# Highlights of Herodotus' Histories



## Franky Baby (Sep 23, 2020)

Wikipedia: "The _Histories_ (Greek: Ἱστορίαι; Ancient Greek: [historíai̯]; also known as _The Histories_) of Herodotus is considered the founding work of history in Western literature. Written in 430 BC in the Ionic dialect of classical Greek, _The Histories_ serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that were known in Greece, Western Asia and Northern Africa at that time."

King Croesus, of Lydia, asks Solon, "Who is the happiest?" His answer. The story of Cleobis and Bito - "how much better a thing for man death is than life". one two three

Croesus tests the oracles. one two

Ironsmith, while digging a well, finds coffin containing 11 foot giant (7 cubits).

Disgraced Scythian archers feed King Cyaxares and friends a boy in revenge.

King Cyrus of Persia defeats Croesus and his cavalry by riding camels to war (as horses fear camels), becoming ruler of the known world.

Cyrus spares Croesus after hearing him shouting Solon's name from the funeral pyre while being burned alive. Croesus asks permission to inquire why the oracle deceived him into going to war with Persia. one two three four

Religious customs of the ancient Persians.

Persian custom of considering an idea twice, first drunk then sober, before making a decision. Their kiss greetings, which vary by social class.

More on the customs of ancient Persians.

Carian girls' marriage strike (kinda).

Croesus advises King Cyrus: Don't enslave my people, turn them into women with their clothing and manner of life. Then they will never rebel.

Priestess grows "ample beard" whenever evil is about to befall.

Description of ancient Babylon.

The Tower of Belus, built and inhabited by a giant of the same name. one two wiki

Which race is most ancient? Let's ask the kids.

The extent of Egypt

The manners and customs of the Egyptians are the exact opposite of the rest of mankind.

Sacred otters and fish. The Phoenix. Flying snakes matching the description in the Book of Exodus. How the ibis protected the Egyptians from the flying snakes. one two

Queen Nitocris kills a vast number of Egyptians with a flood during a banquet

King Pheron attacks the sea, is punished with blindness

The building of the pyramids one two three

Persians' "feeble" skulls - evidence of calcium deficiency?

Why Egyptians never burn their dead

The Ichyophagi live to 120 years. Their fountain.

Ethiopians bury their dead in hollowed-out crystal pillars

Otanes, Megabyzus, and Darius seize control of the Persian Empire, and debate whether to establish a democracy, oligarchy, or kingdom, with excellent arguments by each. Darius gets his way (kingdom), and cheats in a horse race, to become King.

Padaeans in India eat people, and if anyone falls ill they eat him. "Come on guys, I'm not even sick!" "Nice try. *chomp*"

Flying serpents in the frankincense trees.
The females kill the males after mating, and the offspring chew their way out.

Cinnamon obtained by tricking huge birds.
Origin of the Scythians (according to them).

Hercules meets a half-woman/half-snake in Scythia. (See Cecrops, half-snake founder of Athens.)

Origins of the Scythians, cont. What Herodotus thinks. Cyclops and griffins. The strange funeral rites of the Issedonians. Hyperboreans.

Scythian war customs. The origin of the word "Asia". Why Scythians are unconquerable.

The Fountain of the Sun. Garamantians. Troglodytes. The people who don't use names. Mount Atlas, and the people named after it, Atlantes. People who build houses from blocks of salt. They who bury their dead in a sitting position. Dog-faced creatures, creatures without heads.

Pheretima's revenge, and horrible death.
How the Persians "netted" the inhabitants of entire islands.

Spartan King Cleomenes goes mad.

King Xerxes commands the sea to be whipped, and shackles thrown into it.

Xerxes' friend asks a favor. It doesn't work out so well for him.

Xerxes weeps for humanity.

300 Spartans fend off Xerxes' million troops by choosing a narrow pass as the battleground, utilizing long spears and a phalanx formation.

Hermotimus finds his enslaver/castrator and obtains his revenge.

The Greeks find the corpse of a giant on the battlefield, and also a curious skull.

Harpagus doesn't kill the King's grandson, so the King kills Harpagus' son and serves him for dinner.

Amazon love.


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## Franky Baby (Sep 25, 2020)

Another 600+ page book condensed! 

Hopefully I have done it justice. Considering.


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