It is divided into three regions by tributary rivers of the Gorkhon: Zhilka and Glotka. Each of the districts has proper name and is in turn divided into separate quarters.

“The lower part adjacent to the Slaughterhouses is called “Earth”. We call the part lying between the Vein and the Pharynx “Knots”. And the triangular cape between Glotka and Gorkhon is “Stone Yard.”

passerby

Earth

Divided into five quarters.

Tannery

Tanners

Located southwest of the Tannery District. Here is the “Rod” (the mansion of Alexander and Katerina Saburov), the tavern of Andrei Stamatin and “Verba”, where Anna Angel lives.

Zhilniki

The quarter is adjacent to Tanners and Tanning from the south. Not particularly notable except for the fact that it has one of convenient exits to the Bone Pillar Wasteland.

Damp Developments

A neighborhood with a bad reputation. It was he who was primarily affected by the infection during the First Outbreak. This is where Ospina's bunkhouse is located.

Factories

The name speaks for itself. This block is entirely occupied by buildings and workshops of a canned meat production plant. Here will be the lair of the razor Braga and his gang, the secret hideout of the Haruspex, as well as a warehouse where the rat race is held.

Nodes

There are eight blocks in this area.

Edge

It is located in the northeast, jutted out by a cape between Gorkhon and Zhilka. In the rib there is the mansion of Yulia Lyuricheva “Net”.

Saddle

Located to the east. Lara Ravel lives here in her “Shelter”.

Khrebtovka

It lies south of the Rib. In the middle of Khrebtovka stands the building of the city council.

Core

It adjoins Sedlo and Khrebtovka from the south. This quarter is famous for the city Theater on Lace Square.

womb

Located east of the Core. Here is the mansion of the Olgimsky family called “Clot”, in which Big Vlad and Kapella live.

Bud

Located in the southwest of Knots, under the Core. In Kidney there is practically none notable buildings, with the exception of two<<Лестниц в небо>> .

vent

Located in the south of the Knots, between the Kidney and the Warehouses. To the south of this block is the Younger Vlad's gatehouse, and behind it is the railway station. In the block itself there is a square.

Warehouses

South-eastern corner of Knots. The warehouses are divided by the railway track into two parts: manufacturing (those closer to the city) and meat (closer to the Station). There is a secret autopsy room in the Warehouses

Biography of Herodotus

Origin of Herodotus

The father of history, Herodotus, was born between the first and second Persian wars (490–480 BC), and according to one piece of information, although not completely reliable, in 484 BC. His birthplace was Halicarnassus, Dorian colony on the coast of Caria. This city, located on the seashore and possessing an excellent port, conducted significant trade and enjoyed sufficient prosperity. It was founded by the Dorians from Troezen, with whom the Achaeans mixed, and in all likelihood also the Ionians, since before the Dorian migration Troezen was inhabited by the Ionians, and in ancient times, together with Kos, Cnidus and the Rhodian cities of Lind, Ialis and Camir, was part of the Dorian union of cities, the so-called Doric Hexapolis (Έξάπολις;). But subsequently Halicarnassus was excluded from this union, as Herodotus says, because one of the citizens, having received a tripod as a reward at the union games, did not place it, as custom required, in the temple of Apollo, but took it to his home. This insignificant circumstance served, of course, only as an external reason for the exclusion of Halicarnassus from the union; the real reason was more important. The break was due to the fact that Halicarnassus, due to the influx of Ionians from neighboring areas, lost its original Doric character; the Ionic dialect in the half of the 5th century, as can be seen from one inscription, was in Halicarnassus official language. And Herodotus himself, who by origin should be considered a Doryan, is in his entire character more Ionian than Doryan. After the exclusion of Halicarnassus from the Doric union, the time of which cannot be determined with precision, Halicarnassus, like other Greek cities in Asia Minor, was under the rule of the Lydians, and then under the rule of the Persians. The Persians usually used their dominance over Greek cities in such a way that they installed the most prominent citizens there as tyrants, and the latter ruled the cities at their own will. So, at the time when Herodotus was born, the ruler of Halicarnassus and the neighboring small islands - Kos, Nisir and Kalidna, under the supreme power of the Persians, was Artemisia, an intelligent and courageous woman who, with five ships, accompanied Xerxes on his campaign against Greece and gave him a lot practical advice, and in the battle of Salamis she was so distinguished by her determination that the king exclaimed in surprise: “Women became men, and men became women!” Herodotus in his history so praises the speeches and words of this woman that we can conclude that in his youth he willingly listened to stories about her exploits. She probably treated her subjects very kindly and kindly.

