Herodotus

c. 484 BCE – c. 425 BCE · exact dates unknown^[1][2]

Philosophy & Thought

Fun Facts About Herodotus

• Herodotus got the title "The Father of History" from the Roman orator Cicero, but because of the strange stories in his work, critics branded him "The Father of Lies."^[1][3][4]
• According to Lucian, Herodotus read his entire Histories aloud at the Olympic Games in one sitting and received rapturous applause.^[1]
• Another ancient story says Herodotus waited for clouds to give him shade before reading at Olympia, and the crowd left. "Herodotus and his shade" became a proverb for missing a chance by delay.^[1]
• One legend says a young Thucydides burst into tears while hearing Herodotus recite, and Herodotus told the boy's father: "Your son's soul yearns for knowledge."^[1]
• The Greek historian of the wars against Persia was himself born a Persian subject, since his hometown Halicarnassus, now Bodrum in Turkey, was part of the Persian Empire.^[1]
• According to Plutarch, the Athenian assembly gave Herodotus a reward of 10 talents in recognition of his work.^[1]
• Herodotus was alive at the same time as Hippocrates — their lives overlapped for about 35 years (c. 460 BCE–c. 425 BCE).^[1][2][5][6]
• Herodotus was alive at the same time as Gautama Buddha — their lives overlapped for about 1 year (c. 484 BCE–c. 483 BCE).^[1][2][7][8]

Herodotus was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the Histories, a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars, among other subjects such as the rise of the Achaemenid dynasty of Cyrus. He has been described as "The Father of History", a title conferred on him by the ancient Roman orator Cicero.^[1]

Contemporaries

Sophocles

59 yr overlap

Socrates

45 yr overlap

Hippocrates

35 yr overlap

Lao Tzu

13 yr overlap

Confucius

5 yr overlap

Leonidas I

4 yr overlap

Plato

3 yr overlap

Gautama Buddha

1 yr overlap

Questions About Herodotus

When was Herodotus born?

Herodotus was born about 484 BCE and died about 425 BCE. The exact dates are not known.

What was Herodotus known for?

Herodotus was known for: Greek historian, author of the Histories. Herodotus was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the Histories, a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars, among other subjects such as the rise of the Achaemenid dynasty of Cyrus. He has been described as "The Father of History", a title conferred on him by the ancient Roman orator Cicero.

Who was alive at the same time as Herodotus?

Herodotus's closest contemporary was Sophocles. Their lives overlapped for 59 years.