Cultural Bias and Structure in Herodotus Essay - 759 Words

Herodotus writes his Histories for Greeks. Specifically for Greeks living in Herodotus own time. The statement of purpose which begins the work seems to contradict this hypothesis. Herodotus claims to wish to prevent the traces of human events from being erased by time, and to preserve the fame of the important and remarkable achievementsÂ… [Herodotus, 1.0]. The underlying assumption here is that the author is preserving these events and achievements for future generations and perhaps even future civilizations. The text however does not does not follow these guidelines. Herodotus assumes that his reader will have certain amount of common knowledge. When discussing geographical distances, Herodotus often gives them relative to†¦show more content†¦Within this primary structure lies a secondary tangential structure. Herodotus tangentially discusses almost everything which is brought up in his historical narrative. Any subject, region, or people that is mentioned within the primary structure is a candidate for secondary structure examination. Most often this comes in the form of a discussion of some land that the Persians conquered. These secondary structure tangents often include their own historical narratives, geographical descriptions, and anthropological observations. The secondary structure of The Histories almost obscures the primary structure, making it difficult for a casual or first time reader to follow the overall narative. So we are presented with a narrative history quite similar to a modern history but which goes off on tangents on subjects when they first appear in the narrative (this of course includes tangents off of tangents). The structure of The Histories presents a problem. The secondary structure of The Histories almost obscures the primary structure, making the book difficult to follow. We are presented with two possibilities. Either Herodotus is not a good author or The Histories was not meant to be read as a book. Given the oral nature of fifth century Athens the later is far more likely. Books were likely a rarity in Herodotus time given the difficulty in reproducing them. Given the oralShow MoreRelatedThucydides And Thucydides Writing1054 Words   |  5 PagesHerodotus and Thucydides didn t agree often on how history should be recorded, taught, and observed. Herodotus, in his account of the War for Greek Freedom, takes great care to include the most seemingly insignificant details of Persian, Lydian, and Greek culture--from their practices regarding death to their sexual habits to how they eat at mealtimes. Thucydides, on the other hand, tells The History of the Peloponnesian War from a bias aga inst the clutter of religion, prophecy, culture, and humanityRead MoreThe Evolution Of The Homo2311 Words   |  10 PagesRhodesiensis estimated to be 300,000–125,000 years old. Most current researchers place Rhodesian man within the group of Homo heidelbergensis, though other designations such as Archaic Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens rhodesiensis have been proposed. Several cultural assemblages have been linked to the Neanderthals in Europe. The earliest, the Mousterian stone tool culture, dates to about 300,000 years ago. Late Mousterian artifacts were found in Gorham s Cave on the south-facing coast of Gibralta. Homo sapiensRead MoreLower Rank And Higher Incidence Of Ptsd During Veterans Of Oef / Oif3424 Words   |  14 Pagesto go forward. . . . Shuddering seizes you, the hair on your head stands on end, your soul lies in your hand.† Homer detailed Achilles’ emotional disintegration following the battlefield death of his best friend in The Iliad. The Greek historian Herodotus tells of an Athenian soldier in the 490 B.C. battle of Marathon who became permanently blind when the soldier standing next to him was killed, although the blinded soldier was wounded in no part of his body. Another was so visibly shaken by the