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Reading Herodotus for the History

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Reading Herodotus for the History INTRODUCTIONS Reading Herodotus for the History It is common to find statements such as “Herodotus says that X did Z” which go on to treat that as historical fact.1 That “X did Z” is evidence that this is how his sources spoke about X and Z many years later; or, if it is Herodotus speaking, what he believed about X and Z, which amounts to much the same thing, but also includes what he learnt as a child and teenager. We may accept that the Athenians beat the Persians at Marathon, whether or not we accept all the details in his narrative of the battle; but when he says that Histiaeus sent a secret message to Aristagoras on a slave’s head in order to be sent by Darius to Ionia (pp. 64–5), he is merely report- ing a story; we have to decide how far it is just that and how far there is historicity behind the story. Thus this commentary is not just on the text of book 6. It aims to try to identify on the one hand Herodotus the man and editor (if that word is not anachronistic), on the other what the sources were saying at least 30 years later, often longer; and then see how far we can suggest what lies behind them. What follows are overviews, not exhaustive discussions of the reliability of oral sources, or every aspect of Herodotus’ intentions and methods. See, e.g., Harrison (2000) 1–11 for some of the myriad views about him.2 Considerations of space apart, there is little point in reinventing the several wheels on these topics. It will be readily apparent that there are no fixed rules; all one can do is offer sign- posts or waymarkers which may assist. It is easier with book 6 than 1 E.g. Shaw (2003) 93, cited on §127.3; cf on ne≈tera, §74.1. 2 In any case, the bibliography is “unmanageable”: Shimron (1989), preface. The one in this book is long enough. Also, discussions about him and his methodology typically draw on passages from the earlier books of the Histories. There are excel- lent general discussions in the introductions to translations: Burn and more recently Marincola to de Sélincourt; Dewald to Waterfield. Specialised studies include Waters (1985), Gould (1989), and Romm (1998). Discussions of Herodotus as a historian include Starr (1968) 132–46, Fornara (1971a), and Drews (1973) chap 3. Numerous individual facets are exhaustively discussed in Derow and Parker (2003); Bakker et al (2002); Luraghi (2001); Lateiner (1989); Hart (1982). 2 introductions with most of the earlier books: it is largely factual; while the events it covers were more recent in relation to when he was collecting his material. But it is desirable first to say a little about the intellectual background to the Histories, its contents, and how book 6 fits into it. Herodotus’ life, education, and influences Most scholars accept a birth-date for Herodotus of 485–480, already in ancient writers.3 The basic evidence is the many references in the Histories to things still extant, or practices still done, “in my time” or “now”: they show that he was an adult during the pentecontaetia. In particular, 4.148.4 refers to Elis destroying several cities in Triphylia, which is dated to the mid fifth century,4 a similar date probably applies to the tribute of §42.2: see on katå x≈rhn. For the earth- quake at §98.2 see on metå toËton.5 He was born in Halicarnassus (Bodrum), a city whose Greek origins were Dorian, but with a sub- stantial Carian population, and whose dialect seems to have been Ionian, to judge not only from Herodotus but also epigraphy. His family, part Carian, were politically active. They are said to have opposed the ruler of Halicarnassus, Lygdamis, son or grandson of Artemisia, the queen who captained a squadron in Xerxes’ armada (7.99, 8.87–8); as a result, his cousin or uncle Panyassis was executed and Herodotus himself went into exile, probably as a teenager, to Samos.6 3 Dion Hal Thuc 5.5 knew a tradition that Herodotus was born a little before Xerxes’ invasion. Aul Gell NA 15.23 = Hellanic FGrH 4 T3, Apollodorus FGrH 244 F7b, citing Pamphila, first century AD, offers 484; there is general acceptance of Diels (1876) 54 that her source was the second century chronographer Apollodorus. See Regenbogen, RE sv Pamphila 18.315; Jacoby, commentary on 244 F7b. 484 is probably a calculation, based on a floruit of 40 or 41 when he went to Thurii, assuming that he did so in the year of its foundation, 443. But the same passage would give Hellanicus a birth year of 496, and Thucydides 471; both dates are too high by modern assessments. That for Hellanicus is controversial but cannot be earlier than the c480 in OCD3 sv; cf Joyce (1999) n. 14; for Thucydides c460–55 is proposed (e.g. APF 7268 IV(C); OCD3 sv). 4 HCT on Thuc 5.31.2, placing it after 471; CAH V2 104 (Lewis), citing Strabo 8.3.10: “well before 431”. 5 In book 6 there is also §119.4. For a full list of both “in my time” and “now” (or similar) references, see Schmid and Stählin 590 n. 9; for his use of the expres- sion, see Dewald (2002a) 283. 6 Suda, svv ÑHrÒdotow, PanÊasiw. His father had a Carian name (Lyxos). Panyassis.
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