Bust of Herodotus. National Museum Rome. Beginning of the 4th century BC

Herodotus belonged to a noble and, in all likelihood, ancient aristocratic Dorian family. His father's name was Lix, his mother's name was Drio (or Rio), his brother's name was Theodore. The epic poet Paniasis, whom the ancients glorify as the successful re-establisher of an almost forgotten epic type of poetry, was a close relative of Herodotus - either his uncle (mother's brother), or the son of his father's brother, and it is very likely that he, as an older relative, had considerable influence on the mental development of Herodotus. We know that the subjects that Paniasis dealt with were also of interest to Herodotus. Paniasis processed the myth of Hercules in the epic poem “Heraclea”, and chose the story of the Ionian migration to Asia as the plot of another poem. It was these Ionic legends that Herodotus was most interested in, and he was interested in the myths about Hercules and his cult to such an extent that he undertook a special trip to Tire to the famous sanctuary of the Phoenician Hercules (Melkart) in order to obtain correct information about the antiquity of the Hercules myth and his cult .

Historical events during the youth of Herodotus

There is no doubt that Herodotus, coming from a rich and noble family and, moreover, having a desire for science, received extensive and comprehensive education; he reveals an excellent knowledge of Homer and other poets; he zealously studied his predecessors in historical studies - the logographers. Stories about the great world events that occurred in his early youth and affected his hometown were to have a deep and lasting influence on the mind of the growing youth. Something incredible happened. Herodotus heard about how the almighty great king The Persian gathered his huge troops, including detachments of the Greeks of Asia Minor, and set out on a campaign to punish and conquer the European Greeks, but was completely defeated by this small, fragmented and apparently so weak people, and covered in shame, in fear hastily fled back to his shocked kingdom. The thought that then involuntarily occurred to everyone and was expressed everywhere - the thought of God's judgment, striking the proud and daring, about the frailty of everything human and about the insignificance of earthly greatness has sunk deep into young soul and remained the conviction of Herodotus throughout his life, as can be seen from his writings.

The joy and delight that seized all the Hellenes at that time echoed in the hearts of the Greeks of Asia Minor. When the fleet and army of their European compatriots appeared off the coast of Asia Minor, after the victories at Mycale and Eurymedon, then they too felt strength and decided to overthrow the long-standing yoke and join their brothers. Whether similar attempts were made in the homeland of Herodotus, in Halicarnassus, is unknown to us. Perhaps the smart Artemisia, loved and respected by her subjects, managed to deflect the approaching storm. At least her son Pisindelidas and after him, around 455, his son Lygdamidas were tyrants in Halicarnassus; but we do not know whether this tyranny was inherited continuously. Depending on who retained power on the Asia Minor coast - the Athenian union or the Persians, freedom or slavery reigned in the cities, and either tyrants were expelled, or Persian rulers - satraps - were reappointed. So Lygdamidas relied on the help of the Persians, without which he could not have taken possession of the city against the will of noble and powerful families. Many of the latter fled from the tyrant's persecution; including the family of Herodotus, having left the city, found shelter on the island of Samos. Here, together with other fugitives and, probably, with the help of the Samians, who bravely defended Greek freedom on the Asia Minor coast, the relatives of Herodotus began to take care of the liberation of their hometown. In one of these attempts old friend and Herodotus' relative Paniasis fell into the hands of Lygdamidas, who ordered his execution. Finally, in 449, when, as a result of the campaign Kimona to the island of Cyprus, the cause of Greek freedom was again victorious, Herodotus and his comrades succeeded in expelling the tyrant from Halicarnassus.

Herodotus. Encyclopedia Project

Relocation of Herodotus to Thurii

However, Herodotus did not stay long in his hometown: the reason for his departure from there was, in all likelihood, political strife. When, in 444, in Lucania (in Southern Italy), not far from the city of Sybaris destroyed by the Crotonians, the descendants of the Sybarites founded a new city, Thurii, inviting all Greeks to participate in its settlement, without distinction of tribes. equal rights, then from Athens, at the suggestion of Pericles, colonists went there under the leadership of the statesman and interpreter of oracles Lampon, a friend of Pericles. The desire to obtain land in this beautiful country induced many Greeks to join in this enterprise; Among the colonists were Herodotus and famous speaker Lysis with two brothers. Since then, the Furies became the home of Herodotus, so that the ancients often call him not a Halicarnassian, but a Furian.

