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Herodotus, referred to by Cicero and others as "the father of history," was the first to make the events of the past the subject of research and verification, and to relate their consequences to the present.In this commentary on Histories, an account of the struggle between Persia and Greece from the time of Croesus to that of Xerxes, How and Wells show that there are frequent digressions that give a wealth of information about the customs and cultures of peoples foreign to the Greeks. Providing a standard commentary of the Histories, this two-volume work will interest scholars as well as students.The authors offer short summaries introducing the subject matter of each section, a full introduction on Herodotus's life and style, and fifteen appendices that cover problems of text and content. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Indispensable for studying Herodotus
Although nearly a century old, this work by How and Wells remains the only complete commentary on Herodotus available in English. As the books are quite expensive, be aware that a free electronic edition is available from Project Gutenberg.

Makes a somewhat difficult work easy and fun
I used this commentary years ago. Without it, much of this book, the delight of which is in detail and nuance, would have remained obscure for me. the primary emphasis is on the Greek text, but there is a real wealth of historical information to be found here as well. The first four books of Herodotus, in particular, display a narrative richness deriving from what we would now call travel literature, anthopology, and legend. Herodotus was speaking to an educated and somewhat cosmopolitan audience whose knowledge and belief background is very difficult for a modern to replicate.The How commentary was critical for getting a real understanding of what Herodotus was talking about and in fact made it very entertaining. In particular, these first four books should be very enjoyable for those what want to get a feel for an intelligent Greek's world view at the time, without getting into the actual history of the Persian War, which really commences in the fifth book.

The DEFINITIVE guide to Herodotus
This supplement to Herodotus is the most comprehensive work on Herodotus' History.By commenting on the text, archaeology, geography, and virtually every aspect relating to Herodotus, one may become familiar with the first history of the classical era.I strongly reccomend the two volumes for anyone who has read Herodotus before, as he/she will gain a deeper study of the work. ... Read more

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This work talks about a king who would be worshipped as a god. When Xerxes, King of Persia, crosses the Hellespont at the head of a formidable army, it seems inevitable that Greece will be crushed beneath its might. But, the Greeks are far harder to defeat than he could ever have imagined. As storms lash the Persian ships, and sinister omens predict a cruel fate for the expedition, Xerxes strives onward, certain his enemies will accept him as their king. But as he soon discovers, the Greeks will sacrifice anything, even their lives, to keep their liberty. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Stick with the original
Looking for a good classical read on the plane?Want solid action between the forces of East and West?Then buy the original Herodotus, and pass on this highly condensed version of the same.

I'd hoped that this would be the last few books (7 and 8) detailing the highlights of Xerxes campaigns in Greece, where his primary opponents were the Athenians and Spartans.I was particularly interested in rereading the battle of Pylae, or Thermopylae, as romanticized in the recent movie, 300.

Instead this book bounces from excerpt to excerpt without annotation, leaving out some of the best tidbits from Herodotus's own commentary.

My recommendation - buy the full translation and lug it about.It's worth every ounce.

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Alfred John Church (1829-1912) was an English classical scholar. He was born in London and was educated at King’s College London, and Lincoln College, Oxford, he took holy orders and was an assistant-master at Merchant Taylors’ School for many years. From 1880 until 1888 he was professor of Latin at University College, London. While at University College in partnership with William Jackson Brodribb, he translated Tacitus and edited Pliny’s Letters (Epistulae). Church also wrote a number of stories in English re-telling of classical tales and legends for young people (Stories from Virgil, Stories from Homer, etc. ). He also wrote much Latin and English verse, and in 1908 published his Memories of Men and Books. Other works include: Stories of the Magicians (1887), The Count of the Saxon Shore; or, The Villa in Vectis (with Ruth Putnam) (1888), Heroes of Chivalry and Romance (1898), Stories of Charlemagne (1902), The Crown of Pine (1906) and With the King at Oxford (1909). ... Read more

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Why does a power expand and become an empire? Writing in the early years of the Peloponnesian War, Herodotus gave Athens full credit for saving Greece from Persia, but also identified the city's expansion as a new manifestation of imperialist aggression. In this skillful analysis of Herodotus' intellectual world, J.A.S. Evans combines historical, anthropological, and literary techniques to show how the war affected not only the great thinker's view of Persian aggression and of the people involved in it but also the shape of the Histories themselves. The first essay discusses Herodotus' investigation of imperialism, and the second finds the beginnings of biography in his descriptions of individuals, particularly in his well-crafted portrait of Cyrus. The third essay describes the "Father of History" as a collector and evaluator of local oral stories, sources for the written work that was destined by its scope and unifying plan to introduce a new genre. Evans draws analogies between Herodotus' methods and those of oral historians in other cultures, particularly in precolonial Africa. He also explores comparisons between Herodotus in Egypt and sixteenth- and seventeenth-century European ethnologists in the Americas. ... Read more

