Histories (Herodotus)

Motivation for writing

Summary

Book I (Clio)

• The rapes of Io, Europa, and Medea, which motivated Paris to abduct Helen. The subsequent Trojan War is marked as a precursor to later conflicts between peoples of Asia and Europe.
• Colchis, Colchians and Medea.
• The rulers of Lydia : Candaules, Gyges, Ardys, Sadyattes, Alyattes, Croesus
• How Candaules made his bodyguard, Gyges, view the naked body of his wife. Upon discovery, she ordered Gyges to murder Candaules or face death himself
• How Gyges took the kingdom from Candaules
• The singer Arion's ride on the dolphin
• Solon's answer to Croesus's question that Tellus was the happiest person in the world
• Croesus's efforts to protect his son Atys, his son's accidental death by Adrastus
• Croesus's test of the oracles
• The answer from the Oracle of Delphi concerning whether Croesus should attack the Persians : If you attack, a great empire will fall.
• Peisistratos' rises and falls from power as tyrant of Athens
• The rise of Sparta

• A description the geographic location of several Anatolian tribes, including the Cappadocians, Matieni, Phrygians, and Paphlagonians.
• The Battle of Halys; Thales predicts the solar eclipse of May 28, 585 BC
• Croesus's defeat by Cyrus II of Persia, and how he later became Cyrus's advisor
• The rulers of the Medes: Deioces, Phraortes, Cyaxares, Astyages, Cyrus II of Persia
• The rise of Deioces over the Medes
• Astyages's attempt to destroy Cyrus, and Cyrus's rise to power
• Harpagus tricked into eating his son, his revenge against Astyages by assisting Cyrus
• The culture of the Persians
• The history and geography of the Ionians, and the attacks on it by Harpagus
• Pactyes' convinces the Lydians to revolt. Rebellion fails and he seeks refuge from Mazares in Cyme
• The culture of Assyria, especially the design and improvement of the city of Babylon and the ways of its people
• Cyrus's attack on Babylon, including his revenge on the river Gyndes and his famous method for entering the city
• Cyrus's ill-fated attack on the Massagetæ, leading to his death

  Book II (Euterpe)

• The proof of the antiquity of the Phrygians by the use of children unexposed to language
• The geography of Egypt
• Speculations on the Nile river
• The religious practices of Egypt, especially as they differ from the Greeks
• The animals of Egypt: cats, dogs, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, otters, phoenixes, sacred serpents, winged snakes, ibises
• The culture of Egypt: medicine, funeral rites, food, boats
• The kings of Egypt: Menes, Nitocris, Mœris, Sesostris, Pheron, Proteus
• Helen and Paris's stay in Egypt, just before the Trojan War
• More kings of Egypt: Rhampsinit, Cheops, Chephren, Mycerinus, Asychis, Anysis, Sethôs
• The line of priests
• The Labyrinth
• More kings of Egypt: the twelve, Psammetichus, Necôs, Psammis, Apries, Amasis II

  Book III (Thalia)

• Cambyses II of Persia's attack on Egypt, and the defeat of the Egyptian king Psammetichus III.
• Cambyses's abortive attack on Ethiopia
• The madness of Cambyses
• The good fortune of Polycrates, king of Samos
• Periander, the king of Corinth and Corcyra, and his obstinate son
• The revolt of the two Magi in Persia and the death of Cambyses
• The conspiracy of the seven to remove the Magi
• The rise of Darius I of Persia.
• The twenty satrapies
• The culture of India and their method of collecting gold
• The culture of Arabia and their method of collecting spices
• The flooded valley with five gates
• Orœtes's scheme against Polycrates
• The physician Democêdes
• The rise of Syloson governor of Samos
• The revolt of Babylon and its defeat by the scheme of Zopyrus

  Book IV (Melpomene)

• The history of the Scythians
• The miraculous poet Aristeas
• The geography of Scythia
• The inhabitants of regions beyond Scythia: Sauromatae, Budini, Thyssagetae, Argippaeans, Issedones, Arimaspi, Hyperboreans
• A comparison of Libya, Asia, and Europe
• The rivers of Scythia: the Ister, the Tyras, the Hypanis, the Borysthenes, the Panticapes, the Hypacyris, the Gerrhus, and the Tanais
• The culture of the Scythians: religion, burial rites, xenophobia, population