Herodotus and Athens during the time of Pericles

However, there is no need to assume that Herodotus went to Thurii in 444; this could happen later. In all likelihood, in the interval between his departure from Halicarnassus and his relocation to Thurii, he spent some time in the then center of the political and intellectual life of Greece - in Athens, where he subsequently visited many times. That Herodotus lived in Athens for quite a long time is proved by his knowledge of the state of affairs in Attica and the advantage he showed Athens to such an extent that envious opponents like Plutarch said that he was bribed by the Athenians. At a time when powerful Athens aroused strong hatred in the rest of Greece, Herodotus set out to show how this city became the savior of Greece during the Persian wars. Herodotus was, without a doubt, personally acquainted with the leader of Athenian politics, Pericles, and his family. In his historical work, he provides detailed information about the significance of the Alcmaeonid family, to which Pericles belonged on his mother’s side, and points out how successfully through the efforts of this family, which in the time of Herodotus did not enjoy popular favor, the tyranny of the Peisistratids was overthrown and Athenian freedom was strengthened. Since the information reported by Herodotus appears to have been borrowed in part from the family traditions of Pericles’ house, it can be assumed that wonderful story about the matchmaking for Agarista, the daughter of the Sicyon tyrant Cleisthenes, the great-grandmother of Pericles (VI, 126–130), a story distinguished by its epic presentation, had its source in some poem belonging to the Alcmaeonids. Agarista married the Athenian Megacles, son of Alcmeon, and from this marriage Cleisthenes, later a famous legislator, and Hippocrates were born; the latter was the father of Agarista, wife of Xanthippus, mother of Pericles. Herodotus says that she once dreamed that a lion was born to her, and a few days later she gave birth to Pericles. This place, the only one where Herodotus mentions Pericles, shows how highly the historian valued the statesman. Herodotus was also personally acquainted with other prominent Athenians; Sophocles was his friend for many years.

Ancient statue of Herodotus in Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus)

Travels of Herodotus

Herodotus in Asia Minor and Persia

A significant part of Herodotus’s great work consists of geographical and ethnographic information. He talks about events, but at the same time describes countries, morals, customs, civil and religious institutions - in a word, he retells everything wonderful about lands, peoples and cities. Before his resettlement in Thurii, Herodotus traveled a lot. Curiosity and at the same time the desire to collect more geographical and ethnographic material for the essay, which he conceived, apparently very early, prompted him to visit various countries the then known world; Herodotus saw the most remote areas inhabited by the Greeks, and traveled through the entire Persian kingdom. various directions. On these journeys he did not encounter significant difficulties or dangers, and with sufficient wealth he did not need funds for travel. As a result of trade relations, the path to all the shores of the Mediterranean Sea was open to everyone; at the same time, as a result of the orders of the Persian king Darius, every citizen of the region subject to the Persians enjoyed much greater convenience and safety when traveling than a foreigner who wants to travel around this country in our time. In the time of Herodotus, royal military roads, protected by fortifications and guards and providing shelter to the traveler at every station, connected all provinces with the center of the state - Susa. A foreigner, although under the watchful supervision of the authorities, could travel along these roads calmly and everywhere he would find everything necessary for subsistence and recreation.

Herodotus often recalls his travels in his work, but only on occasion when, in support of his story, he refers to what he saw and heard on the spot, and does not report anything about the time and method of travel. Therefore, we are not able to accurately determine in what years and in what order he undertook his travels. In any case, he was in Persia at the time when he hometown Halicarnassus was still under the rule of the Persians, that is, before 449 BC; after the overthrow of Lygdamidas, which Herodotus himself assisted and which freed Halicarnassus from Persian rule, he would no longer dare to undertake a trip to the Persian kingdom. He visited Egypt at a time when this country was also still under the rule of the Persians, but after the revolt of Inar, which lasted from 460 to 455; Herodotus saw the battlefield at Papremis, where Inarus defeated Xerxes' brother Achaemenes. Therefore, the time of his trip to Egypt falls between 455 and 449 years. He had previously undertaken a journey to the provinces of Upper Asia, as can be concluded from one indication in his work.

Herodotus probably traveled to inner Asia along the royal road that led from Ephesus through Sardis to Susa; he describes the dimensions of this road, its length and its appearance in such detail that it must be assumed that he himself saw it (V, 52 et seq.). He traveled as far as Susa and from there visited the royal estate of Arderikka, located five miles from the city, where Darius settled the once captive inhabitants of Eretria (VI, 119). In Babylon, in which Herodotus was very interested in its history, wonderful buildings, customs and cult (I, 178 et seq.), he apparently stayed for quite a long time. Our traveler also saw Ecbatana, the capital Mussels, with a palace Deyoka; it is very likely that he was also at the ruins of Nineveh, the former capital of Assyria. Herodotus knew the coast of Asia Minor to Halys very well; therefore, it can be assumed that he visited these places many times.

