The Landmark Herodotus Analysis

“Now shrugging off his rags the wiliest fighter of the islands leapt and stood on the broad door still, his own bow in his hand” (Homer 557). In epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is a hero because he makes a clever decisions by gaining a close connection with Circe, he is cautious for he built his bed out of an olive tree, protecting his family from imposters, and he is cunning, for he allows his men to successfully escape Polyphemus’ cave.

Herodotus, consider as the father of history, was born in the ancient Halicarnassus, current Turkey, and lived between 485 and 425 BC, about 150 years previous to the creation of the Library of Alexandria. Moreover, due to Persian rule over greece, Herodotus fled to Samos resulting from his conflicts with the local government and will not return until 450 BC, when he participated part in the campaign to defeat Lygdamis, to once again leave the city after the completion of the campaign. Furthermore, Herodotus traveled to Athens at the time of its peak, allowed him to contemplate the great political and cultural boom of the city. During his stay in Athens, Herodotus met Pericles, and became friends with both Sophocles and Anaxagoras, focusing

Who is the best example of a hero? Hercules. He is the mortal son of zeus. Hercules is the strongest hero of all time. Not only does he have incredible strength, but he is very caring of his family and mortals. Hercules is not just one of those basic, amatuer heros, he has so much experience since he had performed 12 labours. These are some of the reasons why Hercules is known as the greatest hero of all time.

Action from necessity is a constantly recurring theme in Thucydides’ The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War. A sentiment used to explain the growth of the Athenian Empire which some Athenians espoused to an assembly at Sparta best quantifies necessity, “. . . we were necessarily compelled at first to advance the hegemony to where it is—especially by fear, and then by honor, and later by benefit.” (Selected Passages 1.75.3). This claim, referred to as the Athenian Thesis, is used to advance the two following implications: all states act with the motivations of fear, honor and interest and no one can condemn a state for doing so. The Athenian Thesis influences the way many of the Athenian elite structure their patterns of reasoning in both noticeable and subtle ways.

     Is Odysseus, the main character of Homer’s The Odyssey, really an epic hero? An epic hero embodies several heroic traits such as; having superior or super-human strength; being intellectual and courageous; and being a strong and responsible leader. An epic hero struggles and is overwhelmed with difficulties. An epic hero is on a quest of self discovery, war or some sort of goal. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is on a quest to return home to Ithaca after ten years of war in Troy. Odysseus, during his quest, is forced to venture through a merciless Cyclops, angered Gods, deeply obstinate Goddesses, the underworld, and determined suitors that are after his wife Penelope. Odysseus surmounts

In The Histories, Herodotus describes the cultural values of the Greeks. The Greeks had many differences, but in times of danger, they set aside their

Throughout Herodotus’ The History, Oracles, and dreams play an important role. While the gods have almost no presence throughout the book, the Oracles and/or dreams are linked to many of the major events.

In Greek literature of mythology, we have examined Odysseus. Students and scholars alike have held debates about Odysseus. The discussion is whether Odysseus was a true hero, as read in The Odyssey. There is abundant supportive evidence to verify all sides of the debate and opinions held about Odysseus. Odysseus had encompassed many qualities that I believe make him a hero. The qualities he embodied were mental strength, physical strength, and spiritual strength. I would like to advocate for why Odysseus was a hero.

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 oral

As Epictetus opens his handbook with the line, “Some things are up to us and some are not up to us,” a precedent is set for the entire following of the nature in his teachings (Hackett, 5). We are not merely an individual seeking something better in life, but an individual who can control his/her own path as long as we follow the context of staying true to ourselves and not wandering outside of our own capabilities. “Our bodies are not up to us, nor are our possessions, our reputations, or public offices, or, that is, whatever is not our doing,” is a prime example of what we cannot control, death being one of these (Hackett, 5). Our control is limited to what we can grasp and be in power of, and whatever is out of that reach should not be looked

Theseus, the newly found prince of Athens, embarks on several hero journeys including on against Minos’ Minotaur and the Labyrinth. Joseph Campbell’s representation of the hero’s journey fully encompasses Theseus’ narrative throughout his quest to defeat the Minotaur. Beginning with a call to adventure on through the crossing of the threshold and on to the reward and resurrection. Compared to Rank’s hero’s journey which includes a revelation and transformation with atonement, Campbell’s process fits more precisely to Theseus’ story.

“Herodotus of Halicarnassus here gives the results of his researches, so that the events of human history may not fade with time and the notable achievements both of Greeks and of foreigners may not lack their due fame; and, among other things, to show why these peoples came to make war on one another.” Herodotus is considered one of the founders of historiography. It had long been argued that Herodotus was important for his military histories of Ancient Greece, but although his works focused on military and war he put specific emphasis on detailed factors that related more to the cultural aspects of Greek history.

The advancements he made while the act of recording the past was just beginning to flourish were substantial enough to be considered still effective today. In his work called The Histories, Herodotus explores a copious amount of topics while keeping not a word impartial and remaining thoroughly unbiased. His main conflict was centered on the civilizations of the East and the West, a topic that has been illustrated over and over again by many of his successors. Although in his time technology was scarce, he took matters into his own hands and began to ask questions of the people at the places he would write about and unveil their histories, customs, artwork, and buildings.

Herodotus chronicled the events of the Persian was and attempted to give explanation on why certain events took place, and what we can learn from them. Herodotus is considered by many as the “father of history” and known to be the “father of cultural anthropology” and was known for his talks on religion, battles and wars, and family relationships. Herodotus’ boldness towards other city/states and cultures are a huge example on the ideals (his central theme of freedom) that we have obtained from the Greeks. Thucydides and Xenophon are also known as great historians as well. Thucydides chronicled the events during the 27-year long Peloponnesian War

History is told in the viewpoint of the victor. For thousands of years, a wrong in a textbook may not be correct until one person speaks up. Hatred, rumors, and the true happenings of ancient event are often concealed until more accounts of the event are heard. The Odyssey, for thousands of years only had one major part of the story- Odysseus' telling of the tale. His wife, only had few things said about her in Odysseus's epic telling of his journey.