The Man who Invented History: Travels with HerodotusHerodotus is known as the Father of History, but he was much more than that. He was also the world's first travel writer, a pioneering geographer, anthropologist, explorer, moralist, tireless investigative reporter and enlightened multiculturalist before the word existed. He was at once learned professor and tabloid journalist, with an unfailing eye for fabulous material to inform and amuse, to titillate, horrify and entertain. In his masterpiece the Histories, tall stories of dog-headed men, gold-digging ants and flying snakes jostle for space within a mesmerising narrative of the Persian Wars, from which Greece emerged triumphant in 5BC to give birth to Western civilisation. Using the effervescent and profoundly modern Herodotus as his guiding light, Justin Marozzi takes the reader back to his world with eclectic travels to Greece, Turkey, Egypt and war-torn Iraq. |
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Aegean Amasis American ancient archaeologist army Athenian Athens Atossa Babylon Babylonian Baghdad barbarians battle beneath Bodrum British bronze Cairo called Cambyses Carian century BC Church civilisation Croesus culture customs Cyrus Darius Democedes democracy desert Dimos East Egypt Egyptian empire Eupalinos eyes Father girls Greece Greek Halicarnassus harbour Herodotean historian human invasion Iraq Iraqi Islam island journey Kardamyli killed king Komotini later Leigh Fermor Leonidas look Marathon Mardonius Mausoleum miles monuments mountain museum Muslim Mycale Nebuchadnezzar never Nile once Ottoman perhaps Persian empire Persian Wars pharaoh Plataea Polycrates priests pyramids Pythagorio religion religious Saddam Samian Samos says Herodotus Siwa soldiers Spartans stone story talk tell temple there's Thermopylae thing Thucydides tombs tower town tunnel Turkey Turkish Turks Uluburun victory walls wife woman women wonder words writing Xerxes