Herodotus, the father of history

Description

An introduction to the work of Herodotus, the first Greek historian. Considers Herodotus' work in its cultural context, both as history and as literature. Abstract: An introduction to the work of Herodotus, the first Greek historian. Considers Herodotus' work in its cultural context, both as history and as literature Content: Lecture 1. Herodotus and history -- lecture 2. "Inquiry" and the birth of history -- lecture 3. Myth, legend and oral tradition -- lecture 4. Homeric epic and the East-West conflict -- lecture 5. The Ionian enlightenment -- lecture 6. Athens in the Archaic age -- lecture 7. Politics and culture in fifth-century Athens -- lecture 8. Scope, design and organization of the Histories -- lecture 9. The beginning of conflict -- lecture 10. Croesus, Solon and human happiness -- lecture 11. Cyrus and the foundation of the Persian Empire -- lecture 12. Herodotus' account of Egypt -- lecture 13. The ascension of Darius -- lecture 14. Darius and the Scythians -- lecture 15. Sparta and the Spartan way of life -- lecture 16. The Ionian revolt and the battle of Marathon -- lecture 17. Xerxes & the threat to Greece -- lecture 18. The battles of Thermopylae and Artemisium -- lecture 19. The victory of Greece -- lecture 20. Persons, personalities, and peoples -- lecture 21. The gods, fate and the supernatural -- lecture 22. History or literature, or both? -- lecture 23. Herodotus, the Peloponnesian War, and Thucydides -- lecture 24. Aftermath and influence.