The Histories

Holland’s text makes for energizing reading … unquestionably the best English translation of Herodotus to have appeared in the last half-century … fast, funny, opinionated, clear and erudite … I am in awe of Tom Holland’s achievement – Edith Hall * TLS *Tom Holland has been captivated by Herodotus since he was a child. His pleasure shines through his relaxed, idiomatic, expansive and often dramatic translation … He, like Herodotus, is a storyteller par excellence – Peter Jones * New Statesman *A labour of love … full of rattling good yarns … the minister for education should present each of his cabinet colleagues with a copy of Holland’s admirable translation * Economist *

Herodotus

Few facts are known about the life of Herodotus. He was born around 490 BC in Halicarnassus, on the south-west coast of Asia Minor. He seems to have travelled widely throughout the Mediterranean world, including Egypt, Africa, the area around the Black Sea and throughout many Greek city-states, of both the mainland and the islands. A sojourn in Athens is part of the traditional biography, and there he is said to have given public readings of his work and been friends with the playwright Sophocles. He is said also to have taken part in the founding of the colony of Thurii in Italy in 443 BC. He probably died at some time between 425 and 420 BC. His reputation has varied greatly, but for the ancients and many moderns he well deserves the title (first given to him by Cicero) of ‘the Father of History’.