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Publisher: London : MacmillanPublication date: 1912Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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Edited By William W. Goodwin And John Williams White. ... Read more

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Her instincts: honed for survival. Her psyche: primed for anarchy. Her body: sculpted for action. She's Aeon Flux, a lethal, leather-clad spy who cuts through a brutal swath of subterfuge through Bregna, a hi-tech society controlled by her nemesis, Trevor Goodchild. But Trevor's and Aeon's bond is deeper than that of assassin to tyrant, and the mystery that drives their twisted relationship has remained as impenetrable as Aeon's padlocked chastity belt -- until now.

This explosive file of classified intelligence reveals Trevor Goodchild's chilling plan to consolidate power by erasing history -- and the hiring of mercenary agent, Aeon Flux, to transform his plan into an Orwellian reality. Crammed with transcripts, surveillance, and memos, the file explores the dark corridors of Aeon's mysterious life, bringing into question her ultimate allegiance. Is Aeon truly loyal to Trevor's vision of Bregna? Or is she stealthily subverting his plot from the inside out? This stunning file tells a story of intrigue and treachery, of domination and submission, of love and hate so perverse, it could only spring from the otherworld of Aeon Flux.

The television series, Aeon Flux, is a Colossal Pictures Production in association with MTV Networks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Perfect companion piece to the greatest series ever animated...
Aside from presenting a more detailed view of life in the fueding nation-states Monica/Bregna, and providing additional insight into the complicated relationship between Aeon Flux and Trevor Goodchild, this book will teach you how to write effective inter-office emails and the dire importance of injecting creativity into professional presentations.

A better $2.50 you will never spend...

Good book, bad movie
It's unfortunate that the cover art was redone by MTV as a movie tie-in because this book has nothing to do with the movie of the same name. No offense to Charlize Theron, but the original Aeon is the topic of this book. As an insane Peter Chung fan, I had to have it but anyone interested in material resulting from this movie should probably pick up the recent Aeon Flux graphic novel instead if they liked the movie.

A good tie in to the animated series
In a weird way, this book actually made the Æon/Trevor Love-Hate relationship make more sense.While the animated series did present that Bregna and Monica were quite obviously once one, this book filled in the plot hole of what happened.Learning more of Æon's specifications was nice, though I could have done without some of the specification information on her victims.Oddly, this book makes the muddled AF time line actually make some sense.Especially if the episode regarding President Clavius immediately follows the Herodotus File.

Imagination in Overdrive
Graphic novel based on the MTV series.Intriguing pictural novel with incredible imagination.Graphics terrific, and plot good until the end, which seemed too abrupt.Always sexual undertones.Fascinating page turner, as almost every page is different in format.Supposed to read as if it were a file.The idea of rewriting history to suit the victor is certainly not a new one.The Civil War is perhaps one such example.The futuristic technology envisioned here is as good as the graphics that depict it.I came upon this cold, read it in 24 hours.Enjoyed it immensely.

Precious
There is never enough Aeon. Ever. I have the pvc statue, the 3 vhs set and the DVD. I've dressed as her for halloween 2 times and probably will again some day with improvied outfits. This is a must for any Flux fan, lots of cool pictures, it's a case file on her and gives a little insight into the story, but not too much. ... Read more

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The two great Persian invasions of Greece, in 490 and 480-79 B.C., both repulsed by the Greeks, provide our best opportunity for understanding the interplay of religion and history in ancient Greece on a large scale. Using the Histories of Herodotus as well as other historical and archaeological sources, Jon Mikalson shows how the Greeks practiced their religion at this pivotal moment in their history.

In the period of the invasions and the years immediately afterward, the Greeks--internationally, state by state, and sometimes individually--turned to their deities, using religious practices to influence, understand, and commemorate events that were threatening their very existence. Greeks prayed and sacrificed; made and fulfilled vows to the gods; consulted oracles; interpreted omens and dreams; created cults, sanctuaries, and festivals; and offered dozens of dedications to their gods and heroes--all in relation to known historical events.

