An examination of why Herodotus spent so much time discussing the customs of Barbarians in his Histories.
Written in 2008; 1,629 words; 18 sources; MLA; $ 53.95
Paper Summary:
This paper discusses Herodotus' preoccupation with Barbarian customs, and explains how his Histories promote "Greekness" through the examination of that to which the Greeks compared themselves and inevitably found they were superior. The writer looks at Herodotus' cultural and intellectual milieu as well as his stated objectives in writing the Histories, and describes the cultural dualism he created by disparaging as well as giving due credit to non-Greek civilizations. The writer explains that the Histories contain much legend and fantasy and are more about customs and culture than battles or wars.The paper concludes that Herodotus created a past for the Greek people that is part myth and part reality, using Greek cultural superiority over non-Greek Barbarism in order to bring a pan-Hellenic unity to a people scattered over disparate regions and islands.
From the Paper:
"Despite this prevailing view, Herodotus appears to have taken a far more objective approach to determining the worth of people. In his proem, during his opening remarks, he clearly separates Greeks and Barbarians as inherently different but still reminds his audience that Barbarians are capable of great deeds. Herodotus outlines to the audience that his Histories are to be concerned not just with those deeds and the wider Greco-Persian conflict but also their causes. This explicit interest with causality is such that it has led to claims that Herodotus is the father of sociology, the father of anthropology and suggests that the content of his work must be concerned with custom."
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