Euterpe, Second Book of Histories of Herodotus
February 28th 2007 06:56
In the first book, herodotus had shown us how Cyrus an upstart froma little known tribe burst on the scene and established the Persian Empire by conquering Asia Minor. As is his custom, Herodotus also give sus the histories and ethnographies of the people involved: Lydians, Persians and Medes in this case.
In the second book, herodotus turns his attention to the successor to Cyrus: Cambysses who invaded Egypt and added that country to his empire. And before he describes the exploits of Cambysses, he gives us a great account of Egypt. This section of the book was famous in antiquity itself and source of much controversy for critics of Herodotus doubted if he ever visited the palces he described and alleged that he relied too much on hearsay. Be that as it may, the section on Egypt is vivid but I did not find it as colorful as the one on Lydia.
Egypt, of course, was of immeasurable antiquity and the Greeks themselves held that the Egyptians were very old and all their religious beliefs came from there. So, it is interesting to note that Egyptians themselves felt they were competing with Phrygians and these last were older.
Any book on Egypt, must also tackle the river that made it. The source of Nile and its annual flooding were constatn features of wonder. As usual, herodotus repeats all the theories which were current then.
Leaving Nile, he gives us a more detailed picture of Egypt because, it has more wonders than any other land and he covers almost every aspect of the land. But, he does not buy into the stories so naively:
And then he takes a detour:
Thus far then the history is told by the Egyptians themselves; but I will now recount that which other nations also tell, and the Egyptians in agreement with the others, of that which happened in this land: and there will be added to this also something of that which I
have myself seen.
This completes the Egyptian tour and now we return to the advance of the Persian empire
In the second book, herodotus turns his attention to the successor to Cyrus: Cambysses who invaded Egypt and added that country to his empire. And before he describes the exploits of Cambysses, he gives us a great account of Egypt. This section of the book was famous in antiquity itself and source of much controversy for critics of Herodotus doubted if he ever visited the palces he described and alleged that he relied too much on hearsay. Be that as it may, the section on Egypt is vivid but I did not find it as colorful as the one on Lydia.
Egypt, of course, was of immeasurable antiquity and the Greeks themselves held that the Egyptians were very old and all their religious beliefs came from there. So, it is interesting to note that Egyptians themselves felt they were competing with Phrygians and these last were older.
Any book on Egypt, must also tackle the river that made it. The source of Nile and its annual flooding were constatn features of wonder. As usual, herodotus repeats all the theories which were current then.
Leaving Nile, he gives us a more detailed picture of Egypt because, it has more wonders than any other land and he covers almost every aspect of the land. But, he does not buy into the stories so naively:
Now as to the tales told by the Egyptians, any man may accept them to whom such things appear credible; as for me, it is to be understood throughout the whole of the history that I write by hearsay that which is reported by the people in each place.
Thus far then the history is told by the Egyptians themselves; but I will now recount that which other nations also tell, and the Egyptians in agreement with the others, of that which happened in this land: and there will be added to this also something of that which I
have myself seen.
This completes the Egyptian tour and now we return to the advance of the Persian empire
| 47 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
