An Interpretative Account of Early Greek

Historiography

A Historiographical Essay

In partial fulfillment of

RC575: Historiography
Dr. Brett F. Woods

By

J. Phil Webb AMU 1037074

An Interpretative Account of Early Greek Historiography

In winter, on your soft couch by the fire, full of food, drinking sweet wine
and cracking nuts, say this to the chance traveler at your door: What is your
name, my good friend? Where do you live? How many years can you
number? How old were you when the Persians came?
Xenophanes, Greek Poet and Philosopher

Early Greek historiography actually began with the Homeric Epics that were
passed from generation to generation by poets or bards who would relate them orally. Not
to be confused with modern history, as we now understand it, this precursor to history
actually did contain some of the elements of history, which for the time being satisfied
the natural inquisitiveness of the Greeks regarding their past. But as society matured,
their natural curiosity prompted further introspection; they soon realized that they could
not even answer fundamental questions about themselves. Who am I? Where do I come
from? Who came before me? Even though the bards sang of heroic men and deeds of a
distant past, there was still no connection to the present. Furthermore, as society became
more advanced, the need to know of the past and its broader implication for the present
and the future mounted. A good example of this being defense for it was imperative to
be able to differentiate between friend (i.e. fellow Greeks) and potential foes (i.e. nonGreeks or barbarians). An astute group of Greeks, most likely beginning with Hecataeus
of Miletus, and continuing with Herodotus and Thucydides and beyond, presciently
recognized this need. Thus, Greek historiography was rooted in the epic tradition, borne
of urgent societal needs, and evolved into a sophisticated method akin to the modern
discipline of history while serving the vital purpose of defining Greek society.

Homer and Hecataeus: Precursor to Greek History

From the earliest and most influential Greek writings, the Homeric epic poems
Iliad and Odyssey, we already find a preoccupation with the past, and an urge to
transmit it to future generations (Hornblower 1994, 7). Passed down from generation to
generation via the oral tradition, the overarching themes of the Iliad were timeless; the
actions of man - whether they be borne of courage or cowardice, his interaction with the
Gods, mans folly and predisposition towards conflict and warfare, and the genealogy of
all Greeks. The Odyssey too deals with topics of intense human interest; the heros return,
his travels, mans natural geographical curiosity, and all the heart-rending struggles and
high adventure accrued during his journeys. Although the Homeric epics lacked dates
and a coherent dating scheme (Hornblower 1994, 8), they did serve to satisfy what we
may call the historical interest of the audiences who heard them recited (Bury 1909, 2).
Logically, the reaction of the Greeks was to seek a common identity and connection with
the Homeric heroes through its ancient clans (Bury 1909, 2) so that they could
provide their independent city-states, the Polis, with a sense of place and an air of
legitimacy. Despite the fact that the principle motives of the Homeric epics were
historical (Bury 1909, 4), and that they tended to serve the ancient Greeks in a myriad of
different ways, whether it be as entertainment or as a quasi-historical explanation for their
present situation, historian Simon Hornblower has keenly pointed out that whatever else
it may have been, the epic was not history (Hornblower 1994, 8).
The first true hints of modern history, as we know it today, came from Hecataeus
of Miletus. Proclaiming that What I write here is an account of which I consider to be

true (Bury 1909, 13), for he considered the tales told by the Greeks to be both
various and absurd (Hornblower 1994, 27), he was the first to identify the past as a
field of critical study (Hornblower 1994, 12). Unfortunately, only fragments of his work
survive to present day, primarily from his only attributable work, Genealogiai. It is
widely acknowledged today however that Herodotus knew of him.