By portraying the human situations and historical circumstances in which Greeks practiced their religion, Mikalson advances our knowledge of the role of religion in fifth-century Greece and reveals a religious dimension of the Persian Wars that has been heretofore overlooked. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Herodotus is our best single source for the religion of his time
Jon D. Mikalson states that "[t]he purpose of this book is to collect and present the abundantly preserved religious aspects of these critical times [490 and 480-479 BCE] and thereby set Greek religion into historical context so as to understand better the role of Greek religion in the Persian invasions and in Greek life in general" (5). The author hopes to complement other works already published by weaving Herodotus' "accounts into a general picture of religion at the time" (6).

Mikalson begins his book by recounting numerous instances, most frequently from Herodotus' "Histories", but also from others such as: Pausanias, Aristotle, Plutarch, Simonides, etc., wherein the Greeks implored or honored the oracles, heroes, and gods.In this manner Mikalson establishes his premise that religion was a relevant factor in the course of important affairs among the ancient Greeks.During the course of his work Mikalson proffers alternative views on text interpretation based on other authors' modern studies. He discusses most such interpretations, especially Thomas Harrison's "Divinity and History: The Religion of Herodotus", in his ample footnotes.

Mikalson discusses Herodotus as an author and notes: "Herodotus was certainly no ordinary Greek.He was better traveled, more cosmopolitan, more curious, more innovative, and more learned than most Greeks . . ." (6).Mikalson also states: "[Herodotus] does not, as Thucydides and most later historians were to do, largely exclude religious considerations from the flow of historical events" (6-7).Mikalson states that Herodotus was writing a story about an event that had occurred at least one generation earlier, and his digressions frequently detailed events that purportedly occurred hundreds of years earlier.By the time Herodotus did compose his Histories (431- 430 BCE), much fact had metamorphosed into folklore and myth.More importantly, Mikalson believes Herodotus did not misrepresent religion in his Histories; thus, Herodotus is critical for understanding religion at that time because he is often the sole source."If Herodotus does not give with complete accuracy the beliefs of the actual participants in these wars, he at least represents how Greeks of the following two generations imagined them, and that has considerable value itself" (11).To ignore him is vacuous.

Mikalson states: "Throughout the Persian wars the Greeks made dedications after victories in battle . . . . The tithe, one-tenth of the war booty, was the common form of offering, the 'first fruits' of the spoils of the 'victory', and one that the Greeks used regularly for dedications through out the Persian Wars" (19-20).A dedication--a spectacular bronze, four-horse war chariot--made by the Athenians to Athena for their victory over the Boeotians and Chalcidians was made with a tithe from the booty of that war.The author pointedly notes that most of the inscription, like ninety percent of the booty, was for the mortal, Greek effort in the war.There was no explicit attribution to any particular action taken by Athena.

Mikalson discusses burial rites and how important it was to inter the dead, even of the enemy.Only the impious, such as Xerxes, ignored this.Mikalson also notes that only mortals were seen on the battlefield: no gods.This was a marked difference between the Homeric sagas and Herodotus' "Histories".

The human element was an important factor in Greek religion.Mikalson discusses the role of the 'chresmologoi': those who collected and edited the oracles, and how over the years they fell into disfavor.Mikalson also discusses 'manteis': those who were interpreters of dreams and omens.The man or woman repeating an omen, or interpreting a dream, could be honest or biased--or he or she could simply be mistaken.Herodotus tells us that on the occasion of a solar eclipse, the 'magoi', Persian wise-men, explained to Xerxes that it was an omen portending that the Persians would similarly blot out the cities of the Greeks.

Mikalson contrasts the deliberation of the Athenians prior to Salamis to the haste of Croesus, king of Lydia, who attacked the Persians and destroyed a great kingdom.Croesus had not thought to ask again which empire would be destroyed, and it turned out to be his.Conversely, the Athenians, through determined debate and interpretation, followed by subsequent visits to the Pythoness, correctly interpreted the oracle prior to Salamis and put trust in their 'walls of wood'.

Mikalson notes there are modern historians who discount the authenticity of the oracles as presented in Herodotus.Never the less, Mikalson states that there is no evidence that the oracles were not accepted by Herodotus, or his contemporaries, regardless of whether the oracles were fact or fiction.Leonidas sacrificed himself and his loyal hetairoi at Thermopylae in accordance with an oracle that had pronounced: "Either your great and glorious city [Sparta] will be destroyed by Persian men, Or else not that, but the land of Lacedaemon will grieve For a dead king [Leonidas] of Heracles' race" (Herodotus, 7.220.2-4 quoted in Mikalson 65).