Herodotus in Egypt

Herodotus examined the wonderland of Egypt with special attention. It seems that he arrived first at Kanob, a famous harbor at the mouth of the western branch of the Nile, and then visited various cities of lower Egypt: Naucratis, a privileged Greek trading post, Sais, the residence of the last Egyptian kings, where Herodotus was initiated into the mysteries of Osiris; Busiris, where the large temple of Isis was located, etc. He traveled to middle and upper Egypt during the flood of the Nile, as can be concluded from the clarity with which he describes the trip from Naucratis to Memphis. “When the Nile emerges from its banks, says Herodotus (II, 97), only tall cities, like the islands in the Aegean Sea, for everything else is hidden under water. As soon as a flood occurs, no one travels along the river, and all ships go through the water that has spilled on the plains. Going from Naucratis to Memphis at this time, you have to pass just past the pyramids (near Giza, northwest of Memphis). But the usual path goes to the top of the delta and to the city of Kerkasor,” etc. From ancient city kings, Memphis, where Herodotus learned from the priests most of the information he was told about Egypt, he visited the pyramids located nearby, of which he himself measured the largest, the pyramid of Cheops. He was also on the shores of the artificial Lake Merida, located 12 miles south of Memphis, near which there was a labyrinth, Grand Palace with 3,000 rooms, a building that represents “superhuman labor” in size. Heading further up the Nile, Herodotus arrived at the city of Elephantine and thus reached southern border Persian kingdom. However, he did not dare to cross this border, no matter how much he wanted to receive correct information about the sources of the Nile, since beyond this border a foreigner could no longer be confident in his safety. On the way back, Herodotus from Memphis went east, passed the canal of the Egyptian king Necho (Necho), laid from the Nile to the Gulf of the Arabian (Red) Sea, and reached eastern border Egypt, to the city of Pelusium on the Mediterranean Sea. From there, along the coast, he reached Gaza, in Palestine, and here he probably boarded a ship and went to Tire to collect information about Hercules there.

Herodotus in the Black Sea region, his study of Scythia

In addition, Herodotus undertook a special journey to the Hellenic colony of Cyrene on the northern coast of Libya, and then to the Black Sea - to Pontus, the shores of which were dotted with Greek colonies and which, as a result, turned from “inhospitable” (Πόντος άξεινος) to “hospitable” ( Πόντος εΰξεινος - Pontus Euxine). Having entered Pontus through the Thracian Bosphorus, Herodotus headed to the west, wanting to go around the entire sea. Whether he traveled from the Bosporus to the mouth of the Istra (Danube) by land or by ship - this question remains unresolved; we only know that on the way Herodotus visited Greek colonies- Apollonia, Mesemvria and Istria, which lay at the mouth of the Istra. He considers the Ister River the greatest and most extensive of all rivers; The Ister “flows through the whole of Europe, and originates from the Celts” and has many tributaries, which are listed by Herodotus (IV, 47–50). To the north of the Ister, the Black Sea and the Caucasus there is a vast land of the Scythians, about which Herodotus especially tried to collect information during this journey. The Scythians were in active relations with the coastal Greek cities, and according to numerous waterways brought their works here rich country. Many of them lived for commercial purposes in Greek cities, others brought goods from internal countries; Greek merchants traveled around the surrounding lands. Thus, Herodotus could easily, from questioning the Greeks and natives, obtain detailed information about the properties of this country, about the morals, customs and traditions of this wonderful people; sometimes he himself went for a short time to different areas, into the interior of the country. Apparently, Herodotus spent quite a long time in the flourishing trading city of Olbia, at the mouth of the Hypanis (Bug) and here he collected information about the countries lying between Tire (Dniester) and Borysthenes (Dnieper). In this part of Scythia, many areas are known to him from his own observation; he spent several days sailing up the Bug. From Olbia, Herodotus went around the Tauride Peninsula (Crimea) to Maeotis (Sea of ​​Azov), then, along the eastern shore of Pontus, to Colchis, and from there along the southern coast of the Black Sea he returned to the Thracian Bosporus.

For ancient Russia and Ukraine, Herodotus is the most important of ancient historians, like Julius Caesar for France and Tacitus for Germany. Herodotus visited many areas of the Black Sea region and gave quite detailed information about this country and its then inhabitants: the Scythians and Sarmatians. Excavations in mounds at the sites of Scythian settlements described by Herodotus reveal a culture similar to that of which he speaks in his depiction of Scythia.

Scientific works of Herodotus

In addition to the countries mentioned above, Herodotus visited and examined all significant cities and sanctuaries on the Greek islands and on the Greek mainland; collected detailed information about the lands of the Balkan Peninsula, lying north of Greece, and subsequently, while living in Thurii, made trips around southern Italy and to Sicily, so we can confidently say that none of the Greeks, either before Herodotus or in his time, saw so many countries and peoples and had such vast geographical knowledge, How is he. The results of his travels served as the main material from which he composed his great historical work. But we cannot suppose that the plan of this great work was clearly presented to him at the very beginning of his research; rather, one can think that he first followed the path of his predecessors, the logographers, arranging the collected information in the form of a series of historical and geographical pictures. Thus, Herodotus wrote separate “histories” (λόγοι) - Persian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Lydian, Scythian, and subsequently, reaching highest point view, reworked them in mind new goal and partly included them in his great work. Herodotus achieved this highest understanding of the tasks of historiography as a result of his repeated trips to Athens and his long stay in this city; here in society politically developed people and with direct acquaintance with the great aspirations of which Pericles was the representative, he was able to penetrate more deeply into the spirit of Greek history.

