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''The Histories'' is divided into nine books, each named after one of the Muses . The rise of the Persian Empire is chronicled, and the causes for the conflict with Greece . Herodotus treats the conflict as an ideological one, frequently contrasting the absolute power of the Persian king with the democratic government of the Greeks. ''The Histories'' contains a famous account of the Battle Of Marathon , of which Herodotus wrote:


STORYLINE


Book I ( Clio )

, looking down from the theater.]]

  • The rulers of , Gyges , Sadyattes , Alyattes , Crœsus

  • How Gyges took the kingdom from Candaules

  • The singer Arion 's ride on the Dolphin

  • Solon 's answer to Crœsus's question that Tellus was the happiest person in the world

  • Crœsus's efforts to protect his son Atys , his son's accidental death by Adrastus

  • Crœsus's test of the oracles

  • The answer from the Oracle Of Delphi concerning whether Crœsus should attack the Persians (famous for its ambiguity): ''If you attack you will destroy a mighty empire''

  • Pisistratus ' rises and falls from power as tyrant of Athens

  • The rise of Sparta

  • Crœsus's defeat by Cyrus II Of Persia , and how he later became Cyrus's advisor

  • The rulers of the , Phraortes , Cyaxares , Astyages , Cyrus II Of Persia

  • The rise of Deioces over the Medes

  • Astyages 's attempt to destroy Cyrus, and Cyrus's rise to power

  • Harpagus tricked into eating his son, his revenge against Astyages by assisting Cyrus

  • The Culture Of The Persians

  • The history and geography of the Ionians , and the attacks on it by Harpagus

  • Pactyes' convinces the Lydians to revolt. Rebellion fails and he seeks refuge from Mazares in Cyme (Aeolis)

  • The culture of Assyria , especially the design and improvement of the city of Babylon and the ways of its people

  • Cyrus's attack on Babylon, including his revenge on the river Gyndes and his famous method for entering the city

  • Cyrus's ill-fated attack on the Massagetæ



Book II ( Euterpe )

.]]



Book III ( Thalia )

, capital of the Persian Empire.]]



Book IV ( Melpomene )

cup from the Kul'Oba kurgan burial near Kerch ( Hermitage Museum , St Petersburg).]]



Book V ( Terpsichore )



Book VI ( Erato )

.]]

  • The fleeing of Histiaeus to Chios

  • The training of the Ionian fleet by Dionysius Of Phocaea

  • The abandonment of the Ionian fleet by the Samians during battle

  • The defeat of the Ionian fleet by the Persians

  • The capture and death of Histiaeus by Harpagus

  • The invasion of Greece under Mardonius and enslavement of Macedon

  • The destruction of 300 ships in Mardonius's fleet neer Athos

  • The order of Darius that the Greeks provide him earth and water, in which most consent, including Aegina

  • The Athenian request for assistance of Cleomenes of Sparta in dealing with the traitors

  • The history behind Sparta having two kings and their powers

  • The dethronement of Demaratus , the other king of Sparta, due to his supposed false lineage

  • The arrest of the traitors in Aegina by Cleomenes and the new king Leotychides

  • The suicide of Cleomenes in a fit of madness, possibly caused by his war with Argos , drinking unmixed wine, or his involvement in dethroning Demaratus

  • The battle between Aegina and Athens

  • The taking of Eretria by the Persians after the Eretrians sent away Athenian help

  • Pheidippides 's encounter with the god Pan on a journey to Sparta to request aid

  • The assistance of the Plataeans , and the history behind their alliance with Athens

  • The Athenian win at the Battle Of Marathon , led by Miltiades and other Strategoi

  • The Spartans late arrival to assist Athens

  • The history of the Alcmaeonidae and how they came about their wealth and status

  • The death of Miltiades after a failed attack on Paros and the successful taking of Lemnos



Book VII ( Polymnia )

at Thermopylae , by Jacques-Louis David (1814)]]

  • The amassing of an army by Darius after learning about the defeat at Marathon

  • The quarrel between which son should succeed Darius in which Xerxes I Of Persia is chosen

  • The death of Darius in 486 BC

  • The defeat of the Egyptian rebels by Xerxes

  • The advice given to Xerxes on invading Greece: Mardonius for invasion, Artabanus against

  • The dreams of Xerxes in which a phantom frightens him and Artabanus into choosing invasion

  • The preparations for war, including a canal and bridge across the Hellespont

  • The offer by Pythius to give Xerxes all his money, in which Xerxes rewards him

  • The request by Pythius to allow one son to stay at home, Xerxes' anger, and the march out between the butchered halves of Pythius's son

  • The destruction and rebuilding of the bridges built by the Egyptians and Phoenicians at Abydos

  • The siding with Persia of many Greek states, including Thessaly , Thebes , Melia , and Argos

  • The refusal of aid after negotiations by Gelo of Syracuse , and the refusal from Crete

  • The destruction of 400 Persian ships due to a storm

  • The small Greek force (appox. 6000) led by Leonidas I , sent to Thermopylae to delay the Persian army (approx. 3.4 million)

  • The Battle Of Thermopylae in which the Greeks hold the pass for 3 days

  • The secret pass divulged by Ephialtes Of Trachis in which Hydarnes uses to lead forces around the mountains to encircle the Greeks

  • The retreat of all but the Spartans, Thespians , and Thebans (forced to stay by the Spartans).

  • The Greek defeat and order by Xerxes to remove Leonidas' head and attach his torso to a cross



Book VIII ( Urania )

]]
  • Greek fleet is led by Eurybiades , a Spartan

  • The destruction by storm of two hundred ships sent to block the Greeks from escaping

  • The retreat of the Greek fleet after word of a defeat at Thermopylae

  • The supernatural rescue of Delphi from a Persian attack

  • The evacuation of Athens assisted by the fleet

  • The reinforcement of the Greek fleet at Salamis Island , bringing the total ships to 378

  • The destruction of Athens by the Persian land force after difficulties with those who remained

  • The Battle Of Salamis , the Greeks have the advantage due to better organization, and less loss due to ability to swim

  • The description of the Angarum , the Persian riding post

  • The rise in favor of Artemisia , the Persian woman commander, and her council to Xerxes in favor returning to Persia

  • The vengeance of Hermotimus , Xerxes' chief Eunuch , against Panionius

  • The attack on Andros by Themistocles , the Athenian fleet commander and most valiant Greek at Salamis

  • The escape of Xerxes and leaving behind of 300,000 picked troops under Mardonius in Thessaly

  • The ancestry of Alexander I Of Macedon , including Perdiccas

  • The refusal of an attempt by Alexander to seek a Persian alliance with Athens



Book IX ( Calliope )

  • The second taking of an evacuated Athens

  • The evacuation to Thebes by Mardonius after the sending of Lacedaemonian troops

  • The slaying of Masistius , leader of the Persian cavalry, by the Athenians

  • The warning from Alexander to the Greeks of an impending attack

  • The death of Mardonius by Aeimnestus

  • The Persian retreat to Thebes where they are afterwards slaughtered

  • The description and dividing of the spoils

  • The speedy escape of Artabazus into Asia.

  • The Persian defeat in Ionia by the Greek fleet, and the Ionian revolt

  • The mutilation of the wife of Masistes ordered by Amestris , wife of Xerxes

  • The death of Masistes after his intent to rebel

  • The Athenian blockade of Sestos and the capture of Artayctes



TRANSLATIONS OF THE HISTORIES



SEE ALSO



EXTERNAL LINK

  • http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodotus/logoi.html