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    This week's class focuses on Herodotus' Histories as a source on Persia. Students are asked to read sections of Herodotus describing the rise of the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great and Persian customs. They are also to re-read fragments of Ctesias, a Greek physician at the Persian court in the 4th century BCE who wrote Persika, and analyses of both authors. Questions for discussion center on whether Ctesias was writing in polemic against Herodotus, why Herodotus' account is privileged over Ctesias', and whether the Histories can truly be considered a Persica.

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    Week3

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    This week's class focuses on Herodotus' Histories as a source on Persia. Students are asked to read sections of Herodotus describing the rise of the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great and Persian customs. They are also to re-read fragments of Ctesias, a Greek physician at the Persian court in the 4th century BCE who wrote Persika, and analyses of both authors. Questions for discussion center on whether Ctesias was writing in polemic against Herodotus, why Herodotus' account is privileged over Ctesias', and whether the Histories can truly be considered a Persica.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    7 views2 pages

    Week 3: This Week's Themes

    Uploaded by

    creebles
    This week's class focuses on Herodotus' Histories as a source on Persia. Students are asked to read sections of Herodotus describing the rise of the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great and Persian customs. They are also to re-read fragments of Ctesias, a Greek physician at the Persian court in the 4th century BCE who wrote Persika, and analyses of both authors. Questions for discussion center on whether Ctesias was writing in polemic against Herodotus, why Herodotus' account is privileged over Ctesias', and whether the Histories can truly be considered a Persica.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Week 3

    This weeks themes:


    Herodotus Histories as Persica (I).
    Analysis of Herodotus treatment of Persia in the Histories and his relationship with
    other early Persica.
    Modern historiography and Herodotean studies.
    Using Commentaries.
    COMPULSORY READING before the class meeting (remember to build on the
    reading you did last week):
    From Book 1 of Herodotus, Histories
    8-12: Gyges and his wife
    95-106: Median logos
    107-130: the rise of Cyrus
    131-40: Persian customs
    178-188: Babylon
    194-200: Babylonian logos
    205-214: Cyrus and Tomyris
    Re-read Ctesian Fragments (Llewellyn-Jones & Robson 2010) ST
    F5 33.1- 34.1
    F6
    F6b*- F6d*
    F7-F8c*
    F8d*
    F9
    Re-read Ctesias T13 (Photius)
    Llewellyn-Jones & Robson (2010) 49-53 ST
    Lenfant (2007a) 204 RP
    Recommendations for further consultation:
    Bigwood, J.M. (1978a)
    Bigwood, J.M. (1978b)
    Boedeker, D. (2000)
    Brunt, P.A. (1980)
    Christ, R. (1994)
    Drews, R. (1973) 45-96
    Fowler, R.L. (1996)
    Fowler, R.L. (2001)
    Gammie, J.G. (1986)
    Grene, D. (1961)

    Jacoby, F. (1923)
    Keaveney, A. (1996)
    Lateiner, D. (1989)
    Lewis, D.M. (1997)
    MacGinnis, J (1986)
    Momigliano, A. (1975)
    Murray, O. (2001)
    Tuplin, C. J. (2007)
    Vignolo Munson, R. (2005)
    Questions for consideration
    1. Is Ctesias writing a polemic against Herodotus (Lenfant 2010, 204)?
    2. Recalling the fragments you read last week (and your reaction to them), why
    does scholarship privilege Herodotus vision of Persia and the Near East?
    3. Is Herodotus Histories really a Persica? Give examples to support your
    reaction.

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