Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotuswas a Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Cariaand lived in the fifth century BC, a contemporary of Socrates. He is widely referred to as "The Father of History"; he was the first historian known to have broken from Homeric tradition to treat historical subjects as a method of investigation—specifically, by collecting his materials systematically and critically, and then arranging them into a historiographic narrative. The Histories is the only work which he is known to have produced, a record...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionHistorian
insight man pain power worst
The worst pain a man can suffer: to have insight into much and power over nothing
bury fathers peace war
In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.
bolts god greater greatest houses tallest whatever
Do you see how the god always hurls his bolts at the greatest houses and the tallest trees. For he is wont to thwart whatever is greater than the rest.
anticipate boldness cowardly evils fear half might noble remain run subject
It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen.
envy envied
How much better a thing it is to be envied than to be pitied.
freedom-of-speech way good-things
It is clear that not in one thing alone, but in many ways equality and freedom of speech are a good thing.
learning men trying
Let there be nothing untried; for nothing happens by itself, but men obtain all things by trying.