The Greek Histories

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The historians of Ancient Greece pioneered a new literary craft, leaving an enduring legacy that forms the foundation of a major discipline. This accessible edition features key selections from Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and Plutarch, whose biographies rely on primary sources now lost. It compiles their most popular and widely taught works, charting landmark events such as the Persian War, Peloponnesian War, and the lives of Alexander the Great and Demetrius, offering a sweeping portrait of the Hellenic world. These historians were the first to explore the possibilities of their craft, emphasizing that historical writing transcends mere chronicles of past events. Together, their works highlight each author's focus on themes like religion, leadership, character, and the lessons of war. For instance, readers are prompted to consider Herodotus's inclusion of speeches, dialogues, dreams, and oracles as part of the factual record. Thucydides offers insights into human nature that remain constant over time, while Plutarch frames historical biography as a means of depicting moral qualities. As contemporaries of the eras they chronicled, Thucydides and Xenophon provide vital eyewitness accounts of their tumultuous times.