The Fathers of Greek History: Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon

Although little is known personally of his life, Herodotus of Halicarnassus wrote

about a subject of monumental importance to the early Greeks in his seminal work The
Histories: the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC. His stated purpose, similar to that
of the Homeric Epics, was that the great deeds of men may not be forgottenwhether
Greeks or foreigners (Herodotus, Selincourt 1972, 7). He was not just a robotic recorder
of historical events however, for his purpose had an even deeper objective, and more
particularly, to show how they came into conflict (Herodotus, Selincourt 1972, 41). In
breaking with the tradition of the Greek epic however, Herodotus strove to provide an
accurate representation of the events he portrayed, believing that human affairs call for
human explanations (Hornblower 1994, 2). With this in mind, he was cautious in
admitting non-human causation (Hornblower 1994, 2) for events which would have
previously been attributed to the Gods, and instead relied on numerous sources to
document his work, primarily the testimonies of eyewitnesses. Undoubtedly aware of the
potential deficiencies of such sources, he nevertheless felt it necessary to record their
observations while hedging against future criticisms of such inaccuracies by stating, It is
my principle, that I ought to repeat what is said; but I am not bound always to believe it

(Hornblower 1994, 29). It is for his hitherto unheard of method of recording events of
historical importance, and even more importantly, for his delving into the deeper
underlying meaning of such events, that Herodotus has been duly accorded the title of
the Father of History, for it has been universally recognized that There was no
Herodotus before Herodotus (Hornblower 1994, 28).
Thucydides, while continuing the historical tradition set forth by Herodotus, was
in his own right, an original and innovative historian. His single historical monolith, The
History of the Peloponnesian War, was a contemporary documentary of the war between
Sparta and Athens, which occurred from 431 404 BC (Thucydides History ends at 411
BC 404 BC marks the end of the war with the fall of Athens). Stating that "My work is
not a piece of writing designed to meet the taste of an immediate public, but was done to
last forever" (Thucydides, Warner 1987, 48), Thucydides himself is proclaiming that this
work is vastly different from the literary works of previous Greeks which were often
written for public consumption. And so it was, for the reason that
He sets up a new standard of truth or accurate reproduction of facts, and
a new ideal of historical research; judged by which, he finds Herodotus and
the Ionian historians wanting. He condemns them expressly for aiming at
providing good reading as we should say, rather than facts, and for narrating
stories, the truth of which cannot possibly be tested. He does not seek himself
to furnish entertainment or to win a popular success, but to construct a record
which shall be permanently valuable because it is true.
(Bury 1909, 81)
This is precisely what truly sets his work apart his relentless dedication to accuracy
and his internal structuring of the work in a strict chronological order (Hornblower
1994, 91). Beyond that, Thucydides like Herodotus, also seeks to offer a full, perceptive
and neutral analysis of those circumstances related in his work and to answer the ever-

important questions of who, what, where and when (Hornblower 1994, 2). Whereas,
Herodotus deservedly earned his title as, the Father of History, Thucydides has been
called The Master by some modern Historians who have recognized that No prose
writer of the ancient world matched his gift for building an overarching narrative
structure, his attention to significant detail, and his emotional sweep (Hornblower 1994,
24).
Xenophon, less instrumental than either Herodotus or Thucydides in the
formulation of what would become the historic method, does however deserve mention
as a notable early Greek historian as he nonetheless fills in important gaps in the Greek
historical record. Taking up where Thucydides left off in his History of the
Peloponnesian War, Xenophons work Hellenica covers the time period of 411 362
BC. This work is deemed fairly credible as Xenophon was personally acquainted with
many leading figures of his time (Westlake 1969, 203). Xenophons other historical
work of importance is his Anabasis, or The Persian Expedition, which documents the
travails of ten thousand Greek mercenaries hired by the Persian prince, Cyrus the
Younger, in a bid to gain the throne of Persia.

