The history of herodotus rawlinsonbook 2 wikisource, the free. In particular, passage eightysix describes the practice of an ancient ritual that has fascinated people for millennia. The author of the histories respects the egyptian culture, and his purpose for writing the book goes beyond ethnocentrism. Dec 11, 2002 the writings of herodotus concerning ancient egypt contain a great deal of information about the particulars of egyptian society, geography, and religion. Cambyses ii of persias son of cyrus ii and king of persia attack on egypt. In the midst of his history of the kings of egypt, at 2. Unlike book 1, book 2 s recollections of kings were less specific and more sparse but he does include descriptions of animals and their role in egyptian society which i found interesting and new. History historie, inquiry in its broadest context here includes anthropology, natural history and virtually any piece of antiquarian information that appealed to. Jul 27, 2015 book 2 of the histories is an account of the geography, culture, and history of egypt, a land that was as fascinating to the ancient greeks as it is to us today. The egyptians in agreement with their climate, which is unlike any other, and with the river, which shows a nature different from all other rivers, established for themselves manners and customs in a way opposite to other men in almost all matters. Like many important ancient greeks, herodotus was not only not born in athens but wasnt even born in what we think of as europe. As herodotus introduces his long digression on egypt with a reference to the conquest of the greeks c. To read the history herodotus only book is to seek ones roots as a member of western democratic civilization. The traditional berber religion is the ancient and native set of beliefs and deities adhered to by the berbers amazigh autochthones of north africa.
The histories, by ancient greek historian, herodotus, is full of myths, folklore, legends, historical facts and tall tales. 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. The writings of herodotus concerning ancient egypt contain a great deal of information about the particulars of egyptian society, geography, and religion. 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, which met with disaster in the naval engagement at salamis and the battles at plataea and mycale.
Egypt was a massive part of the economy and culture of the eastern mediterranean. Many ancient amazigh beliefs were developed locally, whereas others were influenced over time through contact with other traditional african religions such as the ancient egyptian religion, or borrowed during antiquity from the punic religion. Herodotus on burial in egypt ancient history encyclopedia. The egyptians were the first who made it a point of religion not to lie with women in temples, nor to enter into temples after going away from women without first bathing. In the histories the persians are sometimes not exactly distinguishable from other peoples of their empire, especially when the greeks opponents are simply qualified as persians. Herodotus description of egypt and the egyptians the history of herodotus, george rawlinson, ed. A major impression herodotus wishes to get across is that egypt is very old.
Euterpe on the death of cyrus, cambyses his son by cassandane daughter of pharnaspes took the kingdom. Herodotuss history is an account of the grecopersian wars 499479 bce and the story of the growth and organization of the persian empire. Herodotus counts by generations, for example the kings of the mermnads dynasty, ruling from c. For any one who sees egypt, without having heard a word about it before, must perceive, if he has only common powers of observation, that the egypt to which the greeks go in their ships is an acquired country. It is interesting to note that there are no living winged serpents in our day. Herodotus covers the empires geography, social structure, and history before describing the events which led to xerxes invasion of greece and the greek citystates uniting to defeat his army. The third logos of herodotus histories is entirely devoted to egyptian history. It is clear that herodotus travelled over an immense amount of the ground himself. Herodotus account of egyptian history and customs, contained in book ii of his long narrative history of the persian wars, is a classic example of the father of history at work. At the beginning of the histories, herodotus sets out his reasons for writing it. The history of herodotus book i the first book of the histories, called clio this is the showing forth of the inquiry of herodotus of halicarnassos, to the end that1 neither the deeds of men may be forgotten by lapse of time, nor the works2 great and marvellous, which have been produced some by hellenes and some by barbarians, may. Herodotus continued his voyage down the euphrates to the city of babylon. Of course it is true that such calculations fail to distinguish between the ptolemaic and roman periods.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Herodotus basically traveled around the ancient world asking people questions about their lives and cultures and histories, and then wrote down whatever they told him. Greek researcher, often called the worlds first historian. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 2.
His plan to conquer egypt gives herodotus the opportunity to dedicate three logoi to the ancient kingdom on the boards of the nile. The third part of the essay argues that herodotus used this long human past presented by the egyptian priests in order to criticize genealogical and mythical representations of the past and develop the notion of an historical past. Unlike some gods, such as amun, who were worshipped by cultures outside egypt, anubiss cult never really spread beyond the borders of the country. The historian, herodotus wrote about flying reptiles. Mar 21, 2016 unlike some gods, such as amun, who were worshipped by cultures outside egypt, anubiss cult never really spread beyond the borders of the country. The history of herodotus book i the first book of the histories, called clio this is the showing forth of the inquiry of herodotus of halicarnassos, to the end that1 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. These accounts cannot be overlooked and do much to show that our presuppositions about flying reptiles and dinosaurs are flawed. Herodotus and hellenistic culture 203 his own country. Comparing egyptian and greek myth through herodotus. Now the egyptians, before the reign of their king psammetichus, believed themselves. Book 2 of herodotus opens up with what must be one of historys earliest recorded descriptions of a scientific experiment, also one the stupidest. Maybe herodotus thought that if he showed that the stories of the egyptian gods were not the same as the greek ones, people would believe in them rather less. Isis is one of the central gods of the ancient egyptian pantheon, and demeter is the one of the central olympian gods.
