Herodotus: The Father of History
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Herodotus: The Father of History
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Narrated by:
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Elizabeth Vandiver
About this listen
Witness the "works and wonders" of the ancient world through the eyes of its first great historian in this sparkling series of 24 lectures from a much-honored teacher and classical scholar.
Herodotus (c. 484-420 B.C.E.) was a Greek who was born in what is now the modern Turkish resort town of Bodrum and who died, so tradition says, in the south of Italy. In between, his tirelessly inquiring mind took him from one corner of the known world to another. And he reported on or visited all of its continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa) to write about the vast array of subjects that captured his interest. These included the "great works" of the ancient land of Egypt; the remarkable kings who built the vast Persian Empire; and the strange customs and unlikely origins of the Scythians, a warlike, mounted people who lived beyond the Danube and whose repulse of Darius and the Persians in 513 B.C.E. made them the first Europeans to throw back an eastern invasion.
The book that emerged from these "inquiries" - The Histories - is Herodotus's only known work, yet it still made Herodotus one of the rare, landmark figures in the story of thought. In these lectures, Professor Vandiver introduces you to Herodotus and The Histories, tracing the influences he assimilated and the new methods he used in crafting this monumental work. You learn how that work looked at the past in new and fresh ways, seeing it not as a distant recess shrouded in legend and rumor, but as something that lies close at hand; as something that immediately affects the here and now, and as a subject whose great personalities and patterns of events can be studied in order to make the reasons behind them as clear as possible.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
©2002 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2002 The Great CoursesListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Herodotus: The Father of History
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Nik Jewell
- 15-05-18
Provides context and analysis
This is a fascinating introduction to The Histories, the major source for the Greco-Persian Wars.
Great context is provided for Herodotus' life and times, evaluation of his role as the (first) historian (or otherwise) and coverage and analysis of the content of the work. My understanding was greatly enhanced as a result.
It is good to see that Herodotus is now being re-evaluated and that after years of having many of his stories dismissed as fantasies scholars and archaeologists are now finding the buried truths within them.
The accompanying lecture notes, timeline, glossary, biographical notes and bibliography are comprehensive and detailed.
Prof Vandiver's presentation is very good and I am sure I will listen to some of her other Great Courses in the future.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 25-09-22
Highly Revealing Account of the Father of History
Elizabeth Vandiver excels in providing an excellent, thorough introduction to both Herodotus and his seminal work The Histories. Broken out into 24 separate lectures she covers many of the characters and events, particularly of the Persian Wars, that Herodotus wrote about. We learn about his techniques for gathering information and his sources, the likely veracity of his writings, the complexity of translating his work and his fluctuating popularity over time.
Her passion and knowledge of the material is evident throughout and reveals deep and widespread scholarship. She introduces each of her lectures by providing a summary of what the lecture will cover, and often refers back to previous lectures to emphasise her points, consequently her signposting is always on point and you always feel you're in the hands of an emminent interpreter, scholar and communicator.
Finally, the accompanying PDF notes are an outstanding bonus feature, enabling the listener to recap, obtain the correct spelling of names and places as well being the source of follow up reading suggestions.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Gayle M
- 27-06-23
Engaging introduction to Herodotus
The lecturer's delivery is easy to follow and remember. I was particularly interested in how many ethnographical details Herodotus gets right about various non-Greek cultures, the challenges he faced writing about the past at a time when a society was transitioning from oral to literate, and gaining a roadmap into his work. I now feel equipped to read the Histories.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Massimiliano Cerfoglia
- 05-04-21
Absolutely brilliant
Elizabeth Vandiver is knowledgeable, passionate and utterly compelling. Could listen to her forever. Wish there there more courses by her.
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- philkim
- 09-01-21
An insight into the first-ever history book
Another great lecture series from Prof Vandiver, who brings Ancient Greece to life so well.
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- Martin
- 15-04-22
excellent
This excellent course provides a great introduction and background to Herodotus. We are so fortunate to have Dr Vandiver's expertise to enrich our reading of this amazing book. Thanks audible
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2 people found this helpful
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- Jan
- 20-07-22
excellent!
The presentation was scholarly yet also light and hugely easy to listen to. Worth revisiting another time just as The Histories is.
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- Saralexis
- 01-10-23
Very interesting and enjoyable
It was nice to look at history from this perspective and really get to know one source. The lecturer is very engaging.
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- Robin
- 02-08-16
Fascinating
A very learned and engaging lecture series. Now to hit the arbitrary 20 word requirement.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Michael
- 08-10-16
If you love Herodotus, listen to this!
This course is both educational and enjoyable to listen to, providing greater context and insights into the Histories. I have read Herodotus more than once, and will be reading it again with a different view after this course. It also helps that the lecturer is passionate and engaging.
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5 people found this helpful