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Having dived down the history rabbit hole with Great Courses audiobooks the past year, focused mainly on Mesopotamia, Greece/Rome, Britain, the Celts, and the Italian Renaissance, it was a no-brainer I'd have to revisit The Histories after I bought it for uni in another lifetime and never got past the first chapter, 30 years ago. It was a very worthwhile listen, especially given the content as the first proper Western historical narrative based on travel, first-hand interviews, and research, though there is plenty of myth woven in as that was integral to Greek understanding of the world. As others have pointed out, it is equal parts storytelling, ethnography, cultural history, and a very detailed analysis of the Greco-Persian wars, with much insight.

Herodotus also gets full marks for repeated disclaimers that what he writes is true *to the best of his knowledge, based on what he has been told*, and that he tries to be as objective as any observer can be, despite all the intellectual and cultural assumptions and biases that inevitably creep in. He does a remarkable job, although it would be a brilliant experiment if there were a Persian Herodotus who could depict events from the other side. Now that would be turning the tables!

I have to admit that I wasn't able to give this one its full due as I listened in all different levels of attention (while "resting my eyes" and such), so not sure I have much more to offer, but I am certainly glad I read it now, at age 48, rather than back at age 18 in my first year at university. There is so much more life-experience I can draw on now to approach the material, its a far richer experience.

These are some excellent reviews that are far more comprehensive and interesting than my light effort, so check them out.

Riku Sajuj’s Review

Jan-Matt’s Review

Grace Tjan’s Review

Ian’s Review