A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

HERtODOTUS. HERODOTUS. 4
best modern critics are not quite free: one writer which used to be laughed at as impossible or paraasserts, that Herodotus wrote to amuse his hearers doxical, are found to be strictly in accordance with
rather than with the higher objects of an historian, truth.
such as Thucydides; another says that he was The dialect in which Herodotus wrote is the
inordinately partial towards his own countrymen, Ionic, intermixed with epic or poetical expressions,
without possessing a proper knowledge of and re- and sometimes even with Attic and Doric forms.
gard for what had been accomplished by barbarians. This peculiarity of the language called forth a
To refute such errors, it is only necessary to read number of lexicographical works of learned gramhis work with an unbiassed mind: that his work marians, all of which are lost with the exception of
is more amusing than those of other historians arises a few remnants in the Homeric glosses (Ae'eLs).
from the simple, unaffected, and childlike mode of The excellencies. of his style do not consist in any
narration, features which are peculiar more or less artistic or -melodious structure of his sentences, but
to all early historians. Herodotus further saw and'In the antique and epic colouring, the transparent
acknowledged what was good and noble wherever clearness, the lively flow of his narrative, the nait appeared; for he nowhere shows any hatred of tural and unaffected gracefulness, and the occasional
the Persians, nor -of any among the Greeks: he signs of carelessness. There is perhaps no work in
praises and blames the one as well as the other, the whole range of ancient literaturewhich so closely
whenever, in his judgment, they deserve it. It resembles a familiar and homely oral narration than
would be vain indeed to deny that Herodotus was to that of Herodotus. Its reader cannot help feeling
a certain extentcredulous, and related things with- as though he was listening to an old man who,
out putting to himself the question as to whether from the inexhaustible stores of his knowledge and
they were possible at all or not; his political know- experience, tells his stories with that single-hearted
ledge, and his acquaintance with the laws of nature, simplicity and naivete which are the marks and
were equally deficient; and owing to these defi- indications of a truthful spirit. "That which charms
ciencies, he frequently does not rise above the rank the readers of Herodotus," says Dahlmann, " is
of a mere story-teller, a title which Aristotle (De that childlike simplicity of heart which is ever the
Animal. Gener. iii. 5) bestows upon him. But companion of an incorruptible love of truth, and
notwithstanding all this, it is evident that he had that happy and winning style which cannot be
formed a high notion of the dignity of history; and attained by any art or pathetic excitement, and is
in order to realise his idea, he exerted all his found only where manners are true to nature; for
powers, and cheerfully went through more difficult while other pleasing discourses of men roil along
and laborious preparations than any other historian like torrents, and noisily hurry through their short
either before or after him. The charge of his existence, the silver stream of his words flows on
having flattered the Athenians was-brought against without concern, sure of its immortal source, every
Herodotus by some of the ancients, but is totally where pure and transparent, whether it be shallow
unfounded; he only does justice to the Athenians or deep; and the fear of ridicule, which sways the
by saying that they were the first who had courage whole world, affects not the sublime simplicity of
and patriotism enough to face the barbarian invaders his mind." We have already had occasion to re(vi. 112), and that thus they became the deliverers mark that notwithstanding all the merits and exof all Greece; but he is very far from approving cellencies of Herodotus, there were in antiquity
their conduct on every occasion; and throughout certain writers who attacked Herodotus on very
his account of the Persian war, he shows the most serious points, both in regard to the form and the
upright conduct and the sincerest love of truth. substance of his work. Besides Ctesias (Pers. i.
On the whole, in order to form a fair judgment of 57.), Aelius Harpocration, Manetho, and one
the historicalvalue ofthe vorkof Herodotus,wemust Pollio, are mentioned as authors of works against
distinguish between those parts in which he speaks Herodotus; but all of them have perished with the
from his own observation, or gives the results of exception of one bearing the name of Plutarch
his own investigations, from those in which he (Hepi rjs'HPOdTVu KcailcorlfeOfas), which is full of
merely repeats what he was told by priests, inter- the most futile accusations of every kind. It is
preters, guides, and the like. In the latter case he written in a mean and malignant spirit, and is pro-.
undoubtedly was often deceived; but he never in- bably the work of some young rhetorician or
trudes such reports as anything more than they sophist, who composed it as an exercise in polemics
really are; and under the influence of his natural or controversy.
good sense, he very frequently cautions his readers Herodotus was first published in a Latin transby some such remark as " I know this only from lation by Laurentius Valla, Venice, 1474; and the
hearsay," or " I have been told so, but do not be- first edition of the Greek original is that' of'Aldus
lieve it." The same caution should guide us in his Manutius, Venice, 1502, fol. which was followed
account of the early history of the Greeks, on by two Basle editions, in 1541 and 1557, fol. The
which he touches only in episodes, for he is gene- text is greatly corrected in the edition of H. Sterally satisfied with some one tradition, without en- phens (Paris; 1570 and 1592 fol.), which was foltering into any critical examination or comparison lowed by that of Jungermann, Frankfort, 1608,
with other traditions, which he silently rejects. fol. (reprinted at Geneva in 1618, and at London
But wherever he speaks from his own observation, in 1679, fol.). The edition of James'Gronovius
Herodotus is a real model of truthfulness and (Leiden, 1715) has a peculiar value, from his having'
accuracy; and the more those countries of which made use of the excellent Medicean MS.; but it
he speaks have been explored by modern travellers, was greatly surpassed by the edition of P. Westhe more firmly has his authority been established. seling and L. C. Valckenaer, Amsterdam, 1763,
There is scarcely a traveller that goes to Egypt, the fol. Both the language and the matter are there
East, or Greece, that does not bring back a number treated with great care; and the learned apparatus'
of facts which place the accuracy of the accounts of of this edition, with the exception of the notes of
Herodotus in the most brilliant light: many things Gronovius, was afterwards incorporated in the e iFF'2