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Often known as the ‘Father of History’, Herodotus is also a major literary figure with a wide range of styles and registers, from epic grandeur to tragic intensity to comic farce. This module considers Herodotus from a variety of angles: as an ethnographer of the eastern Mediterranean, a historian of the Persian Wars, a contemporary of Pericles and Sophocles, and a thinker in his own right, with a nuanced vision of the complexity of human phenomena. In addition to Herodotus’ selective understanding of archaic Greece and the Persian Wars, themes for consideration include Ionic historia, justice and reciprocity, the importance of chance and the divine in human affairs, and historiography in relation to other genres.
On successful completion of this module, students will have acquired a detailed understanding of Herodotus’ Histories in its historical, cultural, and literary contexts.
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HERODOTUS AND HIS WORLD