Greek Historians in Roman Times: Polybius and Arrian

As the epicenter of human civilization continued to shift westward with the

gradual subsidence of Greek society and subsequent rise of the Roman Empire, Greek
historians continued to exert a considerable amount of influence within their respective
society and without, as well as on the fledgling discipline of History. Foremost of these
later Greek historians was Polybius, whose prolific 40-volume work, The Histories or

The Rise of the Roman Empire, was a grand attempt at writing a universal history
(Finley 1959, 441). Unfortunately, only five complete volumes have survived.
Nevertheless, he is highly regarded for his recognized obligation of historical truth and
impartiality (Bury, 1909, 217) as he continued down the path set by Thucydides.
Expanding on Thucydides methodology of seeking the answers to questions of who,
what, where and when, Polybius sought to also answer how and why in his works
(Hornblower 1994, 2). Ultimately, it was Polybius who defined the historians task as
explanation (Hornblower 1994, 2).
Lucius Flavius Arrianus Xenophon, otherwise known as Arrian, completes the
roll call of the most prominent early Greek historians as his masterful work, The
Campaigns of Alexander, provides arguably the best surviving account of a chapter so
important to Greek history: Alexander the Greats invasion of Persia.
Mestrius Plutarchus, or Plutarch, is typically not classified amongst the Greek
historians as his wonderful work, Parallel Lives, albeit a work of tremendous historical
value, is more closely associated with the biographical genre rather than amongst
historical works.
In Conclusion
Surprisingly, the Greeks did not possess a historical tradition before the works of
Hecataeus or Herodotus. Prior to this they had relied solely on the oral traditions of the
Homeric epics. But these proved inadequate in the face of advancing society. For
explaining inexplicable phenomena or human interaction as the work of the Gods could
not, and did not, hold up to the scrutiny of an advancing civilization. This advancement

demanded a knowledge of the past, so that they might draw a connection with their past
and be guided in the present. This was the catalyst for the advent of History.

Bibliography

Arrian. Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt. 1971. The Campaigns of Alexander.

London: Penguin Books.
Bury, J. B. 1909. The Ancient Greek Historians. New York: The MacMillan Company.
Finley, M.I. Ed. 1959. The Portable Greek Historians: The Essence of Herodotus,
Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius. New York: The Viking Press.
Gilderhus, Mark T. 2000. History and Historians: A Historiographical Introduction,
Fourth Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Heredotus. Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt. 1972. The Histories. London: Penguin
Books.
Hornblower, Simon. 1994. Greek Historiography. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Knox, Bernard, Ed. 1993. Classical Literature. New York: W. W. Norton and Company.
Selincourt, Aubrey de. 1982. The World of Herodotus. San Francisco: North Point Press.
Starr, Chester G. 1968. The Awakening of the Greek Historical Spirit. New York: Alfred
A. Knopf.
Thucydides. Translated by Rex Warner. 1987. History of the Peloponnesian War.
Middlesex, England, Penguin Books.
Westlake, H. D. 1969. Essays on the Greek Historians and Greek History. New York:
Manchester University Press.
Worthington, Ian. 1994. Ventures in Greek History. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Xenophon. Translated by Rex Warner. 1979. A History of My Times (Hellenica).
London: Penguin Books.
Xenophon. Translated by Rex Warner. 1965. The Persian Expedition. Baltimore,
Maryland: Penguin Books.

Index of Early Greek Historians Mentioned in this Paper

Historian
Homer

Dates
8th Century BC

Hecataeus of Miletus

c. 550 476 BC

Significant Historiographical Works

The Iliad
The Odyssey
Genealogiai (Only fragments survive)

Herodotus of Halicarnassus

c. 484 425 BC

The Histories

Thucydides

c. 460 400 BC

History of the Peloponnesian war

Xenophon

427 355 BC

Polybius

203 120 BC

Anabasis
Hellenica
Aegesilaus
The Histories

Arrian

92 175 AD

The Campaigns of Alexander

Thesis Statement: Thus, Greek historiography was rooted in the Epic tradition, borne of
urgent societal needs, and evolved into a sophisticated method akin to the modern
discipline of history while serving the vital purpose of defining Greek society.