Herodotus: Histories Book VI

Treats Herodotus' compelling narrative of the Battle of Marathon. Detailed commentary will aid both translation and literary and historical appreciation.

Simon Hornblower (Edited by), Christopher Pelling (Edited by)

9781107029347, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 December 2017

364 pages, 2 b/w illus. 7 maps
22.3 x 14.1 x 2.2 cm, 0.53 kg

'[Herodotus: Histories Book VI] is pure scholarship and an invaluable addition to the Cambridge University Press's ongoing series of nine commentaries on the Histories in their Greek and Latin Classics series. It is difficult to imagine a more detailed and comprehensive commentary to the entire text of Book 6, making this a definitive publication. Hornblower and Pelling deserve the fullest praise for their exhaustive study.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Book VI of the Histories is one of Herodotus' most varied books, beginning with the final collapse of the Ionian Revolt and moving on to the Athenian triumph at Marathon (490 BC); it also includes fascinating material on Sparta, full of court intrigue and culminating in Kleomenes' grisly death, and there is comedy too, with Alkmeon's cramming clothes, boots, and even cheeks with gold dust, then Hippokleides 'dancing away his marriage'. In Herodotus' time, Marathon was already reaching almost legendary status, commemorated in epigrams and monuments, and in this edition a substantial introduction discusses Herodotus' relation to these other memorials. It also explores the place of the book in the Histories' overall structure, and pays particular attention to Herodotus' treatment of impiety. A new text is then accompanied by a full commentary, covering literary and historical aspects and offering help with translation. The volume is suitable for undergraduates, graduate students, teachers and scholars.

Preface
List of abbreviations
Introduction
1. The spirit of Marathon
2. Architecture
3. Kleomenes and impiety
4. The qualities of book 6
5. Language and dialect (by A. M. Bowie)
6. Text
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Commentary
Works cited
Index of subjects
Index of Greek words and phrases.

Subject Areas: Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], Literary studies: classical, early & medieval [DSBB]