Greek historiography
Greek historiography refers to Hellenic efforts to track and record history. By the 5th century BC it became an integral part of Ancient Greek literature and held a prestigious place in later Byzantine literature.
The historical period of Ancient Greece is unique in world history as the first period attested directly in proper historiography, while earlier ancient history or proto-history is known by much more circumstantial evidence, such as annals, chronicles, king lists, and pragmatic epigraphy.
Herodotus is widely known as the "father of history", his Histories being eponymous of the entire field. Written between the 450s and 420s BC, the scope of Herodotus' work reaches about a century in the past, discussing 6th-century historical figures such as Darius I of Persia, Cambyses II, and Psamtik III, and alludes to some 8th-century ones such as Candaules.
Herodotus was succeeded by authors such as Thucydides, Xenophon, Demosthenes, Plato, and Aristotle. Most of these authors were either Athenians or pro-Athenians, which is why far more is known about the history and politics of Athens than of many other cities. Their scope is further limited by a focus on political, military and diplomatic history, ignoring economic and social history.[1]
See also
- Roman historiography
- List of Greek historiographers
- List of Graeco-Roman geographers
- List of historians
- Modern Greek literature
References
- ↑ Grant, Michael (1995). Greek and Roman historians: information and misinformation. Routledge, 1995. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-415-11770-8.
Further reading
- Parmeggiani, Giovanni, ed. (2014). Between Thucydides and Polybius: The Golden Age of Greek Historiography. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-42834-8.