The extracts from other ancient writers add value to Herodotus' narrative in various ways: some offer fresh analysis and credible extra detail some contradict him interestingly some provide background illumination and some add drama and color. This is the first book to bring together Herodotus' entire narrative and interweave it with other ancient voices alongside detailed commentary to present and clarify the original texts. Yet although these modern narratives generally include numerous references to the ancient authors, they quote little directly from them. The victory of a few Greek city-states over the world's first superpower was an extraordinary military feat that secured the future of Western civilization.Īll modern accounts of the war as a whole, and of the best-known battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis, depend on the ancient sources, foremost among them Herodotus.

The pivotal moment came in 479, when a massive Persian invasion force was defeated and driven out of mainland Greece and Europe, never to return. The Persian War is the name generally given to the first two decades of the period of conflict between the Greeks and the Persians that began in 499 BC and ended around 450. His historical accounts and cultural depictions are based primarily on his personal experience and supplemented with his historical acumen.Weaving together the accounts of the ancient historian Herodotus with other ancient sources, this is the engrossing story of the triumph of Greece over the mighty Persian Empire. Herodotus, who spent much of his life traveling, was one of the most erudite historians of his time. This unprecedented historical work also features iconic accounts of the battles at Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis, worked into a narrative of conflicting ideals-Persian slavery versus Greek freedom. In The Persian Wars, Herodotus, the “Father of History,” gives a rich, first-hand examination of the ancient world surrounding the rise and rule of the Persian Empire alongside a concise history and cultural background of Scythia and Egypt. Lastly, Edward Ross Wharton’s Etyma Graeca provides a vocabulary foundation in 5,000 words from which most all other classical Greek words are built. Shelmderdine’s Introduction to Greek-a full curriculum for a first year course in classical Greek at the university level, complete with readings designed to kick-start comprehension of classic texts. In addition to the Loeb Classical Library editions of Herodotus, this collection includes Cynthia W. This collection is perfect for both students and enthusiasts interested in reading these classic accounts in the original Greek for the first time.

Logos Research Subscription for SchoolsĮxplore the climactic events of ancient Greece as Herodotus intended, with the Introduction to Herodotus’ The Persian Wars.

Herodotus on the persian wars