Herodotus Was Right

One of the great pleasures of living in the modern world is having modern archeology and science verify if those wild claims made in classic history texts were actually true. It’s exhilarating to find out that this is real history and not just crazy lies. Let’s use the example of the very first history book we have on record.

Herodotus was the first historian. He published his seminal work ‘Histories’ around 425 BC. Unlike modern history texts, his 'Histories' weave together diverse narratives across various geographies. The book jumps around a lot. It reads like a rambling man talking to you at a bar one night. Some of it sounds reasonable and the other parts sound completely insane. But it’s very entertaining.

But if it’s not true it’s not as fun. Listening to some guy tell crazy stories that aren’t true wears off fast. From what we know about Herodotus, he didn’t do primary research, he relied on oral traditions. Different ones. Then he presented multiple perspectives on events, added what he thought was likely and enabled readers to make up their mind. Herodotus didn't dismiss those stories he disagreed with or found unbelievable. The stories were right but his speculations even were wrong sometimes.

Herodotus was initially doubtful about the Phoenicians' tales of their southern voyages along Africa's coast. His skepticism was rooted in their description of the summer sun being in the north, which he thought to be implausible. However, this detail, which seemed unbelievable, is in fact a real occurrence when crossing the Equator. It suggests that the Phoenicians might indeed have sailed past the Equator, as their story aligns with the geographical reality of this region

It’s hard to summarize reading the ‘Histories’. It is entertaining and engaging. It’s not like a modern dry history book. You can’t summarize it. Probably why it has survived all these centuries.

Due to his style most people throughout history thought he was full of shit. Big names in classical and modern times thought he was just making things up.

1. Plutarch (1st-2nd Century AD): Plutarch directly accused Herodotus of lying in his essay "On the Malice of Herodotus." He coined the term "Father of Lies" in this context, criticizing Herodotus for what he perceived as biases and inaccuracies in his narratives.

2. Cicero (1st Century BC): Cicero regarded him as a blatant liar, suggesting that Herodotus often indulged in tall tales without shame

3. Modern Scholars: Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, many historians and scholars debated the reliability of Herodotus' accounts. Some viewed him as a storyteller embellishing facts for narrative

What If It’s All True?

An incredible thing has been happening over the past few years. Herodotus is constantly being proven right by archeological and scientific research. It really is all real. This makes reading him even more impressive now.

Just last week, a cool new study was released. Herodotus was right. The Scythians used the skin of their dead enemies to manufacture leather trophy items, such as quiver covers. Initially, this claim sounded like he was trying to make the Scythians out to seem barbaric compared to the ‘civilized’ Greeks. To malign them. But no, it’s true.

The past was an interesting place. It was a way more diverse world that the one we live in now. I fly around the world and see people are basically living the same lifestyle everywhere. It’s all part of this great flattening of life in order to receive material well-being. Call it globalization, or whatever. But at one time groups lived very differently than we do now.

Tales of Migration

The Claims of Herodotus

The ‘Histories’ by Herodotus is an 800 page book. Every page is a story and makes a claim. It is impossible to go through each page and dissect it. I want to concentrate on about 10 or so claims made that have been confirmed by modern research

1) Giant Gold-Digging Ants in India

Herodotus wrote about large ants in India that would dig up gold while burrowing.

This was considered a myth until the discovery of marmots in the Himalayas that would kick up gold dust as they dug their burrows, which local people would then collect.

2) The Existence of the City of Babylon

For a long time, the grandeur of Babylon as described by Herodotus was considered exaggerated. However, archaeological excavations have confirmed that Babylon was indeed a major city with impressive architecture and gardens.

3) Battle of Thermopylae

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