Herodotus was a Greek historian of the 5th century BCE who is known as 'The Father of History' owing to his work.

Why is Herodotus known as the Father of History?

Herodotus is known as 'The Father of History' because he was the first Greek to write an objective work on history reporting events as he understood them instead of attributing the work to divine inspiration or revelation.

Is Herodotus a reliable source?

Herodotus has been criticized for inaccurate observations and exaggerations but is still considered a reliable source on ancient history.

How did Herodotus die?

Herodotus is thought to have died between 425-413 BCE, possibly of the plague. His cause of death is unknown.

Herodotus

Server Costs Fundraiser 2024

Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Please donate and contribute to covering our server costs in 2024. With your support, millions of people learn about history entirely for free every month.

$3890 / $18000

❤ Donate

Definition

Herodotus (l. c. 484 – 425/413 BCE) was a Greek historian famous for his work Histories. He was called The Father of History by the Roman writer Cicero, who admired him, but has also been rejected as The Father of Lies by critics, ancient and modern, who claim his work is little more than tall tales.

More about: Herodotus

Timeline

c. 1250 BCE
Trojan War, according to Herodotus.
c. 484 BCE - c. 413 BCE
Life of the Greek historian Herodotus of Halicarnassos.
c. 430 BCE - 415 BCE
The Histories of Herodotus is published. The work is divided into nine chapters, each dedicated to one of the Muses.