Herodotus was born in 484? BC and died in 425 BC.
He is a Greek historian who is often called the Father of History
because he wrote the first work, The History, on the history
of Greek civilization. However, he is also referred to as the
father of lies, because much of what is written in his book, although
he did not mean it to be, is false.
Herodotus was born in Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey). He is believed to have been exiled from Halicarnassus around 457 BC for conspiring against Persian rule. He probably went directly to Samos, from which he traveled throughout Asia Minor, Babylonia, Egypt, and Greece. The direction and extent of his travels are not exactly known. However, they provided him with valuable firsthand knowledge of virtually the entire ancient Middle East. Around 447 BC he went to Athens, which was then the center and focus of culture in the Greek world. There he won the admiration of the most illustrious (influential, important) men of Greece, including the great Athenian statesman Pericles. In 443 BC, Herodotus settled in southern Italy in the Panhellenic colony of Thurii. He devoted the rest of his life to the completion of his great work, entitled History, which is the Greek word for inquiry.
The History has been divided by later authors into nine books, or parts. The earlier books deal with the customs, legends, history, and traditions of the peoples of the ancient world, which include the Lydians, Scythians, Medes, Persians, Assyrians, and Egyptians. The last three books describe the armed conflicts between Greece and Persia in the early 5th century BC. In The History, the development of civilization moves toward a great confrontation between Persia and Greece, which are presented as the centers, respectively, of Eastern and Western culture. Herodotus's information came partly from the work of predecessors (people, esp. of the same profession, who came before him), but it was widely supplemented with knowledge that he had gained from his own extensive travels. Although he was sometimes inaccurate, he was generally careful to separate the believable stories from the unbelievable ones.
The History may be the
first known creative work to be written in prose. Both ancient
and modern critics have complimented its excellent design and
its frank, lucid, and delightfully anecdotal style. As a result
of this style, The History is very easy to read. Herodotus
demonstrates a wide knowledge of Greek literature and contemporary
rational thought. He believed the universe is ruled by Fate and
Chance, and that nothing is stable in human affairs. Moral choice
is still important, however, because the gods punish the arrogant.
This attempt to create moral lessons from the study of great events
formed the basis of the Greek and Roman historiographical tradition,
of which Herodotus is rightly regarded as the founder.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION