Source

Histories

Herodotus's Histories is the surviving fifth century BCE Greek account often called the founding work of Western historical writing, and this Perseus Digital Library edition presents the Greek text with English translation and searchable apparatus maintained by Tufts University's classics program. As Herodotus's own text it is the correct primary source for what the work itself reports about the customs, religions and conflicts of the peoples he describes, including Egyptian and Persian religious practice. Its limit is well known among classicists, Herodotus reports both eyewitness testimony and secondhand travelers' tales without always distinguishing them, and later scholarship has shown some of his reported customs to be garbled or exaggerated, so a specific factual claim drawn from the Histories is best checked against modern historical or archaeological scholarship rather than accepted on Herodotus's word alone.

Facts

Assessment

Reliability Tier

Herodotus's Histories, the primary fifth-century BCE Greek account, authoritative for what the work itself reports about the customs and religions it describes, though classicists note that some of its reported customs have been shown to be garbled or exaggerated.

Notes

Fifth century BCE. No year of composition is established; year left unset.

Citation

Author

Herodotus

URL

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126

Source Type

primary-text

Connections

Associated With

Persians

This source names Persians directly: "Herodotus's Histories is the surviving fifth century BCE Greek account often called the founding work of Western historical writing, and this Perseus Digital Library edition presents the Greek text..."

Source HistoriesHerodotus

Claims Backed By This Source (225 claims)

This source backs 225 claims across the atlas. As facts: 136 well-attested, 6 scholarly debate, 1 open question. As cited relationships: 48 holds, 7 connected. Plus 27 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Prophecies, 50 claims: 28 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 17 holds, 4 general references.
Articles, 49 claims: 37 well-attested, 6 connected, 6 general references.
Religious Events, 39 claims: 20 well-attested, 17 holds, 2 general references.
Historical Figures, 37 claims: 22 well-attested, 5 scholarly debate, 1 open question, 6 holds, 3 general references.
Open Questions, 16 claims: 12 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 connected, 2 general references.
Deities, 9 claims: 5 well-attested, 2 holds, 2 general references.
Sources, 7 claims: 6 well-attested, 1 holds.
Wars & Conflicts, 7 claims: 2 well-attested, 4 holds, 1 general references.
Incense, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 general references.
Doctrines, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Mythical Creatures, 2 claims: 2 general references.
Subcategories, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Animals & Totems, 1 claims: 1 general references.