Herodotus is considered by many to be the first of the Greek historians. He wrote around 450 B.C. to 428 B.C. He may have used an earlier work, Hecataeus' Travels as a model for his history. In Histories, Herodotus focused on the wars between the Greeks and the Persians and argued that Greek successes demonstrated the superiority of their culture. Because these events happened before his time, he had to evaluate the accuracy of conflicting sources. He was also interested in comparative politics. Herodotus' choice of material and his style influenced later generations. Herodotus' historical works had a beginning, middle, and ending and included fictitious speeches to make his works more interesting. They also focused on the individuals who changed history. Herodotus' accounts of Croesus, Cyrus, Polycrates, Cambyses, and Xerxes emphasized the moral value of history by showing how the gods punished these individuals for hubris or excessive pride.
Source:
Mary Ellen Snodgrass, Cliffs Notes on Greek Classics, New York: Wiley Publishing Inc., 1998.
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