Book 1

1.91 Delphi explained: Croesus had paid for Gyges' transgression; Apollo had postponed capture of Sardis; Croesus had misunderstood oracles.

Posted on 04-12-15 | Permalink

1.92 BTW, Croesus dedicated stuff to lots of places besides Delphi. Some of it was his half-brother Pantaleon's. Croesus had executed him.

Posted on 04-13-15 | Permalink

1.93 The most impressive thing in Lydia is the tomb of Croesus' father Alyattes, which was built in large part by prostitutes.

Posted on 04-14-15 | Permalink

1.94 The Lydians--who are much like Greeks except in that they prostitute their daughters--were conquered by Persia, as I've described.

Posted on 04-15-15 | Permalink

1.95 Next up: the story of Cyrus and the Persian conquest of Asia. The Medes were the first to revolt and become free of Assyrian rule.

Posted on 04-16-15 | Permalink

1.96 When all on the mainland were free, they relapsed into monarchy as follows. Deioces made himself indispensable by judging disputes.

Posted on 04-17-15 | Permalink

1.97 Deioces then stopped his judging, and when society devolved into lawlessness the Medes got together and decided to appoint a king.

Posted on 04-18-15 | Permalink

1.98 Deioces was the chosen one. He had the Medes build him royal residences (e.g., the many-walled Ecbatana), and he obtained a bodyguard.

Posted on 04-19-15 | Permalink

1.99 Everybody else had to live outside the walls. Meanwhile, no one but royal messengers were admitted to the king’s presence.

Posted on 04-20-15 | Permalink

1.100 Deioces now judged disputes remotely, the suits brought in to him & his decisions sent out. He had spies and eavesdroppers everywhere.

Posted on 04-21-15 | Permalink





"Tweeting Herodotus, or recasting The History for the digital age"

Press release

Herodotus Timemap (see for maps)

Macaulay's trans. with facing Greek


Browse tweets by book
Or click here to find a specific section.

1534 of 1534 sections posted:
0%
100%