Greek
Herodotus was an ancient Greek writer often called the father of history, author of The Histories, the first great work of historical inquiry in the Western tradition.
Herodotus (c. 484–425 BCE) traveled widely across the ancient world, gathering stories, customs, and accounts that he wove into the first sustained work of historical writing.
His Histories center on the Greco-Persian Wars but range far beyond them, into the geography, peoples, and customs of Egypt, Persia, Scythia, and the wider known world. Combining inquiry, anecdote, and reflection on the causes of events, the work established history as a discipline of investigation — the very word “history” derives from his Greek term for inquiry.
Herodotus is honored as the founder of history and a wonderfully curious, digressive storyteller whose great work remains endlessly readable.
by Herodotus
Herodotus's account of the Greco-Persian Wars — from Croesus of Lydia through the Persian invasions of Greece, culminating in Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea. Along the way, extensive digressions on Egypt, Scythia, Babylon, and the customs of peoples across the known world.
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