"History" of Herodotus

Svida, in his article on Herodotus, reports that our historian, having fled from Halicarnassus to Samos, took up the Ionic dialect there and wrote “History” in 9 books, starting from the times of the Persian king Cyrus and the Lydian Candaules. This is an assumption that Herodotus wrote his work quite already in these early years, we cannot accept as probable. From it we can only conclude that around this time he wrote some of the individual studies already mentioned above, λόγοι. He could have published such individual sketches before he began processing the entire work. Lucian, in his short work “Herodotus or Aetion,” says that Herodotus, wanting to quickly gain fame and make his works popular, went from his homeland, Caria, to Hellas, and there, olympic games, read his work before a huge crowd gathered from all Hellenic countries, and received such approval that his books, of which there were nine, were named after the names of the muses. But we can consider this story only the fabrication of a rhetorician who cared little about historical truth, although at its core there may be historical fact that Herodotus read at the Olympic Games, in front of a large gathering, if not his entire work, then certain parts of his literary works. Other ancient writers also speak about such readings of Herodotus, and we have no reason to doubt it. In those days, sophists, poets, and rhapsodists performed in this way before large audiences; the works of Herodotus, both in their content and in form, were so interesting and entertaining that they should have met with extreme approval.

The ancients also talk about the reading of Herodotus in Athens, which Eusebius dates to 446. Some of newest writers It is assumed that Herodotus read in the congregation during the Panathenaic festival. We have fairly probable news that the Athenian council, at the suggestion of Anytus, awarded Herodotus a gift of 10 talents for his reading. Connected with the story of this reading or another reading in Athens, in the house of Olor, the father of Thucydides (historian), as well as with the story of the reading in Olympia, is an unlikely story about the boy Thucydides, as if he was present at this reading and burst into tears from delight, and at the same time from the desire to imitate Herodotus. Then Herodotus said to the boy’s father: “I congratulate you, Olor: your son is burning with the desire for knowledge.” Further, they talk about the reading of Herodotus in Thebes and his intention to introduce the study of history into the schools there. Without a doubt, the anecdote relayed by Dion Chrysostomus was subsequently invented about how Herodotus appeared in Corinth and demanded a reward for his writings, in which there were no lies about Corinth. But the Corinthians refused him a reward, and for this he added to his history an unfavorable story for them about their participation in the Persian Wars. (See page 125).

Having finally settled in Thurii, Herodotus began processing the material he had collected during his wanderings, and created a large historical work that has come down to us, under the title “History” (Ίστορίαι). The main theme of this work is the glorious struggle of the Hellenes with the Persian kingdom; at the same time, Herodotus expresses the belief, very widespread at that time, that enmity between the Hellenes and the peoples of Asia has existed since ancient times. Having told the great drama of the Persian wars, Herodotus conveys, following the example of logographers, the history of all the peoples who participated in this great struggle, speaks about their way of life, morals and beliefs and presents a geographical and natural-historical description of their countries, so that the whole essay represents something like general history. This entire work, probably already in the Alexandrian era, is divided into 9 books, each of which is named after a muse.

Herodotus’s “History” is a sparkling, simple story, imbued with a love for the good and the beautiful, a joyful story about how the love of freedom, courage, reasonable order, intelligence and modest morals of the Greeks triumphed over the servility and vain pomp of the numerous but disorderly hordes of the East. Throughout Herodotus's story there is a contrast between the Greek people and the character eastern life. "History" of Herodotus - entertaining detailed story about great, amazing events, the course of which he describes to his inquisitive compatriots according to an excellently thought-out plan, giving them a series of lively, enticing pictures. The tone of his story is completely in harmony with the content, and in general, Herodotus’s “History” has the character of a majestic epic.

