Herodotus and the Question Why
eBook - ePub

Herodotus and the Question Why

  1. 524 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Herodotus and the Question Why

About this book

This study of the ancient historian's work is "excellentĀ .Ā .Ā . [A] rigorous and engaging introduction not only to Herodotus, but to many other Greek authors" ( Times Literary Supplement).
In the fifth century BCE, Herodotus wrote the first known Western history to build on the tradition of Homeric storytelling, basing his text on empirical observations and arranging them systematically. Herodotus and the Question Why offers a comprehensive examination of the methods behind the Histories and the challenge of documenting human experiences, from the Persian Wars to cultural traditions.
In lively, accessible prose, Christopher Pelling explores such elements as reconstructing the mentalities of storyteller and audience alike; distinctions between the human and the divine; and the evolving concepts of freedom, democracy, and individualism. Pelling traces the similarities between Herodotus's approach to physical phenomena (Why does the Nile flood?) and to landmark events (Why did Xerxes invade Greece? And why did the Greeks win?), delivering a fascinating look at the explanatory process itself. The cultural forces that shaped Herodotus's thinking left a lasting legacy for us, making Herodotus and the Question Why especially relevant as we try to record and narrate the stories of our time and to fully understand them.

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Yes, you can access Herodotus and the Question Why by Christopher Pelling in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Teaching History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Series Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Abbreviations
  7. Preface
  8. Chapter 1: Why did it all happen?
  9. Chapter 2: To blame and to explain: Narrative complications
  10. Chapter 3: How can you possibly know?
  11. Chapter 4: Adventures in prose
  12. Chapter 5: Hippocratic affinities
  13. Chapter 6: Explanations in combination
  14. Chapter 7: Early moves
  15. Chapter 8: Empire
  16. Chapter 9: Herodotus’ Persian stories
  17. Chapter 10: The human and the divine
  18. Chapter 11: Explaining victory
  19. Chapter 12: Freedom
  20. Chapter 13: Democracy
  21. Chapter 14: Individuals and collectives
  22. Chapter 15: Then and now: Herodotus’ own day
  23. Chapter 16: Why indeed?
  24. Notes
  25. Bibliography
  26. Passages in Herodotus
  27. Passages in Other Authors
  28. General Index