Compare and contrast the contributions of Herodotus and Thucydides to the writing of history.
‘’…so that human achievements may not become forgotten in time, and great and marvellous deeds – some displayed by Greeks, some by barbarians – may not be without their glory; especially to show why the two peoples fought with eachother.’’ (Herodotus)
The proposed purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the contributions of Herodotus and Thucydides throughout the history of their time. I intend to explore their difference of opinion from their writings in ‘The Histories’ by Herodotus and ‘The Peloponnesian War’ by Thucydides; and contrast their styles of writing in accordance with the history of that time. Did Herodotus base his writings on stories passed down through the centuries? And did Thucydides recount events or just try to make sense of them?
Thucydides and Herodotus are regarded as the first two Ancient Greek historians that have provided written accounts of the history of that period for us. Not only are they renowned for the first written accounts of Greek history, but they have also shaped the way for the telling and writing of history. Herodotus (c.480-425) was considered the first historian, known as the ‘father of History’, …show more content…
Yes, Herodotus heightened the event by increasing the size of the Persian army, but it doesn’t take away from the ideals that he tried to portray. The reason Thucydides was received better was because he focused on the people and the society they lived in and the struggles they faced that had led to eventual war. ‘’…he was exiled after failing to keep the Spartans from taking Amphipolis…from then on, he was able to gather a great deal of information from non-Athenian sources…All we can be certain of concerning his life in exile is that he lived long enough to to see Athens lose the war…as he refers to Athens in his
‘’…so that human achievements may not become forgotten in time, and great and marvellous deeds – some displayed by Greeks, some by barbarians – may not be without their glory; especially to show why the two peoples fought with eachother.’’ (Herodotus)
The proposed purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the contributions of Herodotus and Thucydides throughout the history of their time. I intend to explore their difference of opinion from their writings in ‘The Histories’ by Herodotus and ‘The Peloponnesian War’ by Thucydides; and contrast their styles of writing in accordance with the history of that time. Did Herodotus base his writings on stories passed down through the centuries? And did Thucydides recount events or just try to make sense of them?
Thucydides and Herodotus are regarded as the first two Ancient Greek historians that have provided written accounts of the history of that period for us. Not only are they renowned for the first written accounts of Greek history, but they have also shaped the way for the telling and writing of history. Herodotus (c.480-425) was considered the first historian, known as the ‘father of History’, …show more content…
Yes, Herodotus heightened the event by increasing the size of the Persian army, but it doesn’t take away from the ideals that he tried to portray. The reason Thucydides was received better was because he focused on the people and the society they lived in and the struggles they faced that had led to eventual war. ‘’…he was exiled after failing to keep the Spartans from taking Amphipolis…from then on, he was able to gather a great deal of information from non-Athenian sources…All we can be certain of concerning his life in exile is that he lived long enough to to see Athens lose the war…as he refers to Athens in his