Greek text with facing vocabulary and commentary, 2nd ed. In greek mythology, perseus is the legendary founder of mycenae and of the perseid dynasty. He travelled widely in most of asia minor, egypt as far as assuan, north africa, syria, the country north of the black sea, and many parts of the aegean sea and the mainland of greece. He was favoured by the gods because, in his quest to defeat medusa, he was given a lot of equipment by. How the gods attacked the persian troops, and with the help of the. The greek ships were so few, and their own so far outnumbered them.
The passage, from book i of his histories, is interesting in the way herodotus contrasts the behavior and values of the persians. Apollodorus, the library book 2 theoi classical texts. Background and book 1 background herodotus 480after 430 bce halicarnassus where herodotus was from, very cosmopolitan place widely traveled, especially egypt lived in athens under pericles ruler of athens thurii helped found this place, an artificially created international city in southern italy. Herodotus view of gods and fate toward common ground. Perseus, andromeda and the slain seamonster grecoroman mosaic from zeugma.
The only son of zeus and danae and, thus, a half god by birth perseus was one of the greatest heroes in greek mythology, most renowned for beheading the only mortal gorgon, medusa, and using her severed head capable of turning onlookers into stone as a mighty weapon in his subsequent adventures. He then sought out the ancient graeae and stealing their single eye compelled them to reveal the location of the gorgons. He and melia, daughter of ocean, had sons, phoroneus, and aegialeus. Perseus and the legends of argos oxford university press. This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.
Herodotus recounts this story, devising a foreign son, perses, from whom the persians. According to herodotus, all the greek gods and god. He was known for his vigorous strength, incredible bravery and slaying two of the most ferocious monsters, known as medusa, the youngest of the gorgons, and cetus, the sea monster of poseidon. He travelled widely in most of asia minor, egypt as far as assuan, north africa, syria, the country north of the black sea, and many parts. Home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help greek and roman arabic germanic 19thcentury american renaissance richmond times italian poetry word counts by language. Hdt prefers the greek version, which makes the dorians egyptians and traces their family back only as far as perseus 53. Greeks, you are haunted by a dream sent by some god, which forbids you to disband. Note herodotus was born at halicarnassus, on the southwest coast of asia minor, in the early part of the fifth century, b.
Perseus and chemmis herodotus ii 91 the journal of hellenic. The researches of herodotus of halicarnassus book 1 prologue. What is more, they are hampered by accident, since herodotus, like the tragedians, was very conscious that this is another factor which widens and deepens the gap between real and ideal. After a long lapse of time the names of the gods came to greece from egypt, and the pelasgi learnt them, only as yet they knew nothing of bacchus, of whom they first heard at a much later date. The history of herodotus, parallel englishgreek, tr. The story of perseus is best summed up in apollodorus library and visited at length by ovid at the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth book of his. Our division of the histories in nine books goes back to an edition by scholars of the third century bce, working in the great library of alexandria. The battle of salamis was the first great and unexpected victory of the greeks over the persian forces under xerxes, whose defeat had important consequences for the subsequent history and selfimage of europe. He was, alongside cadmus and bellerophon, the greatest greek hero and slayer of monsters before the days of heracles. Herodotus the great greek historian was born about 484 bce, at halicarnassus in caria, asia minor, when it was subject to the persians. Of his life we know almost nothing, except that he spent much of it traveling, to collect the material for his writings, and that he finally settled down at thurii, in southern italy, where his great work was composed. In its first logos, we witness the naval engagement on the sea between aphetae and artemisi. It is possible that herodotus consulted with chroniclers in the lydian capital.
It was the fault of the greek gods, who with their arrogance, encouraged me to march onto your lands. In the south the kretans of historic times speak greek, but the nonhellenic tongue survives in the east of the island cp. Book seven of herodotus histories ended with a greek defeat, but in book eight we will hear about greek successes. For the ionians say that nothing is really egypt but the delta, which extends along shore from the watchtower of perseus, as it. With the help of the gods, perseus obtained winged sandals, an invisible helm and a magical sword. The history of herodotus by herodotus, part of the. See all books authored by herodotus, including the histories, and selections from herodotus, and more on. Digression on the spartan version of how they came to have two kings, and how one line came to have first place. The story of perseus and medusa, an interpretation of its. They called them gods theoi, disposers, because they disposed and arranged all things in such a beautiful order.
Herodotus covers the empires geography, social structure, and history before describing the events which led to xerxes invasion of greece and the greek citystates uniting to defeat his army. Later greeks would elevate it to a major deity, but its role in herodotus, though vital, is not as great as that. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus. Greek researcher, often called the worlds first historian. He is known for having written the book the histories greek. Now the hydra had a huge body, with nine heads, eight mortal, but the middle one immortal. All search options view abbreviations home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help. The histories of herodotus is considered the founding work of history in western literature. Herodotus, the histories english xml header word count hdt. Google scholar the god of the nome was in fact anty antaeus but he was not. Herodotuss history is an account of the grecopersian wars 499479 bce and the story of the growth and organization of the persian empire. Perseus and the legends of argos 549 gorgon and came bearing the head with hair of writhing snakes, for the islanders a stony death. Herodotus 484425 bce the greek historian who wrote extensively on the persian empire, here describes persian customs as they would have been practiced around the year 430 bce at susa and other persian communities.
