“Why Herodotus believed Culture is King”
Herodotus believed preservation of culture had to be the dominant policy in maintaining, and controlling an empire, thus believing that “culture is king”, Herodotus celebrated the cultures, and achievements of humanity. In Herodotus he writes “ actions of people shall not fade with time , so the great and admirable monuments produce by both Greeks and Barbarians shall not go unrenowned, and among other things, set forth the reasons why they waged war against each other.””(Herodotus)” this quote sums up Herodotus’s view, that culture is something that needed to be preserved, and documented. Through his many journeys and travels, Herodotus documented everything, and wrote about many cultures, and societies. He made it a point to not only gather information, and the specific culture, but the reasoning behind the rituals. He also made sure to paint an accurate picture of the past, so that it was authentic, and as close to the truth as possible, rather than myth or legend. Herodotus being a true historian would rather have the truth. And although most cultures would rather we believe myths, he recorded both the myths, and legends a culture told, as well as the facts that he discovered, this way we had both a historic account as well as a cultural one of the people that lived during that time. Herodotus gathered and preserved the culture, the religion, and the facts.
Herodotus was a true historian. He observed and documented as many cultures, and traditions that he could throughout his life. He also gathered information about science and religion, especially the Egyptians and the Persian Empire; although he described them as peculiar he also credited them as a prideful civilization that refuse...
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...leaders in control of conquered provinces whether they were influenced by the writings of Herodotus is yet to be proven but it would seem likely.
Culture is still preserved today in many forms. We collect art, preserve writings, and admire one another’s customs, just as the Romans and Greeks did before us, even Germany during WWII stole art from the Jews, while they committed genocide. The only cultures that fight over differences in culture, are still fighting each other today, living in a world without peace. Israel is still fighting with the Philistines (Palestinians) and India is forever at war with Pakistan. Other than some small African tribes fighting in the jungle, these cultures still quarrel with each other but share many of the same traditions and culture with one another. This is why Herodotus knew “Culture is King”
Works Cited
Herodotus the histories
In the preface to The Alexiad, Anna Comnena shows the purpose of undertaking the history of her father. She says "the tale of history forms a very strong bulwark against the stream of time…As many as history has taken over; it abides together" (Comnena 1). This statement clearly shows the importance of history writing. It also shows the particular rationale that motivated Anna to write the Alexiad. She argues that, the events of the past will in many times be lost: they should be preserved for future reference by diligent historians (Dalven 2). Anna puts into records the reign of her father to ensure that its memories survive. This explicitly stated intent, gives her recorded material credibility as compared to other historians. Her intimate relationship with the recorded subjects, for example, her mother and father; make her work serve a greater and more personal goal that any other Byzantine historian (Peterson 23). In addition to explicitly asserting her reason to preserve her father's...
However, Heroditus’ Histories briefly detail the major events of the war, and relays them as if they were historical fact. Heroditus’ account of the war differs slightly from Homer’s version, and he is well aware of this. After relating the tale of Alexander (Paris) carrying off Helen, Heroditus writes:... ... middle of paper ... ...
...n. Similarly the method by which Mycerinus meets his end in Herodotus is one which is reserved for despotic royalty throughout Histories. Given this, it must be considered that the tale of King Mycerinus contains a large proportion of Herodotean invention or modification. Even the alternative tale of the death of Mycerinus’ daughter which is dismissed so readily concerning the amputated statues has a Herodotean ring to it. Whilst some historians have seen the entire section dealing with Mycerinus as fictitious the fact that Herodotus describes festivals that do exist accurately but misinterprets them wildly means that it is difficult to abandon all faith in his accounts. In common with much modern historiographic meta-fiction it appears that Herodotus might have used ‘real’ backdrops with ‘real’ historical figures as a basis for what amounts to a fictional story.
A hero accepts who he is as an individual, but strives to change himself for the better. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, the main character Odysseus is a valiant king who embarks on a life-changing voyage. While traveling from Troy back to his home in Ithaka, King Odysseus overcomes daunting obstacles, and in doing so discovers his place in the world. Odysseus is truly a heroic figure because he demonstrates courage, improves his character, and wins the support of the gods.
