Herodotus as Pater Historiae

Abstract

Herodotus is not only known as the author of Histories, it actually being the first specimen of historiography, but also for the debates his work has aroused from antiquity to the present day. That Cicero has called him pater historiae (‘father of history’) has played a prominent part at this. For until recently it has been argued that Thucydides – who shortly after Herodotus wrote his History of the Peloponnesian War – should rather be considered the originator of historiography. Traditionally, Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War was considered more accurate and reliable than Herodotus’ Histories. This position got a revival with the development of ‘scientific’ history since the nineteenth century. More recently, however, there is a remarkable change in appreciation of Herodotus. This is not without reason, considering that the studies of Herodotus and Thucydides have a completely different design. At present, Herodotus’ approach is valued more highly than has previously been the case and he is in particular appreciated as a pioneer in cultural history and the method of oral history. In this chapter, a description is given of the way Herodotus performed his inquiries and how he had to cope with problems he was the first to be confronted with. A notable aspect of Herodotus’ approach is asking specific questions. This is exemplified by the way he raises the question of the flooding of the Nile. As regards his use of oral history, an assessment is made based on the study by J. Vansina on the subject.