Fragment of Herodotus' "History" on papyrus from Oxyrhynchus, Egypt

Summary of “History” of Herodotus

Herodotus’s main goal in writing “History” was to preserve for posterity the memory of the great events of the wars with the Persians, so that, as he himself puts it, “the exploits of the Greeks and barbarians in their struggle among themselves would not disappear unknown into the river of time.” At the beginning of the first book of the Histories, Herodotus briefly reports the mythical events that, as he believes, served as the beginning hostile relationship between Europe and Asia - the abduction of Io and Europe, Medea and Helen; then he moves on to a story about a man about whom he himself probably knows that he was the first to act unfairly with the Hellenes - about the Lydian king Croesus, who subjugated the Greeks of Asia Minor to his power. The actions and fate of Croesus are told in Herodotus’s “History” in great detail, which gives reason to insert into this narrative, in the form of episodes, not only the history of the former Lydian kings and their wars with the Hellenic cities of Asia Minor, but also the history of Athens from the time of Solon and Sparta with from the time of Lycurgus to the time of Croesus. Having thus spoken about the first enslavement of the Greeks by Asian power, Herodotus immediately points to the Hellenic states, from which help and liberation will come in due time. The Persian Cyrus defeats Croesus and takes his place, so from now on the historian's attention is drawn mainly to the Persian kingdom, which continues its hostile actions against the Greeks. First, Herodotus tells the history of the Median kingdom and the youth of Cyrus, the conqueror of the Medes; then describes his campaigns of conquest: against Babylon (the monuments, inhabitants and customs of this city are discussed in detail), against the Greeks of Asia Minor and against the Massagetae. At the same time, information is provided about the origin of the Asian Hellenes, as well as the neighboring Lycian and Carian tribes.

In the second book of the History, the conquest of Egypt by Cambyses gives Herodotus the occasion for a detailed description of this country, so interesting to him and to his compatriots; Herodotus provides information about the inhabitants, monuments, morals, customs and religious beliefs Egypt. In the third book, Herodotus continues the story of Cambyses, Falsemerdis and Darius, as well as Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos, with whose fall Persian rule begins to spread to the Greek islands. Thus we see how the Persian kingdom is moving closer and closer to European Greece; the institutions introduced by Darius upon his accession to the kingdom - the division of the entire kingdom into 20 satrapies and the transfer of taxes paid by them give us an idea of ​​​​the space and wealth of this powerful country.

In the fourth book of the History, Darius' campaign on the Danube and against the Scythians brings the Persians to Europe for the first time. Here we have detailed description northern Europe, namely Scythia and its inhabitants; in the same book of Herodotus there is news about southern countries- about Cyrenaica and its history and about the Libyan tribes neighboring it, since simultaneously with Darius’s campaign against the Scythians, the Persians in Egypt were preparing for a campaign in Libya. The fifth book tells about the conquest of part of Thrace and Macedonia by the troops remaining after the Scythian campaign and about the Ionian uprising that began at the same time, the reason for which was also the Scythian campaign. The trip of the Milesian tyrant Aristagoras to Greece for help gives Herodotus a reason to continue the history of Sparta and Athens from the time where it stopped in the first book, and in particular to present the rapid strengthening of the Athenians, who, after the expulsion of the Peisistratids, felt, along with freedom, new strength and were not afraid to incur the wrath of the Persian king by supporting the Ionian vos/pa name=Having finally settled in Thurii, Herodotus began processing the material he collected during his wanderings, and created a large historical work that has come down to us, under the title “History "(Ίστορίαι). The main theme of this work is the glorious journey.

In the sixth book of Histories, Herodotus talks about the pacification of what was frivolously begun Ionian revolt, about Mardonius’s unsuccessful campaign against Greece; explains in detail the discord that occurred between the Greek states on the eve of the Persian wars, and then follows the story of the expedition of Datis and Artaphernes, which ended in the Marathon battle. Then, up to and including the ninth book of the History, the story of the last great events flows in a wide stream, without deviating from its natural way to the side, but with the same slowness, arousing the reader’s impatience. Herodotus describes in extreme detail all the tribes gathered by Xerxes from different sides of their vast kingdom against Greece, their origin, their weapons. These formidable masses are slowly approaching Greece, whose states, engaged in mutual bickering, cannot unite together to repel the danger; The first battles take place at Thermopylae and Artemisium, then large, decisive battles at Salamis, Plataea and Mycale, which avert the danger that threatened from Asia from Europe and serve as the beginning of the offensive struggle against Persia. The capture of Sestus by the Athenians is the last event of the war, reported by Herodotus. His work is not completely finished, although we do not think that Herodotus wanted to bring the history of the Persian wars to their very end, until the death of Cimon. The work, not completed, consists of the remark put into the mouth of Cyrus that those who live in the most fertile and richest region do not always turn out to be the bravest people.

Thus, Herodotus’s “History” was written according to a well-thought-out plan. One thread runs through the entire work, with which the individual, large and small, parts of it are connected—sometimes, however, very weakly; main topic surrounded by many episodes, especially in the first books. Dionysius of Halicarnassus says about his fellow countryman that, imitating Homer, he tries to give his work the charm of variety through numerous episodes. But it is not just this many episodes that brings Herodotus’s work closer to the Homeric epic. Homer is also reminiscent of the simple, lively and visual presentation, the pleasant and good-natured detail of the narrative and the natural charm of the soft Ionic dialect. Athenaeus calls Herodotus for his style “worthy of wonder,” “sweet as honey”; Cicero compares him to mirror surface calmly flowing river.

