Sunteți pe pagina 1din 4

Historiography

Two of the most famous historians who have ever written flourished during Greece's classical age: Herodotus and Thucydides. Herodotus is commonly called the father of history, and his "History" contains the first truly literary use of prose in Western literature. Of the two, Thucydides was the more careful historian. His critical use of sources, inclusion of documents, and laborious research made his History of the Peloponnesian War a significant influence on later generations of historians. A third historian of ancient Greece, Xenophon, began his Hellenica where Thucydides ended his work about 411 BC and carried his history to 362 BC. His writings were superficial in comparison to those of Thucydides, but he wrote with authority on military matters. He therefore is at his best in the Anabasis, an account of his participation in a Greek mercenary army that tried to help the Persian Cyrus expel his brother from the throne. Xenophon also wrote three works in praise of the philosopher Socrates: Apology, Symposium, and Memorabilia. Although both Xenophon and Plato knew Socrates, their accounts are very different, and it is interesting to compare the view of the military historian to that of the poet-philosopher.

Greek historiography refers to Hellenic efforts to track and record history. The historical period of Ancient Greece is unique in world history as the first period attested directly in proper historiography, while earlier ancient history or proto-history is known by much more circumstantial evidence, such as annals, chronicles, king lists, and pragmatic epigraphy. Herodotus is widely known as the "father of history", his Histories being eponymous of the entire field. Written between the 450s and 420s BC, the scope of Herodotus' work reaches about a century in the past, discussing 6thcentury historical figures such as Darius I of Persia, Cambyses II and Psamtik III, and alludes to some 8th-century ones such as Candaules. Herodotus was succeeded by authors such as Thucydides, Xenophon, Demosthenes, Plato and Aristotle. Most of these authors were either Athenians or pro-Athenians, which is why far more is known about the history and politics of Athens than of many other cities. Their scope is further limited by a focus on political, military and diplomatic history, ignoring economic and social [1] history.

Classical Greece

Herodotus Hellanicus of Lesbos Ctesias Callisthenes Thucydides Xenophon Hellenica Oxyrhynchia

Hieronymus of Cardia Timaeus (historian) Polybius

Plutarch Diodorus Siculus Dionysius of Halicarnassus Appian

Roman Greece

Byzantine Empire

Hellenistic Greece

Apollodorus of Athens Alexander Polyhistor Posidonius Nicolaus of Damascus

Procopius Chronicon (Eusebius) Chronicon (Jerome) Agathias

Ancient Greek Historiography


As already mentioned in the introduction that every generation of an era that constantly produces its own history or story. Likewise, every historian of the era also produced the works of its own distinctive history, that it was motivated by events or circumstances are unique of its time. However, many historians of ancient Greece who produce works of their own, it can still be distinguished in certain groups of historians.

The Greek historian in general, people are coming from the environment or that materially from among the public that good economic position. Besides, some historians seem to have undergone a period of their life as an author, or even as a scientist. However, most of them are politicians, civil, military, doctor (physician) or a teacher, and at the same time or afterwards also continues to carry out the work of writing history. Greek historians also seem to have or enjoy a relatively independent status. Sometimes it's more intellectual freedom resulted in the expulsion or exile, but exile is in turn gave way for their freedom. The Greek historian also writes about the emergence or the long history of countries and cities. Nevertheless, they prefer the past events that had recently occurred (contemporary) or a history of his own era. Or if the temporal scope far back, which told the story of history will continue and ended up in his time alone. While the geographic scope is primarily intended for his own country that is Greece, episodes of its own history or local history, particularly the history of Attica. Geographical scope could be expanded for example when there is conflict with the Persians, occupation or possession of Macedonia and others, which means also story about history of neighboring countries. In story about past history that far back, the Greek historians generally based on folklore and stories passed from generation to decline or on the work of previous authors, who indeed came from the writers who preceded him. However, so far as is known, the tradition of the earliest historical writing in ancient Greece is what is called the tradition of Homer, then followed by the emergence of the Logograph, and the last golden age of ancient Greek historiography. a. Homerus tradition Homer is actually the name of an ancient Greek poet who lived during the 8th century BC. At this time it is still difficult to distinguish between the myths or mythology with history, or in other words, they are often mixed. Thus is the Homeric tradition is a tradition of writing history in ancient Greece, when Homer became one of the characters most important in the writing of history at that time which was mixed with myths. The oldest literary texts in classical Greek soil, which usually contains the events that delivered target events / falls down, is the literary epic (heroism). In the event that there are two famous epic of Illias and Odusseia (Iliad & Odyssey), which is expected to appear in the 8th century BC, and considered written / rock by Homer, Greek poet in the Greek-speaking Asia Minor. The results of modern history can not be sure whether the Greek war against Troy had occurred in the 12th century BC. However, regarding the events of the Trojan War itself is not in doubt. At that time Illias into a national epic in Greek culture education occupies a central position as the Gospel of the Christians. From the historical point of view is important to state, that the antique tradition of Homer's writing of history is a long story that ends the period of war history. In the 15,000 poems (songs) from the story Illias wartime past 10 years, specifically sung episodes of 50 days, namely the siege of Troy by the Asia Minor Greeks, whom they termed Iliaon or Illios. Be it stories of gods and heroes. Among the Greek hero Achilles and king was the son of the Trojan king Hector and Aeneas after that (which is like the offspring will dominate or lead the Trojans) is paramount. Another hero in the siege and fall of Troy is Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca. Regarding events after the fall of Troy served in the 12,000 verses in Homer song of Odusseia. It seems that not long after Homer dead, Aeneas with the group the Trojans crossed into Latium (Central Italy). Literature reports (writing) the oldest mentions that the coming of Aeneas to the West can be known through the work of Greek poet Stesichorus (approximately 600 BCE). From Eutrirea story up in Rome. So like other Italian cities declared that city was founded by Aeneas. Also in Western European

