular movement against the tyrant Ligdamis and helped to overthrow him. In 444 BC, Herodotus attended the Panatholic festivities and read excerpts from the description of his travels, provoking universal enthusiasm. At the end of his life, he retired to Italy, in Turium, where he spent the rest of his days, leaving the glory of a famous traveler and even more famous historian.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)