Herodotus Histories Book V [Paperback]

A historical and literary commentary in English on a central book of one of the two most important classical Greek historians.Book V describes the revolt of the east Greeks against their Persian masters, which led to the great Persian Wars of 490-479 BC. This edition and commentary provides extensive help with the Greek text and basic historical information, as well as new insights on more advanced matters.Book V describes the revolt of the east Greeks against their Persian masters, which led to the great Persian Wars of 490-479 BC. This edition and commentary provides extensive help with the Greek text and basic historical information, as well as new insights on more advanced matters.Considered one of the most important works of history in Western literature, Herodotus's Histories is a key text for the study of ancient Greece and the Persian Empire. Book V not only describes the revolt of the east Greeks against their Persian masters, which led to the great Persian Wars of 490-479 BC, but also provides fascinating material about the mainland Greek states in the sixth century BC. The importance of Herodotus as the freshest and liveliest of all classical Greek prose authors and the historical centrality of the period covered are the main reasons for studying Book V. This is an up-to-date edition and commentary on the Greek text of the book, providing extensive help with the Greek and basic historical information, as well as new insights on more advanced matters.Introduction; Text; Commentary.'There are numerous passages of the commentary which historians should value highly & [and] sometimes the commentary gets refreshingly witty &' translated from Listy filologick? - Folia philologica'Hornblower can be delightfully erudite when enthused by one of his personal hobby horses - personal names excite him - but he never forgets the needs of the more general reader who turns to the pivotal fifth book of the Histories.' Sean Sheehan, Dublin Review of Books