Middle Ages era will emerge such stories, that of the origin or the establishment of towns in Italy by Aeneas or the other war that came from Troy. Besides singing poems Homer, there are also works of other Greek poet Hesiod among other things (before the end of the century 7). He was a farmer from Boeoti, and which has left more than 2 poems edukatp or instructive. The first is Theogonia (the birth of the gods), consisting of approximately one thousand poems a good song. The second is the Erga kai Hemerai (creation-the creation and day-to-day) roughly 800 poems covering songs. The first work that begins with ceitera briefly about the emergence or occurrence of the earth (kosmogonie) from the chaos that is empty, then forwarded to the reportorium coherent and genealogy of the Greek gods. Mentioned that the Erga kai Hemerei is a manual or guidelines for farmers, while in terms of philosophy of history can be considered a public interpretation at that time to the development of humanity, or can also be regarded as a myth of race / nation. According to the myth that the gods created the family / gold descent, who live like gods and be happy. After that followed the descendants / family silver, which status lower and prone to misery. After that Zeus created the family (generation) a surprising bronze, which fell into trouble and misery are exhausting. As the last race of the heroes who were divided into two, namely the winners and losers in the war. The next race is the fifth generation of the race of iron, which the gods were created in a state of ugliness and fear, although there are still good things to be found. Races will be destroyed by Zeus and was replaced with a man who will suffer if it does not attempt to resolve it. In this myth Hesidius not structure the human history fairly, but with the heroism as an aberration, when the history of mankind is experiencing a downfall. Adoration and yearning for the golden age or a kind of paradise and ancient interpretation of human history as a fall can also be found again in other cultures at that time or the authors of later vintage. b. The Logograph As Chroniclers First. In ancient Greece, logograph more commonly used to give the title to the writers of prose, or with a bad connotation, intended for use by speech writers, or writers of history that in fact the truth could not be accounted for In the early centuries of Greek history widely available material for lovers of history, which can provide information about the development of the polis-polis or city-states, because it has been since the 9th century BC has been arrived Greeks in Asia Minor and then to Greek soil. At age 8-6 BC is also a wave of urbanization in the Mediterranean and Black sea coast. However, newly discovered in the 8th century historical works. The earliest historical writers are those who collect all things or the source they want to know without doing any kind of criticism, and the typical things that attract attention such as; fairy / folk tales and strange happenings / surprising genealogy of the descendants of the famous , history of the founding of cities, as well as paintings or stories about the geography or the ethnography of foreign lands. The results of such a work of history since the year 500 BC was produced by the logograph, but so far that can be known only a few, and many of their works is an excerpt from the writers before. Some of them are: - Cadmus of Milete who wrote Ktisis Miletou, or history of the founding of the city tersenut (Milete). - Dionysius also from Milite, who compiled the history of Persia after Darius (with a picture of residential areas).

- Charon of Lampsacus, who besides writing about mytology, also about the Persian wars (Persika). - Acusilaus of Argus constituting Geneelogiai that connects the emergence of the cosmos and human history with the world of the gods. - Mythology or mitografi with history in the tradition of Homer's often still mixed together. Among the chroniclers of this primitive (logograf) Hecatacus occupies an important position. He was born of the old noble family in about 550 BC in Milete. At the time of the revolt of Ionis (Turkey) against the Persians around 500 BC, he was the advisor of the policy in the Milete. He also has a lot of trips, including to Asia Minor, Greek Affairs, and Egypt. This is perhaps what makes his writing Periegesis or pereiodos, which means traveling around the world. The data collected includes ethnography, geography and long history of visited countries in Europe and Asia. Besides, he also wrote geneealogiai, a prose work of Greek history. Books written about the year 500 BC was shaped like a list of genealogy / human hybrids (king) who comes to God / god, with a past that is legendary. Other famous writers logograf Hellanicus from Mytilene (Lesbos), who lived around the end of the fifth century and died around 400 BC. Her work includes total 24 titles, but not all of his work can be found. Many diagnostic among the works Hellanicus berbetuk mitografi (mythology that has been written), namely the onset or presence of humans and of the history of Troy. Besides mitografi he also wrote the history of ethnography which contains lands bars (outside Greece) as Aigyptiaka, Skythika, Persika and so on). He also wrote chronografi and history of the founding of cities such as Rome by Aeneas, atthis or Attica (Athens and surrounding areas). The story starts from the founding of the city of Athens about 1600 BC, and the story of the legendary era of the kings who discussed at length. Like other historians Hellanicus also wrote about the earth sciences (geography), ethnography and local history. Because of the lack of good quality tulisanya from the viewpoint of science history, by Cicero branded as annalium confectio (makers of the anal or annual records).

S-ar putea să vă placă și