Mikalson introduces a Greek concept called 'hybris', "in this context, 'the failure to recognize one's place vis-a-vis the gods' or mental derangement" (47).To illustrate his point Mikalson employs the tale of how Artabanus, Darius¡¯ brother--Xerxes' uncle, argued against the Persian, Xerxes', invasion of Greece.Herein, Artabanus points to everyday phenomena in life to demonstrate how 'hybris' always leads to the fall of a man or his family.The gods always check those that try to stand above others.Mikalson argues that the Greeks understood their gods to have 'phthonos', a natural inclination to defend their divine prerogatives against mortal encroachment.When Xerxes has the Hellspont whipped and chained it was a sign of both his mental instability and his 'hybris'.

In the "Histories", the pious are properly rewarded and the impious are properly vanquished.Mikalson notes that Herodotus does not pass judgment on the religion and acts of the Persians, even in human sacrifice, as long as the Persians behave within the norms of their doctrine.He only criticizes them when they fail to act within the norms of their doctrine."Herodotus employs from the very beginnings, of the contest between the Greeks and the barbarians, Greek religious language and concepts characteristics of his time to explain success (for the Greeks) and failure (for the barbarians)" (82).Herodotus explains the failure of the Persians as divine 'phthonos' (irritation: spitefulness) retribution for profane acts.

Furthermore, the religion of Herodotus was pragmatic."If men plan reasonable things, they generally occur.If men plan unreasonable things, not even the god is willing to support their plans" (Herodotus, 8.60, quoted in Mikalson 77).The god(s) to whom the Greeks prayed were deemed pragmatic, legitimate, and deserving of honors.This is what Mikalson terms 'cultic logic'.

In chapter two Mikalson undertakes to illustrate the role of each divine personality that participated in the victories given to the Greeks against the Persians.He does this 'deity by deity'. In order to better understand these deities, Mikalson also offers "some background on their cults and on conceptions of them at the time of and just before these great wars" (111).

Mikalson maintains that according to the Greeks, Zeus 'Eleutherios' ('of Freedom') was the "paradigm of superlative prosperity and power" (111). However, it is Apollo, as evident in Herodotus, who was most rewarded.Among the pantheon, Apollo--god of the Delphian oracle¨Cwas the number one recipient of tithes from the victorious Greeks."Apollo of Delphi, Zeus of Olympia, and Poseidon of the Isthmus were each, despite association with one major sanctuary, Pan-Hellenic deities whose festivals had long served a Pan-Hellenic audience.Athena's role in the Persian invasion, by contrast, local" (123).Mikalson also briefly discusses Demeter, Artemis, Hera and Aphrodite, to whom Herodotus allocated less significant roles, when compared with the afore mentioned deities, in defeating the Persians.

Mikalson also reviews the import of cultic heroes: dead mortals whose tombs served as talismans for local worshippers, e.g., Ajax of Salamis and the Delphian heroes Phylacus and Autonous (who had sanctuaries along the Persian route of march) who purportedly arose in defense of their homeland. Heroes were even more provincial than was Athena and were likewise rarely recognized in a Pan-Hellenic manner.

Mikalson discusses Herodotus' employment of the 'divine' in matters not obviously the product of any one god."In Greek polytheism, especially from the Pan-Hellenic view point that Herodotus often assumes, any number of gods or heroes might be for a specific event, and it would be difficult to identify the correct deity and perhaps even dangerous to give credit to the wrong one" (131).Here, Mikalson cites the work of Ivan Linforth: "'[Herodotus] recognized the existence of numerous gods who may act as individuals on particular occasions, or . . . like a unified group with a racial solidarity contrasting them with the race of men'" (131).Mikalson understands that, according to Herodotus, the gods assisted the Greeks because they were selfishly protecting their own sanctuaries.To underscore this precept Mikalson recalls Themistocles speech as presented in "The Histories": "Not we but the gods and heroes accomplished this.They begrudge one man to be king of Asia and Europe.He treated holy and profane things alike, burning and throwing to the ground the statues of the gods.He even whipped the seas and hurled leg irons into it" (Herodotus, 8.109.3, quoted in Mikalson 80, 134).

In chapter three, Mikalson discusses Herodotus' religious beliefs.Mikalson maintains that one need only read a few pages of Herodotus to realize that he echoes sentiments explicitly stated by Plato: "'the gods exist . . .the gods pay attention to the affairs of men [and] there is reciprocity between men and gods'" (136). Accordingly, Mikalson argues that Herodotus pragmatically envisioned that each of the gods played a role based on events occurring in proximity to their sanctuaries.Herodotus tells the reader "what his gods do, not what they are" (139).