Histories book 2 the history of egypt summary course hero. In this occupation certain persons employ themselves regularly and inherit this as a craft. In this passage, herodotus describes the ancient egyptian method for mummification. Book 2 of the history, which describes the egyptian land and people, illustrates herodotuss skill as a narrator as well as his weaknesses as a historian. These, whenever a corpse is conveyed to them, show to those who brought it wooden models of corpses made like reality by painting, and the best of the ways of embalming they say is that of him whose name i think it impiety to mention when speaking of a matter of such a kind. Isis and demeter are similar through their symbolism of fertility in how they give birth to heaven and earth book of the dead. The following is comprised of excerpts from his book. Herodotus of halicarnassus here displays his inquiry, so that. Literature study guides histories book 2 the history of egypt summary. Note herodotus was born at halicarnassus, on the southwest coast of asia minor, in the early part of the fifth century, b. Herodotus stopped at several cities along the river, inquiring as to their history and cultures, and again has been proven accurate in his renditions of their tales.
Appleton and company, 1885, book 2, chapters 599 5. In his work,the history of herodotus, book 2, herodotus records an interesting report of flying winged serpents. Book 2 of the histories is an account of the geography, culture, and history of egypt. Herodotus often accepted stories and reputations uncritically and reported them as facts. A flawed and fascinating account of all things egyptian, much of it from firsthand testimony. Chapter summary for herodotus s histories, book 2 the history of egypt summary. Herodotus on the egyptians ancient history encyclopedia.
Now the length of the parasang is thirty furlongs, but the schoene, which is an egyptian measure, is sixty furlongs. Histories by herodotus translated by george rawlinson book 2 euterpe. With enormous elan he tries to make sense of these foreign cultures. Cambyses was to get permission of the arabian king to lead his army through arabian land, as the egyptians would be expecting them by sea and not by land. Of his life we know almost nothing, except that he spent much of it traveling, to collect the material for his writings, and that he finally settled down at thurii, in southern italy, where his great work was composed. It is the oldest book we have where a person we would call white talks at length about blackskinned people. Find a summary of this and each chapter of histories. Gyges, ardys, sadyattes ii, alyattes and finally, his son croesus who we look at in some detail. For any one who sees egypt, without having heard a word about it before, must perceive, if he has only common powers of observation, that the egypt to which the greeks go in their ships is an acquired country, the. The numbers in the text are the chapters from which the quotes are taken. The history of herodotus by herodotus, part of the internet classics archive. Connecting egyptian religion and customs to that of the greeks in which herodotus friendly manner towards egypt can be felt. Book 2 egyptian and african history, customs, geography cambyses, son of.
Thus the coastline of egypt would extend a length of three thousand six hundred furlongs. May the great megala and wonderful thaumata deeds ergasome brought forth by the hellenes, other by the barbariansnot be without glory aklea. His plan to conquer egypt gives herodotus the opportunity to dedicate three logoi to the ancient kingdom on the. Egyptian burial is the common term for the ancient egyptian funerary. Here are presented the results of the enquiry carried out by herodotus of halicarnassus. Herodotus also shows similarities between the goddesses isis and demeter. Sep 25, 2014 herodotus also shows similarities between the goddesses isis and demeter. Three things set him apart from the way whites talk about blacks in. The reader will find it difficult to keep all the people and countries straight.
But bacchus, according to the greek tradition, was no sooner born than he was sewn up. Egyptian goddess who represented the ideal mother and wife. The ancient greeks and romans, in particular, mocked anubis as they did all egyptian animalheaded gods as primitive and ridiculous. Herodotus of halicarnassus here displays apodeixis his researches historie so that human events do not fade with time. Elizabeth eltze herodotus histories, book 2, section 86 amphora. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus. Herodotus, a greek historian, wrote a history of the known world 2,440 years ago. Greek historian who remarked in 5th century bc, that egypt was the gift of the nile ka. He was born in the essentially dorian hellenic or greek, yes. Cambyses becomes king of the persian empire 530522 bc. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus by.
Herodotus made a trek to the egypt of his day 400s b. 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. Herodotus spent his entire life working on just one project. When you learn about other cultures, and travel to new countries like herodotus did, you encounter different religions. Herodotus grasp of egyptian history is surprisingly good for a foreigner with no command of the egyptian language, but it. Cassandane had died in the lifetime of cyrus, who had made a great mourning for her at her death, and had commanded all the subjects of his empire to observe the like. Herodotus claims that since this legendary king 330 pharaohs have ruled. An account of egypt by herodotus goodreads share book. We may think all the famous ancient greeks came from athens, but its not true. The histories of herodotus is considered the founding work of history in western literature.
As with the earlier mentions of egypts cultural and economic bounty, the point is to. In the end, herodotus has done a great service for many generations, by putting down, as best he could, his understanding of the history of the various actors of his time and before. Herodotus claims that since this legendary king 330 pharaohs have ruled he does not mention all of them, but gives some attention to the great conqueror sesostris, who has conquered the whole world. There is, however, a great deal of information that can be gained from looking at what the writings suggest about herodotus of harlicannassus himself, as well as his greek culture. Herodotus tries in 700 pages to sum up all that a wellinformed greek such as himself could learn about the real world, at least its geography, nations, cultures, flora and fauna, and mythical origins.
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