• The beginning of Darius's attack on Scythia, including the pontoon bridge over the Bosphorus
• The brutal worship of Zalmoxis by the Getae
• The customs of the surrounding peoples: Tauri, Agathyrsi, Neuri, Androphagi, Melanchlaeni, Geloni, Budini, Sauromatae
• The wooing of the Amazons by the Scyths, forming the Sauromatae
• Darius's failed attack on Scythia and consequent retreat
• The story of the Minyæ and the founding of Cyrene
• The kings of Cyrene: Battus I, Arcesilaus I, Battus II, Arcesilaus II, Battus III, Arcesilaus III, Battus IV, and Arcesilaus IV
• The peoples of Libya from east to west
• The revenge of Arcesilaus' mother Pheretima

Book V (Terpsichore)

• The attack on the Thracians by Megabazus
• The removal of the Paeonians to Asia
• The slaughter of the Persian envoys by Alexander I of Macedon
• The failed attack on the Naxians by Aristagoras, tyrant of Miletus
• The revolt of Miletus against Persia
• The background of Cleomenes I, king of Sparta, and his half brother Dorieus
• The description of the Persian Royal Road from Sardis to Susa
• The introduction of writing to Greece by the Phoenicians
• The freeing of Athens by Sparta, and its subsequent attacks on Athens
• The reorganizing of the Athenian tribes by Cleisthenes
• The attack on Athens by the Thebans and Eginetans
• The backgrounds of the tyrants of Corinth Cypselus and his son Periander
• Aristagoras's failed request for help from Sparta, and successful attempt with Athens
• The burning of Sardis, and Darius's vow for revenge against the Athenians
• Persia's attempts to quell the Ionian revolt

  Book VI (Erato)

• The fleeing of Histiaeus to Chios
• The training of the Ionian fleet by Dionysius of Phocaea
• The abandonment of the Ionian fleet by the Samians during battle
• The defeat of the Ionian fleet by the Persians
• The capture and death of Histiaeus by Harpagus
• The invasion of Greece under Mardonius and enslavement of Macedon
• The destruction of 300 ships in Mardonius's fleet near Athos
• The order of Darius that the Greeks provide him earth and water, in which most consent, including Aegina
• The Athenian request for assistance of Cleomenes of Sparta in dealing with the traitors
• The history behind Sparta having two kings and their powers
• The dethronement of Demaratus, the other king of Sparta, due to his supposed false lineage
• The arrest of the traitors in Aegina by Cleomenes and the new king Leotychides
• The suicide of Cleomenes in a fit of madness, possibly caused by his war with Argos, drinking unmixed wine, or his involvement in dethroning Demaratus
• The battle between Aegina and Athens
• The taking of Eretria by the Persians after the Eretrians sent away Athenian help
• Pheidippides's encounter with the god Pan on a journey to Sparta to request aid
• The assistance of the Plataeans, and the history behind their alliance with Athens
• The Athenian win at the Battle of Marathon, led by Miltiades and other strategoi
• The Spartans late arrival to assist Athens
• The history of the Alcmaeonidae and how they came about their wealth and status
• The death of Miltiades after a failed attack on Paros and the successful taking of Lemnos

Book VII (Polymnia)

• The amassing of an army by Darius after learning about the defeat at Marathon
• The quarrel between which son should succeed Darius in which Xerxes is chosen
• The death of Darius in 486 BC
• The defeat of the Egyptian rebels by Xerxes
• The advice given to Xerxes on invading Greece: Mardonius for invasion, Artabanus against

• The dreams of Xerxes in which a phantom frightens him and Artabanus into choosing invasion
• The preparations for war, including building the Xerxes Canal and Xerxes' Pontoon Bridges across the Hellespont
• The offer by Pythius to give Xerxes all his money, in which Xerxes rewards him
• The request by Pythius to allow one son to stay at home, Xerxes's anger, and the march out between the butchered halves of Pythius's son
• The destruction and rebuilding of the bridges built by the Egyptians and Phoenicians at Abydos
• The siding with Persia of many Greek states, including Thessaly, Thebes, Melia, and Argos
• The refusal of aid after negotiations by Gelo of Syracuse, and the refusal from Crete
• The destruction of 400 Persian ships due to a storm
• The small Greek force led by Leonidas I, sent to Thermopylae to delay the Persian army
• The Battle of Thermopylae in which the Greeks hold the pass for 3 days
• The secret pass divulged by Ephialtes of Trachis, which Hydarnes uses to lead forces around the mountains to encircle the Greeks
• The retreat of all but the Spartans, Thespians, and Thebans.
• The Greek defeat and order by Xerxes to remove Leonidas's head and attach his torso to a cross