Herodotus' gods have "real and important powers: to bring rain, produce grain, cause earthquakes . . . and decide the outcome of world wars" (140).Herodotus believes in the divine origin of oracles, omens, and some dreams, but he is aware that these can be misconstrued or misunderstood and caution was always appropriate when taking them into consideration; "one must proceed thoughtfully, prudently and warily" (149).

Mikalson offers a compelling argument for the reader to accept Herodotus at his word.According to Mikalson, Herodotus is 'reporting' the world as it was viewed in his time. Mikalson recalls the numerous instances wherein Herodotus conspicuously states doubts or questions his sources: thus, 'reader beware'.Hence, unless otherwise stated, Mikalson believes that Herodotus should be taken as sincere in what he is reporting.

According to Mikalson, the tale of Croesus is clearly the most explicit tale in the literature delineating the Greek view of man's relationship to his gods. It details the actions of man in regards to supplication required to create a obligatory bond with a god, in this case Apollo. Of course, there is irony.In this most 'Greek' tale, the king is Lydian.

Mikalson concludes chapter three by noting that Herodotus employs two approaches in relating religion.One is a poetic style that is most evident in his stories about Croesus and Solon.The other is the more contemporary and identifiable, to Herodotus, cultic practices he describes occurring during the course of the Persian Wars.Mikalson accounts for this difference as one based on data.In the first instance, Herodotus has access to little or no data.This is not the case in the second instance.

Mikalson admits that Herodotus probably "never intended for his "Histories" to be treatise on the origins of Greek religion . . ." (167). Never-the-less, Mikalson concludes his book with an appendix wherein he seeks to illustrate how Herodotus attempted "to bring chronological, cultic, and even mythographical [sic] order to Egyptian, Phoenician, Libyan, and Greek accounts of the gods" (147).Mikalson cites the passages from "Histories" wherein Herodotus pairs Egyptian deities with Greek deities.Mikalson argues that there are inherent problems with Herodotus simplistic approach, but Mikalson reconciles these problems by suggesting that Herodotus was aware that "deities of his world were culturally determined, but the 'divine', in essence, is not" (173).Mikalson believes that Herodotus took on an enormous task dealing with sources that "described for him three continents and nearly eighteen millennia of history" (195). Mikalson concludes by again restating that Herodotus never intended to write a chronicle of Greek religion, but "[he] is our best single source--ancient or modern--for the religion of his time . . ." (195).

Overall, Jon Mikalson's successfully presents his subject in a very straightforward manner.His book is an excellent monograph, especially when read simultaneously with Herodotus' "Histories".Mikalson's presentation is easy to follow, and he provides novel insights into Herodotus' text.I heartily recommend it to anybody.
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This book is a study of the religious beliefs of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus--his beliefs in divine retribution, in oracles and divination, in miracles or in fate. It seeks to show not only how such beliefs were central to his work, but also how they were compatible with lived experience. ... Read more

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Herodotus’ Histories can be read in many ways. Their literary qualities, never in dispute, can be more fully appreciated in the light of recent developments in the study of pragmatics, narratology, and orality. Their intellectual status has been radically reassessed: no longer regarded as naïve and ‘archaic’, the Histories are now seen as very much a product of the intellectual climate of their own day - not only subject to contemporary literary, religious, moral and social influences, but actively contributing to the great debates of their time. Their reliability as historical and ethnographic accounts, a matter of controversy even in antiquity, is being debated with renewed vigour and increasing sophistication. This Companion offers an up-to-date and in-depth overview of all these current approaches to Herodotus’ remarkable work. ... Read more

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This Elibron Classics edition is a reprint of a 1882 edition by Seeley, Jackson, & Halliday, London. ... Read more

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The classic account of the war between Persia's King Xerxes and the Greeks.Includes the battle at Marathon, the naval battle at Salamis, and the fight between the Persians and the Spartans at Thermopylae. ... Read more

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In his extraordinary story of the defence of Greece against the Persian invasions of 490-480 BC Herodotus sought to communicate not only what happened, but also the background of thoughts and perceptions that shaped those events and became critical to their interpretation afterwards. Much as the contemporary sophists strove to discover truth about the invisible, Herodotus was acutely concerned to uncover hidden human motivations, whose depiction was vital to his project of recounting and explaining the past. Emily Baragwanath explores the sophisticated narrative techniques with which Herodotus represented this most elusive variety of historical knowledge. Thus he was able to tell a lucid story of the past while nonetheless exposing the methodological and epistemological challenges it presented. Baragwanath illustrates and analyses a range of these techniques over the course of a wide selection of Herodotus' most intriguing narratives - from those on Athenian democracy and tyranny to Leonidas and Thermopylae - and thus supplies a method for reading the Histories more generally. ... Read more