Herodotus: The Greek Invention of History

Herodotus is sometimes called the “father of history,” because he fundamentally changed the way humanity viewed its own story. As we read Herodotus, we’ll uncover answers to the following questions:

1. Why did Herodotus decide to write history? What made it different than other stories that had been written until then?
2. How does Herodotus’ including the Persian perspective reflect a particularly Greek way of thinking?
3. What does it mean when we say that the Greek culture is concerned with culture?

Recommended Reading: Herodotus. The Histories. Trans. Aubrey de Sélincourt. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003.