Herodotus and Sima Qian Research
Michael Beers
History 106-01
Mr. Horlor
July 12, 2013
The Life and Works of Herodotus and Sima Qian
A Research-Based Commentary
Thesis
In the book Herodotus and Sima Qian (2010), Thomas R. Martin contests of the Greek Historian and the Chinese Historian Sima Qian. Martin displays that though the historians’ politics, cultures, and time periods were different, both historians had the innate desire to record their subjective view of history as objectively as possible. Though they were not the first writers of ancient Greece and China, their books and their historical innovations shaped and changed how the past was depicted from their culture and on.
Life and Times of Herodotus Martin’s depiction of Herodotus’ life would portray that Herodotus spent much of his life traveling to learn more about the world. Martin writes about Herodotus’ accounts of traveling around the Mediterranean, visiting the various bodies of water there, and venturing too much of Mesopotamia. Everywhere he went, he asked questions about the history and customs of the various peoples he encountered, the buildings and works of art he saw, the documents he read, and the tales and legends heard. Making inquiries, recording the answers, evaluating the likelihood that they were true. In presenting his account for others to judge - these were Herodotus’s tasks as a historian informed by first-hand knowledge of his world. (Martin 3)
Though he had very little information about Herodotus’ life, Martin expresses in his introduction that in the beginning of Herodotus life, he was forced to escape from his homeland into exile as a refugee. Two wars marked the beginning of his life and the end of his life; The Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian war. Herodotus spent most of his life traveling. Herodotus also had a famous work called The Histories.
Herodotus earned the name “the father of history.” Herodotus did not discriminate against non-Greek peoples when writing about historical
History 106-01
Mr. Horlor
July 12, 2013
The Life and Works of Herodotus and Sima Qian
A Research-Based Commentary
Thesis
In the book Herodotus and Sima Qian (2010), Thomas R. Martin contests of the Greek Historian and the Chinese Historian Sima Qian. Martin displays that though the historians’ politics, cultures, and time periods were different, both historians had the innate desire to record their subjective view of history as objectively as possible. Though they were not the first writers of ancient Greece and China, their books and their historical innovations shaped and changed how the past was depicted from their culture and on.
Life and Times of Herodotus Martin’s depiction of Herodotus’ life would portray that Herodotus spent much of his life traveling to learn more about the world. Martin writes about Herodotus’ accounts of traveling around the Mediterranean, visiting the various bodies of water there, and venturing too much of Mesopotamia. Everywhere he went, he asked questions about the history and customs of the various peoples he encountered, the buildings and works of art he saw, the documents he read, and the tales and legends heard. Making inquiries, recording the answers, evaluating the likelihood that they were true. In presenting his account for others to judge - these were Herodotus’s tasks as a historian informed by first-hand knowledge of his world. (Martin 3)
Though he had very little information about Herodotus’ life, Martin expresses in his introduction that in the beginning of Herodotus life, he was forced to escape from his homeland into exile as a refugee. Two wars marked the beginning of his life and the end of his life; The Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian war. Herodotus spent most of his life traveling. Herodotus also had a famous work called The Histories.
Herodotus earned the name “the father of history.” Herodotus did not discriminate against non-Greek peoples when writing about historical
Cited: Primary Sources Hardy, Grant. Worlds of Bronze and Bamboo. 28-218. Print. Strassler, Robert B. The Landmark Herodotus. Print Secondary Sources Beers, Michael E. "Herodotus and Sima Qian Introduction Summary." (2013): 1-3. Print. Martin, Thomas R. "Introduction." Herodotus and Sima Qian. Boston: Bedford, 2010. 3. Print.