Xerxes asks for the truth, which demaratus supplies. The first book of the histories, called clio this is the showing forth of the inquiry of herodotus of halicarnassos, to the end that 1 neither the deeds of men may be forgotten by lapse of time, nor the works 2 great and marvellous, which have been produced some by hellenes and some by barbarians, may lose their renown. Mar 15, 2019 herodotus the histories, book 7, polymnia 8239 battle of thermopylae. In book 7, xerxes, having succeeded his father darius on the persian throne, launches a massive invasion against greece with the goal of subjecting europe to the great king. Xerxes, they say, in reply to the remarks made to him, observed my men have behaved like women, my women like men. It ends xerxes planning the new attack on the greeks after the battle of thermopylae ca. The histories book 7 by herodotus read online on bookmate. Demaratus, the exking of sparta, supports the claim of xerxes. Some submitted to persia thinking they wouldnt get hurt. The following is an excerpt from his book the histories that describes the persian army at. The book shows literature and historys power to repair.
For a number of years he traveled throughout the persian empire, egypt, and scythia observing the culture of these ancient peoples. Herodotus was a very smart and learned man for his time and it is interesting to read what he thinks. The pivotal event of the history is the battle of marathon 490 bce, where the persians were defeated by the greeks. By 480 bc xerxes had amassed a massive army and navy, and set out to conquer. The asiatic great king xerxes, who followed in the footsteps of cyrus and darius and. Thus the claim to world domination was once more expressed 7. It is in part a gripping and much revered tale of colossal confrontation between freedomloving greekspeaking peoples the athenians, spartans, and others and the seemingly unstoppable forces of the persians.
He was a young boy during the persian war, and interviewed greek veterans of the persian war to get the information he needed for his history. Prior to that were the illiad and the oddyse by homer during the 700s b. Xerxes i the great, king of persia geni family tree. King xerxes lay encamped in trachis in malis and the hellenes in the pass. Herodotus claims to have traveled extensively around the ancient world, conducting interviews and collecting stories for his book, almost all of which covers territories of the persian empire. For the whole country as far as the frontiers of thessaly had been as i have already shown enslaved and made tributary to the king by the conquests of megabazus, and, more lately, of mardonius. His offer metes him land, the title of guest friend, and xerxes goodwill. There fell in this combat ariabignes, one of the chief commanders of the fleet, who was son of darius and brother of xerxes. I really enjoyed this book because it is the first book of history ever written by man. Without books the herodotus book in particularthe gaps between the characters would be unable to bridge.
Here we get the most bodacious recount of the battle of thermopylae. Xerxes invades greece by herodotus nook book ebook. Volgens herodotus had xerxes meer dan 1 miljoen man, en dronken ze hele rivieren leeg. Herodotus the great greek historian was born about 484 bce, at halicarnassus in caria, asia minor, when it was subject to the persians. The dreams of xerxes in which a phantom frightens him and artabanus into choosing invasion. Summary of herodotus this is a chapterbychapter summary, with occasional notes, of the histories of herodotus, based mostly on the translation by peter greene 1987, with occasional reference to translations by a. Greek researcher, often called the worlds first historian.
His greek title historia has been represented in english as both histories and the. Its mostly history of king xerxes and the persians, which tells basically how crazy xerxes was. Xerxes pride in his lineage made him blind against any danger 7. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Polymnia now when tidings of the battle that had been fought at marathon reached the ears of king darius, the son of hystaspes, his anger against the athenians, which had been already roused by their attack upon sardis, waxed still fiercer, and he became more than ever eager to lead an army against greece. See all books authored by herodotus, including the histories, and selections from herodotus, and more on. These being not of the same mother were at strife with one another, artobazanes contending that he was the eldest of all the sons, and that it was a custom maintained by all men that the eldest should have the rule, and xerxes arguing that he was the son of atossa the daughter of cyrus, and that.
Herodotus claims that dieneces made many such sayings, and if this is the case it would make him especially spartan, for the spartans valued the laconic phrase dry wit, expressed in as few words as possible. Herodotus describes their equipment and leaders, and he gives the numbers of their infantry, cavalry, and support vessels. The persian king xerxes with his mighty army bridges the hellespont and invades greece, killing the spartans arrayed against him at thermopylae. Herodotus 7 beta greek and latin texts with facing. In fact, herodotus account of the battle, in book vii of his histories, is such an important. Divided into nine books named after the muses, the history of herodotus traces the growth of the persian empire, starting with croesus of lydia, though cyrus and xerxes. On the march, xerxes comes to kelainai where the skin of marsyas is hung see metamorphoses book vi for the story of marsyas and meets pythios who shows hospitality to the persians and offers them wealth in their quest. Estimates of his forces are ridiculously overblown. The march of xerxes back to the hellespont, and the many deaths in the army from plague and hunger 115.