Book VIII (Urania)

• Greek fleet is led by Eurybiades, a Spartan commander who led the Greek fleet after the meeting at the Isthmus 481 BC,
• The destruction by storm of two hundred ships sent to block the Greeks from escaping
• The retreat of the Greek fleet after word of a defeat at Thermopylae
• The supernatural rescue of Delphi from a Persian attack
• The evacuation of Athens assisted by the fleet
• The reinforcement of the Greek fleet at Salamis Island, bringing the total ships to 378
• The destruction of Athens by the Persian land force after difficulties with those who remained
• The Battle of Salamis, the Greeks have the advantage due to better organization, and fewer losses due to ability to swim
• The description of the Angarum, the Persian riding post
• The rise in favor of Artemisia, the Persian woman commander, and her council to Xerxes in favor of returning to Persia

• The vengeance of Hermotimus, Xerxes' chief eunuch, against Panionius
• The attack on Andros by Themistocles, the Athenian fleet commander and most valiant Greek at Salamis
• The escape of Xerxes and leaving behind of 300,000 picked troops under Mardonius in Thessaly
• The ancestry of Alexander I of Macedon, including Perdiccas
• The refusal of an attempt by Alexander to seek a Persian alliance with Athens

  Book IX (Calliope)

• The second taking of an evacuated Athens
• The evacuation to Thebes by Mardonius after the sending of Lacedaemonian troops
• The slaying of Masistius, leader of the Persian cavalry, by the Athenians
• The warning from Alexander to the Greeks of an impending attack
• The death of Mardonius by Aeimnestus
• The Persian retreat to Thebes where they are afterwards slaughtered
• The description and dividing of the spoils
• The speedy escape of Artabazus into Asia.
• The Persian defeat in Ionia by the Greek fleet, and the Ionian revolt
• The mutilation of the wife of Masistes ordered by Amestris, wife of Xerxes
• The death of Masistes after his intent to rebel
• The Athenian blockade of Sestos and the capture of Artayctes
• The Persians' abortive suggestion to Cyrus to migrate from rocky Persis

  Critical editions

• C. Hude Herodoti Historiae. Tomvs prior: Libros I-IV continens.
• C. Hude Herodoti Historiae. Tomvs alter: Libri V-IX continens.
• H. B. Rosén Herodoti Historiae. Vol. I: Libros I-IV continens.
• H. B. Rosén Herodoti Historiae. Vol. II: Libros V-IX continens indicibus criticis adiectis
• N. G. Wilson Herodoti Historiae. Tomvs prior: Libros I-IV continens.
• N. G. Wilson Herodoti Historiae. Tomvs alter: Libri V-IX continens.

  Translations

• Henry Cary, 1849: Internet Archive
• George Rawlinson, 1858: full text of all books
• George Campbell Macaulay, 1904: , Project Gutenberg
• Alfred Denis Godley, 1921: , , ,
• * A. D. Godley Herodotus : The Persian Wars : Volume I : Books 1–2
• * A. D. Godley Herodotus : The Persian Wars : Volume II : Books 3–4
• * A. D. Godley Herodotus : The Persian Wars : Volume III : Books 5–7
• * A. D. Godley Herodotus : The Persian Wars : Volume IV : Books 8–9
• Aubrey de Sélincourt, 1954 ;1972, 1996, 2003, revised once by A. R. Burn, and twice by John Marincola
• Harry Carter, 1958
• David Grene, 1985
• Walter Blanco and Jennifer Tolbert Roberts, 1992
• Robin Waterfield, 1998
• Shlomo Felberbaum, 2003 – work in progress:
• Andrea L. Purvis, 2007, ed. by Robert B. Strassler
• Tom Holland, 2013
• Pamela Mensch, with notes by James Romm, 2014

  Manuscripts

• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 18
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 19
• Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 2099, early 2nd century AD – fragment of Book VIII