Herodotus
Herodotus was a Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria modern-day Bodrum, Turkey and lived in the fifth century BC c. 484425 BC, a contemporary of Socrates. He is widely referred to as The Father of History. The Historiesthis book is so call as The Historiesof Herodotus is the only work which he is known to have produced, a record of his inquiry on the origins of the Greco -Persian Wars, including a wealth of geographical and ethnographical information. Some of his stories were fanciful and others inaccurate; yet he states that he was reporting only what was told to him and was often correct in his information. Despite Herodotus historical significance, little is known of his personal history.
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与司马迁齐名的西方史学大师希罗多德
最经典英语文库第六辑之《希罗多德历史》导读
李修利
希罗多德(约前484前425)是古希腊最伟大的历史学家兼作家。中国读者常常将他与写出伟大历史著作《史记》的作者司马迁(前145前90)相提并论。司马迁子承父业,担任太史令,并漫游各地,了解风俗,采集传闻;希罗多德同样用生动的笔触,将自己一生中远行时的所闻所见,以及波斯等国的历史记录下来,写成影响后世两千多年的书《希罗多德历史》。
古罗马著名的政论演说家西塞罗称希罗多德为
历史之父(pater historiae),可以说,一点都不为过,正如司马迁可以作为中国历史之父。
《希罗多德历史》这本书中,主要记录了希罗多德听说的很多历史故事。的确,这与司马迁有相似之处。事实上,《史记》里也有很多故事都是司马迁听来的。但这并不妨碍司马迁成为伟大的历史记录者。正因为他的记录,哪怕是道听途说来的故事,也都是完整地被记录下来,并通过书籍形式,传到两千多年后的今天。这本身不就是个奇迹么!设想没有司马迁的记录,则中国历史上的很多精彩故事,可能就会陷入黑暗之中,不被人所知。