Herodotus was an interesting historian. His way of displaying a historical event such as the Persian War is different from how I expect a modern day historian to write it. He does not try to focus only on the Persian war but he goes into detail some times of the lineage of the rulers of the city-states even though that serves little relevance to the actual war. The accounts of history I am used to reading are more focused on the bigger issue and the historians do not deviate on long trains of side thoughts such as Herodotus does. Herodotus style of writing had me confused because he often would start on one topic and in the next couple of sentences move on to another topic before coming back to his main point about a paragraph down. I had to
21) The Persian War influenced Herodotus in a way because Herodotus became a historian, who was seeking the causes that led up to the events from the Persian War. Through that, Herodotus became a Greek historian who was also known for his books he wrote about what he researched.
Learning from past mistakes, displaying superior courage and having unmatched wits are the reasons Odysseus can be considered a hero. He endures difficult challenges and temptations to return to his kingdom, where chaos has overtaken. Along the way, he understands the true power of the gods and gains humility. Like a true hero, Odysseus is able to change for the better and sacrifices himself for others.
History today recalls the Greek traditions starting from the second millennium B.C to date and not just during the Archaic and the Classical periods. The primary aim of history is to provide us with a broad comprehension of the principles that governed the Greek societies (Carey, 2017). Hegemony together with Greek historians provides a comprehensible examination of the fundamental cultural and political elements which pervades Xenophon, Thucydides, Ephorus, and Herodotus. Hegemony mainly explains the master plan.
Herodotus references Athenian democratic ideology throughout his work, sometimes directly but other times through the words and happenings of his historical figures.When Herodotus talks about the Persian political debate he discusses a man named Ota...
The definition of a hero is unique for every individual; however there are several regulations that majority of individuals can agree on. A hero must exhibit traits such as humility, kindness, and courage. Once the candidate expresses hubris, displays cruelty, or retreats from a formidable challenge, he cannot be considered a hero. Lastly, a hero candidate must overcome challenges that defy the odds. He must deliver a gift to society that benefits society as a whole; such gifts can be freedom, liberty, or hope. Odysseus in The Odyssey, by Homer, fulfilled these requirements and rightfully earned the title of a hero. Odysseus is well deserving of the title hero because he has put the needs of others before his own, shown signs of courage in the face of adversity, and displays humility by ridding himself of his hubris.
Herodotus and Sima Qian were undoubtedly great historians due to their substantial advancements in history writing. Thomas R. Martin concludes that the link between Herodotus and Sima Qian is their common goal to create history as a guide to the past, and that the history they create is left up to individual interpretation. Although the time period, backgrounds, and situations between the two historians were vastly different, comparing both of their work is an opportunity to view the writing of history across cultures and around the world. Their ability to write intricate and lengthy histories during the time in which they lived and under the circumstances they faced make them great historians. The way they composed their material and shared it with the world should be recognized and accounted for.
Oedipus Rex”, by Socrates, is a play that shows the fault of men and the ultimate power of the gods. Throughout the play, the main character, Oedipus, continually failed to recognize the fault in human condition, and these failures let to his ultimate demise. Oedipus failed to realize that he, himself was the true answer to the riddle of the Sphinx. Oedipus ignored the truth told to him by the oracles and the drunk at the party, also. These attempts to get around his fate which was determined by the gods was his biggest mistake. Oedipus was filled with hubris and this angered the gods. He believed he was more that a man. These beliefs cause him to ignore the limits he had in being a man. Oedipus needed to look at Teiresias as his window to his future.
Many times humans do things that contradict another thing they do. An example of this is one thing may be good but also bad at the same time. A person who has done this more then once is Oedipus in the writer Sophocles plays. Sophocles uses imagery like light verses darkness, knowledge verses ignorance and sight verses blindness.
To live with shame or die in honor. Herodotus proposes this ultimatum through the stories of Gyges and Adrastus. We live under the ideal of integrity, but what keeps a man in the bound of ethics? To some, it's the promise of a heavenly afterlife, to others it’s a fear of breaking societal norms. The conundrum presents itself in everyday modern life. A soldier can flee under fire, but what keeps him there, what keeps his boots dug in the ground while bullets fly past him? The soldier risks his life because dignity plays a critical component to a good life. Herodotus exposes such thinking through two characters in book 1 of his histories, Gyges and Adrastus.
Herodotus. “Greece Saved from Persian Conquest.” Readings in Ancient History. Eds. Nels M. Bailkey and Richard Lim. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.