Philosophical and ethical views of Herodotus

Character poetic work The work of Herodotus also has its own because its core is a certain religious worldview. In this, the father of history differs from all later Greek historians. His work is imbued with the idea of ​​a higher order in the world, of divine power, which, both in the physical world and in the moral world, indicates to every creature certain limits and measures and ensures that these limits are not violated. In his History, Herodotus shows how entire nations and each individual submit to this supreme justice; if someone in proud self-confidence exceeds his allotted limit, or even without any evil thought enjoys extremely great happiness, the deity humiliates, punishes and crushes him in order to restore the disturbed balance again: “the deity does not tolerate anything being great besides him.” . Herodotus calls this just concern of divine power for maintaining moral order in the world the envy (φθονος) of the deity - a concept that the ancients called otherwise Nemesis and coincides with the concept of Providence. Every man must fear this Nemesis, and guard against both excessive exaltation and misfortune; Herodotus also takes this into account. History, in his opinion, is a divine court that decides human affairs according to the law of moral and religious truth. Herodotus can even be called historian-theologian. Observing moderation and caution in his judgments about divine things, in the historical story about foreign peoples and in judgments about them, he tries to give everyone their due. Even among his enemies, Herodotus praises what deserves praise, and while reporting on the great deeds of his people, he avoids being too carried away by natural national pride; more often he points out to his compatriots that they were saved rather by divine providence and a favorable combination of circumstances than by their own strength and exploits.

Evaluations of Herodotus' works

In judging the historian of everything more important question about its reliability. The credibility of Herodotus has been questioned since ancient times. Ctesias of Cnidus (c. 400 BC), court physician of King Artaxerxes Mnemon, who, based on Persian archival materials, wrote a large work on Persian history (Περσικά) before his time, but was not distinguished, according to the ancients, by his love of truth, he tells a lot about the Persian Wars in disagreement with Herodotus and calls him a liar and an inventor.

Following him, some other writers also came forward with accusations and refutations against Herodotus. Herodotus in his work is not a blind panegyrist of the Greeks. When it became fashionable among the Greeks to write history with rhetorical self-praise, his simple-minded truthfulness began to seem not to do justice. Greek exploits; they began to reproach him for his tendency to speak ill of the Greeks. Plutarch, in the book that has come down to us “On Herodotus’s Desire for Reproach,” tries, prompted by petty nationalism, to accuse him with insignificant evidence of distortion of facts, lack of patriotism, partiality for the party and malicious humiliation of individuals. Others, although they did not directly accuse Herodotus’ “History” of deliberate falsification, still portrayed him as a frivolous and indiscriminate teller of fables and miracles. But in this they were unfair to our historian. In the selection of material, Herodotus acts with the greatest diligence and conscientiousness and reports the results of his research with truthfulness and not without subtle criticism. True, where he could not observe directly himself, where he had, during his travels, to be content with the stories of interpreters and periegetae, priests and other people, there Eastern boastfulness and passion for exaggeration told him many wonderful and incredible things. But Herodotus does not refuse to criticize such stories and often embarks on research and research in which real historical criticism is visible; in his stories, he always distinguishes what he learned and saw personally from what he knows only by hearsay. Where Herodotus could not decide how reliable this news is, or where he does not believe the reported rumor, there he directly admits this and says: “I must convey what I was told, but I do not need to believe everything.” Reporting about the expedition from the Red Sea around Africa, equipped under the Egyptian king Necho, he adds: “And they say, which I cannot believe, but which someone else may recognize as probable, that during their voyage off the coast of Libya they had the sun right side"(IV, 42) - a remark that, of course, none of Herodotus’ contemporaries believed, but the validity of which we now do not doubt. If there are two different reports about the same subject, and Herodotus cannot give preference to one of them, then he gives both, providing further research to their enlightened reader. Thus, he retained several very valuable pieces of information, the authenticity of which was confirmed only by recent research. The investigations of recent travelers in the countries visited by Herodotus more and more confirm that he reported information truthfully and conscientiously. When explaining the causes of events, as well as in judging the situation of the Greek states, Herodotus does not show the same maturity political development, as one might expect from a contemporary and friend of Pericles. He tries to explain events more in terms of inclinations and passions individuals, the deeper political reasons, the position and interests of states; For him, the moral and religious element is in the foreground, not the political.

