Herodotus – History vs. Entertainment
“It is a curious fact, a seeming paradox, that the first two great histories ever written – the histories, namely, of Herodotus and Thucydides – should stand out preeminently as types of two utterly different methods of historical writing. Herodotus, the so-called ‘Father of History’ wrote with the obvious intention to entertain. There is no great logical sequence in his use of materials; he simply rambles on from one subject to another with little regard to chronology, but w
Writing – The Essential Medium of History
"It is obvious that the materials for the writing of history consist for the most part of written records. It is true that all manner of monuments, including the ruins of buried cities, remains of ancient walls and highways, and all other traces of a former civilization must be allotted their share as record to guide the investigator in his attempt to reconstruct past conditions. But for anything like a definite presentation of the events of bygone days, it is absolutely esse
On the Comprehensive View of the World Historian
Speaking about the comprehensive view of the World Historian, Professor Freeman writes: “My position is that in all our studies of history…we must cast away all distinctions of ‘ancient’ and ‘modern’, of ‘dead’ and ‘living’, and must boldly grapple with the great fact of the unity of history. As man is the same in all ages, the history of man is one in all ages. No…period of history can be understood in its fullness; none can be clothed with its highest interest…if it be look
History & Historians | Part 2 – The Classical World
“It requires but a glance at the historians of the classical period to see how altered is the point of view from which they write… Herodotus and Diodorus make the writing of their histories a life-work. They travel from one county to another, and familiarize themselves with their subject as much as possible first hand. They mingle with the scholars of many land, and listen to their recitals of the annals of their respective peoples. They weigh and consider, though in a quite
History & Historians | Part 1 – The Ancient World
“The earliest historians whose writings have come down to us are the authors of the records on the monuments of Egypt and Mesopotamia…these records, made in languages only recovered in the past two centuries, are full of historical interest because of the facts they narrate and the insight they hive us into the life of their times…” “There is, indeed, one regard in which these most ancient historical records have an advantage over more recent works. They were for the most par