During times of peace, the sons bury their fathers, but in war it is the fathers who send their sons to the grave. Dec, 2007 this battle forms the centrepiece of book viii of herodotus histories. Homer, iliad, book 1, line 1 perseus digital library. We will fight against him without ceasing, trusting in the aid of the gods and the heroes whom he has disregarded and burnt their houses and their adornments. I managed to get through volume one and someday may take on volume two. Perseus was one of the most celebrated heroes of greek mythology. The book also illuminates greek views of themselves and of peoples from the east, the problematic relationships between different greek states in the face of the invasion, and the role of the divine in history. Herodotus histories book ii classical wisdom weekly part 8. The history of herodotus by herodotus, part of the internet classics archive. In book 3, passages 102 to 105, herodotus reports that a species of foxsized, furry ants lives in one of the far eastern, indian provinces of the persian empire. The native name of this people, however, has always had an ain persian. The greek commander was the admiral of the small spartan squadron, a man named eurybiades. These famously include the slaying of the sea monster cetus which led to the rescuing of.
This massive collection includes important greek and latin classics in their original languages. T, which is what most students are asked to read, explains the main differences between ionic and attic, and then proceeds to comment, clearly and unpretentiously, on all the useful linguistic information, explaining the ionic dialect, difficult verb forms, tricky constructions etc. But if we attack now, before anything unsound corrupts the athenians, we can win the battle, if the gods are fair. An eleventh man had a vote, chosen by lot to be polemarch note of athens, and by ancient custom the athenians had made his vote. Home collectionstexts perseus catalog research grants open source about help.
He beheaded the gorgon medusa for polydectes and saved andromeda from the sea. The history of herodotus, parallel englishgreek index. When cyrus had brought his life to an end, cambyses received the royal power in succession, being the son of cyrus and of cassandane the daughter of pharnaspes, for whose death, which came about before his own, cyru. Perseus 1 is also said to have been made immortal and placed among the stars.
Herodotus bilingual anthology studies herodotus in print table of contents book 1 clio book 2 euterpe book 3 thaleia book 4 melpomene book 5 terpsichore book 6 erato book 7 polymnia book 8 urania book 9 calliope. Perseus was the son of zeus and danae, the daughter of acrisius of argos. The nine books of herodotus histories, translated by g. In the histories, he describes the expansion of the achaemenid empire under its kings cyrus the great, cambyses, and darius i the great, culminating in xerxes expedition to greece 480 bce, which met with disaster in the naval engagement at salamis and the battles at plataea and mycale. Next they take the head, and heaping imprecations on it, if there is a marketplace and. Theseus was the mythical king and founderhero of athens. The guide to the greek gods and goddesses, how to be happy. Herodotus, the histories, book 8, chapter 65 perseus digital library. In its first logos, we witness the naval engagement on the sea between aphetae and artemisium. When he was about to leave them, he despatched a man named mys, a european by birth, to go and consult the different oracles, giving him orders to put questions everywhere to all the oracles whereof he found it possible to make trial. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. The argives have other things worth seeing in their town. Jan 18, 2012 herodotus 484425 bce the greek historian who wrote extensively on the persian empire, here describes persian customs as they would have been practiced around the year 430 bce at susa and other persian communities. Macaulay, 1890, full text etext at the history of herodotus, parallel englishgreek index sacred texts classics.
Megapenthes 2 is a son of proetus 1 by stheneboea, that is, halfbrother of perseus 1. Herodotus histories book ii the second book of the histories, called euterpe 1. A greek folk etymology connected perseus to the name of the persian people, whom they called the persai from old persian parsa persia, a persian. Most of their descendants became great kings, the greatest of them all being heracles, their greatgrandson, the most famous of all greek heroes. He goes from the cosmos to the atom, ranging between fate and the gods, on the. Perseus 1 is said to have being killed by megapenthes 2, on account of the death of his father, as someone puts it. Chance had appeared in greek literature as early as the posthomeric epics, and had gradually taken shape until it was represented and portrayed by sixthcentury sculptors. Herodotus 1 greek and latin texts with facing vocabulary.
The persian fleet prepares to attack the greeks at artemisium 6. The three gorgons, of whom only medusa was mortal, were of terrifying aspect, and those who looked upon their faces were turned to stone. Herodotus book i bryn mawr commentaries greek edition. In greek mythology perseus was one of the most celebrated of the heroes. The internet classics archive the history of herodotus by. We do not know what sources herodotus had available to him as he tried to put together a depiction of croesus and his reign. Perseus was considered as one the most famous and popular heroes in greek culture. King polydectes commanded he fetch the head of medusa. Herodotus histories book ii classical wisdom weekly. So mounting a chariot driven by iolaus, he came to lerna, and. This region, he reports, is a sandy desert, and the sand there contains a wealth of fine gold dust. July 20 this link contains a free pdf copy of herodotus book i. Greek and latin grammars and commentaries are also included. We will fight against him without ceasing, trusting in the aid of the gods and the.
Apollodorus, the library book 2 theoi classical texts library. He was favoured by the gods because, in his quest to defeat medusa, he. Herodotus, the histories, book 1, chapter 1, section 0. Books iv and v of ovids metamorphoses include the version of perseus tale that had. Written in 440 bc in the ionic dialect of classical greek, the histories serves. The greeks appointed to serve in the fleet were these. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures.
Nobody is mad enough to choose war whilst there is peace. This battle forms the centrepiece of book viii of herodotus histories. There are strong indications that this is not the original division. The book also illuminates greek views of themselves and of peoples from the east, the problematic.
Learn more about the traditional story of perseus in this article. Perseus collection herodotus search for documents in search only in herodotus. But if you side with those eager to avoid battle, you will have the opposite to all the. Herodotus recounts this story, devising a foreign son, perses, from whom the. The passage, from book i of his histories, is interesting in the way herodotus contrasts the behavior and values of the persians with those of the greeks, with the. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Perseus, in greek mythology, the slayer of the gorgon medusa and the rescuer of andromeda from a sea monster. Accordingly, at the beginnings of his threads of causation, there is often an unresolved, irrational strand.
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