Herodotus has come to be respected by most scholars as a responsible and important historian. Herodotus was both a critical thinker and a lively storyteller, a traveller who was both tourist and anthropologist. Like Homer, he set out to memorialize great deeds in words; more narrowly, he determined to discover the causes of the wars between Greece and Persia and to explain them to his fellow Greeks. In his hands, the Greeks' unforeseeable defeat of the Persian kings Darius and Xerxes, with their vast hosts, made for fascinating storytelling. Influenced by the work of the natural scientists and philosophers of his own and earlier eras, Herodotus also brought his literary talents to bear on a vast, unruly mass of information gathered from many interviews throughout his travels and left behind him the longest work that had ever been written in Greek - the first work of history, and one which continues to be read with enjoyment today. Herodotus: A Very Short Introduction introduces readers to what little is known of Herodotus's life and goes on to discuss all aspects of his work, including his fascination with his origins; his travels; his view of the world in relation to boundaries and their transgressions; and his interest in seeing the world and learning about non-Greek civilizations. We also explore the recurring themes of his work, his beliefs in dreams, oracles, and omens, the prominence of women in his work, and his account of the battles of the Persian Wars.
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说实话,这本书的结构处理,初读时可能会让人有些迷失,因为它似乎总是在讲述主线故事的同时,突然插入一大段关于某个偏远地区的风俗志或神话传说。但正是这种看似“跑题”的插入,构成了它无与伦比的魅力所在。这就像是在欣赏一幅精美的挂毯,你以为看到的只是波斯王子的戎装,但当你仔细端详边缘时,却发现了绣着奇异海怪和异域花卉的精细纹样。作者似乎不满足于仅仅记录“发生了什么”,他更热衷于探究“为什么会这样”,以及“当地人是如何看待这一切的”。这种对因果链条的执着探寻,使得整部作品充满了动态的张力。它不仅记录了历史的宏大叙事,更保存了大量关于古代日常生活、民间信仰乃至自然现象的零散记载。对于任何一个对人类早期文明的整体面貌感兴趣的人来说,这本书提供了一个不可替代的、多维度的窗口,去窥视一个充满未知、敬畏与奇观交织的古老世界。
评分这部巨著,简直是一部穿越时空的史诗,它不仅仅是记录了波斯战争的来龙去脉,更像是一幅用文字精心绘制的古代世界地图。作者以其惊人的好奇心和近乎偏执的求证精神,踏遍了已知世界的各个角落。我仿佛能闻到埃及尼罗河畔的泥土气息,感受到斯基泰草原上凛冽的寒风。他对于不同民族风俗的描摹,那种细致入微的程度,让人惊叹。比如,他对巴比伦城宏伟建筑的描述,那种宏大叙事中夹杂着对生活细节的捕捉,使得整个历史场景活灵活现。他不会轻易接受二手信息,总是试图从目击者那里获取最原始的叙述,即使这些叙述带有明显的文化偏见和神话色彩,他也毫无保留地记录下来,这本身就是一种极其珍贵的史料价值。阅读过程中,我时常需要停下来,想象一下,在那个通讯基本依靠脚步和马匹的时代,一个人是如何克服地理和语言的障碍,完成如此宏伟的田野调查。这种求真务实的态度,对于后世所有从事历史研究的人来说,都是一座难以逾越的高山。这本书的叙事节奏张弛有度,在严肃的历史论述和引人入胜的轶事之间找到了一个完美的平衡点,让人欲罢不能,仿佛跟随一位知识渊博的老者在篝火旁听他讲述那些尘封已久的秘闻。
评分读完后,我最大的感受是,这本书提供了一种看待“异邦”的独特视角,一种在当时环境下极度难得的包容性思维。它远不止于战争编年史,它更是一部人类学和地理学的早期结晶。作者对待希腊人与“蛮族”的对比,虽然不可避免地带有时代烙印,但其记录的客观性远超我的预期。他细致地记录了利底亚人的赌博习俗、埃及人对死者的复杂仪式,以及幼发拉底河畔的贸易场景。这些细节,对于理解古代地中海世界的文化生态至关重要。尤其是关于水源、气候对不同民族性格形成影响的探讨,虽然在现代科学看来可能过于简略,但在那个年代,已属高瞻远瞩。我特别欣赏他那种“我听到的是这样,但我并不能完全确定”的谦逊态度,这种对知识边界的清晰认知,让他的叙述显得更加可信。它像是一个早期的百科全书,涵盖了从政治制度到宗教信仰,从军事部署到商业路线的方方面面。每一次翻阅,都能发现新的细节,关于那些已经消逝的城邦和早已被遗忘的国王的故事,仿佛又重新鲜活了起来,散发着青铜时代的独特光芒。
评分这部作品展现出的宏大叙事能力令人叹服,其在处理史料时的审慎和包容性,是其超越时代的重要标志。它不是一份冷冰冰的官方记录,而是一份充满了人类好奇心与智慧的探索报告。作者对于地理环境的重视,几乎可以媲美后世的地理学家。他对各个国家如何利用其特定的地理优势(无论是河流、山脉还是海岸线)来塑造其军事和政治战略的分析,逻辑清晰,令人信服。例如,他对希腊城邦如何利用其崎岖地形进行防御的描述,就极为生动。同时,书中对神祇干预历史事件的描述,虽然带着那个时代的信仰色彩,但作者将其与世俗的政治动机并列,展现了一种早期理性思维与传统观念的张力拉锯。我常常在想,如果将这本书视为一部古代的“环球旅行指南”加上“民族志”的混合体,或许更能体现其价值。它让我们看到,在文字记录稀缺的时代,知识是如何通过口耳相传、亲身丈量的方式被固定和传承下来的。
评分每次合上书卷,我都会被一种强烈的“现场感”所震撼。作者仿佛拥有无数双眼睛,遍布于爱琴海的港口、小亚细亚的市集和美索不达米亚的平原上。他不仅仅是一个历史学家,更是一位敏锐的社会观察者。他记录的那些关于不同文化间相互误解和文化冲击的片段,即使在今天看来,也具有深刻的警示意义。这种对“他者”的详尽描摹,使得这部作品摆脱了单纯的民族中心主义的窠臼,力求呈现一个相对全面的古代世界图景。书中的语言风格,虽然在现代阅读习惯下显得有些冗长和迂回,但正是这种层层递进、细节丰沛的叙述方式,赋予了它一种独特的文学魅力和无可替代的史学厚度。它引导读者思考,在信息不对称的古代,人类是如何构建对世界的理解框架的。这部书,与其说是一部历史,不如说是一次对人类认知边界的早期探索。
评分If he were only here, he might pick up his stylus and get started on The Histories, volume 2.最后一句泪目
评分If he were only here, he might pick up his stylus and get started on The Histories, volume 2.最后一句泪目
评分If he were only here, he might pick up his stylus and get started on The Histories, volume 2.最后一句泪目
评分If he were only here, he might pick up his stylus and get started on The Histories, volume 2.最后一句泪目
评分If he were only here, he might pick up his stylus and get started on The Histories, volume 2.最后一句泪目
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