Named polymnia after the greek muse of sacred poetry. The army crosses the hellespont by ships, since the bridges have been destroyed by storms 117. Thoughts on book seven of the histories of herodotus. Written in 440 bc in the ionic dialect of classical greek, the histories serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that were known in western asia, northern africa and greece at that time. Xerxes and leaving behind 300,000 troops, the ancestors of alexander i of. Herodotus was a greek historian of the fifth century b. Demaratus, cautiously, asks if xerxes wishes to hear a true answer, or a pleasant one. Xerxes invades greece is an extract from histories by herodutos, the founding father of history. Read the histories book 7 polymnia by herodotus available from rakuten kobo. While they all knew it was coming, they didnt see it in the same way. Herodotus was an ancient greek historian who lived in the fifth century bc c. The quarrel over succession by two of darius sons, artabazanes and xerxes 2. The histories of herodotus is considered the founding work of history in western literature. Xerxes consults artemisia about mardonius offer 101.
Jan 18, 2012 herodotus 484425 bce the greek historian who wrote extensively on the persian empire, here describes persian customs as they would have been practiced around the year 430 bce at susa and other persian communities. But mardonius son of gobryas, xerxes cousin and the son of darius sister, was. Now when he had sailed through these and had disembarked from his ship, he sent for demaratos the son of ariston, who was marching with him against hellas. This means that herodotus was a little boy at the time of most of the events he is describing in this book. The two kings debate whether a hierarchical or egalitarian military arrangement produces better fighters. Book seven herodotus seventh book brings together many of the strands developed in previous books of hubris, greek development and the clash of civilizations. Youve got to pack the fact s in and refer to the sources. Histories book 7, the battle of thermopylae summary share. This expedition against athens threatened all of greece. This place is called thermopylae by most of the hellenes, but by the natives and their neighbors pylae. In its first logos, we witness the naval engagement on the sea between aphetae and artemisium. Herodotus notes that while xerxes ostensibly meant to punish athens, his real intent was to conquer all of greece.
In the histories, he describes the expansion of the achaemenid empire under its kings cyrus the great, cambyses, and darius i the great, culminating in xerxes expedition to greece 480 bce. Xerxes calls on demaratus, deposed king of sparta, to speak to him of the greeks. But xerxes fleet set forth from the city of therma, and the ten swiftest of the ships laid their course straight for sciathus, where there lay an. Often the commentaries will note that herodotus is just wrong in what he says, but sometimes hes right. His goal no longer is the punishment of athens, but the subjugation of europe. Herodotus excerpts from book vii of the histories translated and edited by a. But herodotus total of 3000 there is only partly composed of fiftyoared ships. Herodotus book 7 commentary beta edition 14 mb pdf aug 2012 rightclick on pc, ctrlclick on mac for option to download directly this link contains a free pdf copy of an unrevised draft of herodotus histories book 7. The histories book 7 ebook by herodotus 9781627550161. Histories book 7 the persians invade europe summary. How many soldiers does herodotus claim to be in xerxes army. Herodotus herodotus was an ancient greek historian who lived in the 5th century bce.
The principal sources of in formation are herodotus, aeschylus very biased and persepolis. The biblical writers borrowed from it to create characters. Aug 11, 2016 this feature is not available right now. The biblical writers borrowed from it to create characters such as the judges samson. Herodotus excerpts from book vii of the histories translated. Xerxes is the central character of the aeschylus play the persians. At the beginning of the histories, herodotus sets out his reasons for writing it. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us.
Histories book 7, the battle of thermopylae summary. Sincerely, andre herodotus book six discussion questions 1. The passage, from book i of his histories, is interesting in the way herodotus contrasts the behavior and values of the persians. The passage, from book i of his histories, is interesting in the way herodotus contrasts the behavior and values of the persians with those of the greeks, with the. Had the athenians decided to leave their city, or submitted to xerxes. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus. What are artabanus two main arguments against xerxes plan to invade greece.
