The History of Herodotus is a monumental work of ancient Greek literature that spans over two volumes. Volume 2 of the History of Herodotus, written by Herodotus himself, continues where the first volume left off, recounting the events of the Persian Wars between the Greeks and the Persians. The book begins with the story of the Battle of Marathon, where the Athenians defeated the Persians in a surprising victory. Herodotus then delves into the events leading up to the second Persian invasion, including the intrigue and betrayal that took place within the Persian court. Throughout the book, Herodotus provides rich and detailed descriptions of the cultures and customs of the various peoples involved in the conflict, from the Persians to the Greeks to the various tribes of Asia Minor. He also includes stories of individual heroism and treachery, adding depth and nuance to the historical events he recounts.
Herodotus was a Greek historian and geographer who was born in the city of Halicarnassus, which was part of the Persian Empire and is now Bodrum, Turkey. He later moved to Thurii, which is now in the Italian region of Calabria (Italy). The Histories, a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars, was written by him. Herodotus has been criticized because his work has "legends and made-up stories." Thucydides, a historian who lived at the same time, said that he made up stories for fun. But Herodotus said that he only wrote about what he could see and hear. Herodotus would have told people about his research by reading it out loud in front of a crowd. In the introduction to the Penguin edition of the Histories, John Marincola says that there are parts of Herodotus's early books that could be called "performance pieces." Thucydides and Herodotus became friends over time, and they became close enough that they were both buried in Thucydides' tomb in Athens.