Literary style of Herodotus

In ancient times, Herodotus, on the one hand, was subject to censure and accusations, and on the other hand, was the subject of surprise and high respect; but his censure came, for the most part, from individuals, and respect for him was shared by everyone and was preserved forever among people who understand the matter. His “History” was read by many, commented on, and extracts were made from it; in Alexandria, in Bolshoi Theater, the actor Hegesia read passages from Herodotus; and this case was not the only one of its kind. It was especially valued by the ancients for its nice language. Dionysius of Halicarnassus named him the best example the Ionic dialect, but not because his Ionic dialect, like Hecataeus of Miletus, was completely pure and free from all admixtures - Herodotus mixed into it words and expressions from other dialects, from epics, from tragedians - but because he was the first to develop the Ionic dialect in beautiful prose, which can be placed alongside poetry. Herodotus's speech is simple and clear, as if he were speaking and not writing; it usually consists of small proposals, weakly connected to each other (Λέξις έιρομένη, “speech simple order"). Where Herodotus tries, following the model of Attic periodical speech, to compose large complex sentences, he turns out to be weak and inexperienced.

The last years of Herodotus' life

Double bust of Herodotus and Thucydides

After his resettlement in Thurii, therefore, after 444 BC, Herodotus led in this city quiet life, however, taking small trips around cities from time to time Magna Graecia and to Sicily. He was again in Athens, probably at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, since he saw the Propylaea, built only in 431 BC. We have no definite news about the time of Herodotus’ death. Previously, based on two places in his work (I, 130 and III, 15), it was believed that he lived after 408: in the first of these places, Herodotus mentions the rebellion of the Medes against Darius, and this king was considered for Darius Nof, against which the Medes rebelled in 408, since nothing was known about the Median revolt against Darius Hystaspes. But the Behistun inscription has now been discovered, which details the unsuccessful uprising of the Mede Phraortes against Darius Hystaspes, which dates back to approximately 520 BC. Considering the words of Herodotus, we find that he could be talking specifically about this uprising . In the book. III, ch. 15, mentions the death of a certain Amirtheus from the ancient Egyptian royal family, who rebelled against the Persians. But this Amirteus is not the one who rebelled against the Persians in 405–400 BC and took possession of Egypt, but another, an ally of Inar in the uprising of 460–455 BC, perhaps the grandfather of the one named above . Latest events, which Herodotus mentions in his work, all refer to the first years of the Peloponnesian War, no later than 428 BC; and since in the place mentioned above (I, 130) he calls Darius Hystaspes simply Darius and does not distinguish him, to avoid ambiguity, from Darius Nophus, we can assume that Herodotus no longer worked on his work after 424, when Darius Nof began to reign; and since this work was not completed, he hardly lived longer than 424 years.

Herodotus died in Thurii and was buried in the city square - a distinction that was only given distinguished citizens. On his tomb the Thurians wrote the following inscription:

"Son of Lyx, Herodotus, creator ancient history Ionic style, laid in a grave here where he died. He grew far away, in the Doric land; but, avoiding misfortunes, he found a new homeland in the fields of Thurii.”

According to Svida, some claimed that Herodotus died in Pella, the capital of Macedonia; in another place he says that Herodotus, in the times of Euripides and Sophocles, was together with Hellanicus at the Macedonian court. Herodotus showed a special affection for the Macedonian royal house; during his travels he probably lived for some time in Pella and was in friendly relations with the family of the king, who, after the death of the historian, could erect a cenotaph for him. It was this cenotaph that could lead to the assumption that Herodotus died in Pella. And in Athens also there was the cenotaph of Herodotus at the Melitid Gate, and next to it was the tomb of his great successor in history, Thucydides.

An ancient bust of Herodotus is in the Naples Museum; double bust Herodotus and Thucydides - in the Farnese Museum in Rome.

Articles and monographs about Herodotus

Nadezhdin N.I. Herodotova Scythia, explained through comparison with localities. Odessa, 1842

Dyachan F.N. Herodotus and his muses. Part 1. Warsaw, 1877

Klinger V.P. Fairytale motives in the history of Herodotus. Kyiv, 1903

Lurie S. Ya. Herodotus. M.-L., 1947.

Dovatur A.I. Narrative and scientific style Herodotus. - L., 1957

Ditmar A. B. From Scythia to Elephantine. Life and travels of Herodotus. - M., 1961

Borukhovich V. G. Historical concept Egyptian logos of Herodotus. Saratov, 1972.

Rybakov B. A. Gerodotova Scythia: Historical and geographical analysis. M., 1979

Neihardt A. A. The Scythian story of Herodotus in Russian historiography. L., 1982

Dovatur A.I., Kallistov D.P., Shishova I.A. The peoples of our country in Herodotus’ “History”. M., 1982

Kuznetsova T. I., Miller T. A. Ancient epic historiography: Herodotus. Titus Livy. - M., 1984