Herodtous

Who Are Herodotus Persians? Rosaria Vignolo Munson Swarthmore College rmunson1@swarthmore.edu Abstract In analyzing how Herodotus explanations of foreign societies reflect Greek assumptions and prejudices, we cave in sometimes failed to recognize the extent to which he reports persuasive and historically valid information. This is particularly true of the Persians for whom Herodotus appears to have had access to real good sources, e particular(a)ly perhaps among Medes and Persians living in Asia Minor. This paper argues that Herodotus representation of Persian character and customs and his understanding of the family between the king and his subjects is based on genuine autochthonic traditions that reflect an internal debate within Persian elites in the aftermath of their war against Greece. Historians of ancient Persia often deplore their colony on Greek authors, whose reliability is necessarily undermined by their special perspective and foreignness.1 It is true that even the most important and fair-minded Greek source on Persia, Herodotus, speaks to the Greeks about themselves through his description of exotic worlds. He also, however, genuinely attempts to understand foreign cultures on their own terms and, in the case of Persia, he is in an exceptionally privileged position to do so.2 I.

King and People Herodotus is spell-bound by the Persians and confident in his access to informants who can crystallize for him who the Persians are as a culture and where they came from ideologically. His biography of Cyrus, the crumple of the Persian Empire, puts a special emphasis on who Cyrus was, his ???????, and on the opinion of himself (?? ???????) which that engendered.3 His portrayals of Cyrus successors, Cambyses, Darius, and Xerxes, are also individualized to an extent singular in other sources.4 Although Herodotus, needless to say, does not get everything right, he provides a great deal of authentic [End Page 457] information. level(p) some of his inaccuracies... If you want to get a full essay, hallow it on our website: Orderessay

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