ToW #26 - Entry in the Ancient History Ency.: Herodotus

Reading Goal: Read a scholarly source about a completely unknown topic.

Writing Goal: Identify a logical purpose of the source and analyze its success.

    Where human history dates back hundreds of thousands of years, the study of it has but one limitation: it must be observed and recorded. With the title of "The Father of History" bestowed upon him, the Ancient Greek Herodotus was the man to first devise the study of history. In his entry in the Ancient History Encyclopedia, modern historian and professor Joshua Mark presents all known aspects of Herodotus' work and life. Writing to an audience of fellow academics, Mark analyzes Herodotus' ultimate credibility as a historian through the use of historical examples, both about his process of cataloguing and his accuracy describing history.
    When it comes to Herodotus' practices of gathering information, Joshua Mark proves that, though revolutionary his efforts were, they were inadequate. Mark proves Herodotus' reliance on faulty translators with a descriptive example: Herodotus once wrote about fox-sized ants in the Himalayas. For centuries, this aspect of his text was evidence of Herodotus' knack for storytelling until it was realized that the Persian word for "mountain ant" was very similar to the word for "marmot". This mistake, though understandable, reveals that Herodotus left something to be desired in translation. Likewise, it is likely that Herodotus wrote about ancient cities that he never visited. Mark proves this with another example: where Herodotus described the Walls of Babylon as having "a hundred gates made of bronze", archeological evidence reveals that there were, in fact, only eight. As this is a wild exaggeration, Mark concludes, "this account was based on hearsay, rather than a personal visit", further defying Herodotus' ancient credibility and revealing that he was often inaccurate. Mark's extensive use of examples may seem misplaced here, but as he wrote a completely historical and objective account, only examples could be used. None of his conclusions about Herodotus' life and credibility go without logical backing and analysis. Like a true scholar, Mark reveals to his readers that, where Herodotus' work may be used to gain an understanding of ancient rumors and approximations, Herodotus is ultimately more story teller and orator than what we imagine as a modern historian. Where Herodotus was a man who helped to originate the study that Mark engages in today, it is concluded that he was not as dedicated to academic honesty as are scholars of the current day.

For reference, a marmot.