For the 3,000 transport boats, he estimated a crew of 80 men per boat, altogether amounting to 240,000 men 7. In 440 bc, herodotus wrote what many scholars consider to be the foundational work of history in western culture. Herodotus the histories, book 7, polymnia 8239 battle of thermopylae. The subject matter covers the beginning of the persian invasion of greece under xerxes through thermopylae to persian occupation of athens. Herodotus adequately foreshadows what is going to occur in the future through artabanus speech. Histories book 7 the battle of thermopylae summary. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages. Hence herodotus described xerxes as possessed by hybris and blind from the very start. The next four books tell the story of the war itself, from the invasions of greece by persian emperors darius and xerxes to the greek triumphs at salamis, plataea and mycale in 480 and 479 b.
In one of the famous battles of ancient history, the persian force met a much smaller greek army at a narrow mountain pass called thermopylae. Xerxes is the protagonist of the opera serse by the germanenglish baroque composer george frideric handel. Now xerxes was at first by no means eager to march against hellas. Herodotus the histories, book 7, polymnia 8239 battle of.
Artabazanes was the eldest of the first family, and xerxes of the second. Herodotus, the histories, book 1, chapter 1, section 0. In this excerpt from herodotus book vii, he includes a speech that xerxes delivers. Immediately after seizing the kingship, darius i of persia son of hystaspes married atossa daughter of cyrus the great.
The history of herodotus by herodotus, part of the internet classics archive. This happens quite literally in one scene, where hana uses miscellaneous books from the library to repair the stairs. The penguin epics extract covers the same ground as the end of book vi and beginning of book vii of histories. Buy herodotus ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. It was first performed in the kings theatre london on 15 april 1738. To read the history herodotus only book is to seek ones roots as a member of western democratic civilization. Bridging the hellespont, the persians enter greece, demanding earth and waterthe tokens of subjection to. Xerxes at the hellespont mid 5th century bce november 10, 2016 elizabeth. Mardonius, to protect himself, urges xerxes to keep fighting in greece, or to go home and leave him, mardonius, in command of 300,000 troops 100.
When we think of catalogues in herodotus, we think possibly of his account of the revenues of darius where the various nations are listed, but something is also said about their contributions. Either the persians would rule over the greeks or the other way round 7. Here begins book vii called polymnia of herodotus histories, being the continuation of the narative from book vi. This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. The story of the the thracian king who blinded his sons for serving with xerxes 116. What does herodotus say is the total number of soldiers and servants in xerxes army. Book vii, the passage i am looking at, starts out with the two sons of darius rivalry for the throne ca. Herodotus 484425 bce the greek historian who wrote extensively on the persian empire, here describes persian customs as they would have been practiced around the year 430 bce at susa and other persian communities. He travelled widely in most of asia minor, egypt as far as assuan, north africa, syria, the country north of the black sea, and many parts of the aegean sea and the mainland of greece. Oct 07, 20 herodotus writes a dialogue between the persian king xerxes and the exiled spartan king demaratos in book 7. These two, therefore, being the sons of different mothers, were now at variance. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus by. This place is called thermopylae by most of the hellenes, but by the natives and. Immortality of the soul through a 3000 yr cycle 185.
It is believed that he lived approximately 484425 b. Poorer answers really lack solid information make vague, rambling assertions. He has been called the father of history, and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a wellconstructed and vivid narrative. In book 7, herodotus examines xerxes hubris and how this trait leads the persian empire into destruction because xerxes tried to extend beyond his bounds. These cities, i say, lying by the sea coast and belonging to hellenes, he passed by, leaving them on the left hand. The history of herodotus, free pdf, ebook global grey. I find myself switching between herodotus and the commentaries. Herodotus book 7, why our church no longer plays bethel or hillsong music, pastor explains false teachings duration.
The young king inherited a solid empire, which was greater than any before in history. Also known as xerxes the great he was the fourth zoroastrian king of kings of the achamenid empire. Artemisia advises that he leave mardonius in command, since then xerxes will have nothing to lose even if mardonius fails. He explains his theory that it is the athenians who ensured the freedom of greece by taking the course of action he is about to describe. Why did artabanus sleep in xerxes bed, in xerxes pajamas. From purvis translation in the landmark herodotus page 537. Xerxes subdues egypt before marching against greece. In book 3, herodotus tells of the arrival of a samian embassy to. Greek text with facing vocabulary and commentary under a creative commons license. Sep 30, 2019 after three years of preparation, xerxes invaded greece in august of 480 bce. King xerxes pitched his camp in the region of malis called trachinia, while on their side the greeks occupied the straits. Demaratos, now it is my pleasure to ask thee somewhat which i desire to know. This rests on an interpretation of herodotus which states he was a.
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