Histories of Herodotus
The histories ( ancient Greek ἱστορίαι historíai , German 'explorations' , 'inquiries') of Herodotus are the only surviving work of the Greek writer. The history includes nine books and was written in the 5th century BC. Written in BC. It provides an overview of the historical processes from around 700 to 479 BC, i.e. represents a period of around 220 years. The main reference point of the representation are the Persian Wars at the end of this period, which are of decisive importance for the further course of Greek antiquity were.
Contents of the Histories of Herodotus
The structure of the content with indication of the section numbers follows the Tusculum edition of Feix 2001 cited below. The basic structure of the histories is given by the Achaemenid great kings Cyrus II , Cambyses II , Dareios I and Xerxes and their deeds and campaigns, i.e. by the historical line of kings of the "enemies" or "barbarians", not through Greek personalities or events. The opening credits in book 1 about the Lydians and their king Kroisos and the whole book 2, which is dedicated to the land of Egypt and its history, deviate from this basic structure . (However, Book 2 serves as a preparation for the presentation of the conquest of Egypt by Cambyses in Book 3 and thus fits in with the Cambyses section of the complete work.)
Book 1 - The Lydians and Kroisos. Cyrus: submission of Asia Minor, Babylonia and the massagers
- Objective of the entire work (1)
- Introduction: Greeks and Barbarians in Mythical Times (1–5)
- The Lydians and Croesus (6-94)
- Origin of the Persian Empire and Cyrus (95–216)
- Youth of Cyrus (95-122)
- Descent of the Persians from the Medes (122–144)
- Excursus: Morals of the Persians (131–140)
- Subjugation of Asia Minor (141-176)
- Greek cities in Asia Minor (141–151)
- Uprising and subjugation of the Lydians (152–161)
- Subjugation of Asia Minor by Harpagos (162-176)
- Subjugation of the Babylonians (177-200)
- Babylon (178-187)
- Conquest of Babylon (188–191)
- The Land of Babylon and its Customs (192-200)
- Campaign against the massagers (201–216)
- Country description (201–216)
- Campaign and Death of Cyrus (205–214)
- Customs of the massagers (215-216)
Book 2 - The land of Egypt and its history
- Country description of Egypt (2–34)
- Description of the customs of Egypt (35–98)
- History of Egypt (99-182)
- The first five kings (99-123)
- The pyramid builders (124-136)
- Foreign rule. Twelve Kings (137–151)
- Psammetichos and his successors (151–161)
- Amasis (162-182)
Book 3 - Cambyses: Campaigns against Egypt and other countries. Beginning of the Darius rule
- Conquest of Egypt by Cambyses II (1–16)
- Campaign against the Ethiopians and Ammonians (17–30)
- Religious outrage and madness of Cambyses (31–38)
- War between Sparta and Samos . Polykrates (39-60)
- The skinny ones . Death of Cambyses. Darius I seized power after a constitutional debate (61-87)
- Order in the interior of the empire (88–160)
- Division of the Persian Empire into satrapies (88–117)
- Intaphrenes and Oroites (118–128)
- Demokedes (129-138)
- Syloson . Conquest of Samos (139–149)
- Babylonian uprising (150-160)
Book 4 - Dareios: Scythian Campaign. Campaign against Libya
- The Scythian Campaign (1–144)
- Reasons of Darius I for the campaign (1–4)
- Oldest history of the Scythians (5-15)
- The peoples north of the Scythians (16–36)
- The shape of the earth (37-45)
- Rivers in the Scythian Country (46–58)
- Scythian customs and traditions (59–82)
- The campaign of Darius against the Scythians (83–144)
- Train of Aryand against Libya and Cyrene (145–205)
Book 5 - Darius: The Ionian Revolt
- Campaign of the Megabyzo (the Elder) against Thrace and Macedonia (1–22)
- The Ionian Rebellion (23-126)
- Reasons for the uprising. Histiaios and Aristagoras (23–38)
- The sons of Anaxandrides (39-48)
- Anaxagoras in Sparta (49-51)
- The way to Susa (52–54)
- Alliance of Ionians with Athens (55–95)
- Expulsion of the Peisistratids (55-65)
- Kleisthenes and Isagoras (66–73)
- Cleomenes (74-76)
- Athens and Aegina (77-90)
- Hippias in Sparta. Tyranny in Corinth (91-95)
- Fight for Sigeion (96-97)
- Campaign of the allies. Destruction of Sardis (98-103)
- Secession and submission of Cyprus (104–115)
- Defeat of the Ionians. Death of Aristagoras (116-126)
Book 6 - Darius: End of the Ionian Rebellion. Campaigns against Greece
- End of the Ionian Rebellion (1-42)
- Campaign of Mardonios against Greece (43–45)
- Campaign of the Datis and Artaphernes against Greece (46–140)
- Thasos (46-47)
- Conditions in Greece (48-93)
- Train of the Persians across the islands and Eretria to Marathon (94-102)
- Battle of Marathon (103-131)
Book 7 - Xerxes: Campaign against Greece
- The death of Dareios. Xerxes take power (1-4)
- Campaign of Xerxes against Greece (Part I)
- Reichsrat (5-19)
- Preparations on Athos and Hellespont (20-25)
- Army train to Sardis (26–36)
- Ship bridges over the Hellespont (37–58)
- Muster and enumeration of the army (59-100)
- Xerxes and Demaratus (101-105)
- Train through Thrace and Macedonia to Therme (106–127)
- Xerxes on Peneios (128-130)
- The Actions of the Greeks (131–170)
- Xerxes campaign through Thessaly (171–200)
- Campaign of Xerxes up to the Battle of Thermopylae (Persian Wars) (201–239)
Book 8 - Xerxes: Continuation of the campaigns against Greece
- Campaign of Xerxes against Greece (Part II) (1–129)
- Battle of Artemision (1–22)
- Onward march of the Persian army. Capture of Athens (23-55)
- The sea battle at Salamis (56–96)
- Retreat of the Persians (97–129)
- Campaign of Mardonios (Part I) (130–144)
- Armor of the Greeks at sea (130-132)
- Negotiations of Mardonios with Athens (133-144)
Book 9 - Xerxes: Mardonios Campaign. Battle of Plataiai. Destruction of the Persian fleet
- Campaign of Mardonios (Part II) (1-98)
- Incursion into Attica and retreat to Boeotia (1–18)
- Battle of Plataiai . Liberation of Greece (19-98)
- Destruction of the Persian fleet and liberation of Ionia (99–121)
- Characteristics of the Persians (122)
See also
expenditure
- Herodotus: histories. Books I – IX. Edited and translated by Josef Feix . Bilingual edition Greek-German in two volumes. Tusculum series. Artemis & Winkler / Patmos Verlag, Düsseldorf 2001.
- Herodotus: histories . Newly translated, edited and explained by Heinz-Günther Nesselrath . Kröner, Stuttgart 2017, ISBN 978-3-520-22405-7 .