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In the lastfew years, I have spent most of my time reading classical authors of history,poetry, drama, politics and philosophy, mixing in some medieval and modernworks along the way.I thought it wouldbe fun to briefly critique them and get a discussion going about them. I will go in roughly chronological order and note the works read. Do you agree with my assessments
HOMER (The Iliad. The Odyssey)
It goeswithout saying that Homer was ahead of his time, as he/she/they wrote 3-400years before the classical age, but it is almost astonishing how modern Homersworks come off. Homer's heroic ageGreece is populated by some very complex characters who contemplate some verytopical issues. Unlike classical Greek literature, they seem capable of aremarkable degree of tenderness and contemplation Simply an incredible experience reading these.
HERODOTUS (The Histories)
No work ofhistory is more pure fun. Lively, engaging, and probably 90% nonsense,Herodotus , the father of history, was also the father of history asentertainment. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I would venture tosay that he becomes more truthful when discussing the actual war with Persiathan during the general encyclopedia of the world.
THUCYDIDES (History of the Peloponnesian war)
As a purehistory filled with facts, nothing is more thorough. Also, he is capable ofgenerating interest with his moving speeches (the funeral oration of Pericles)and compelling anecdotes (Diodotussaving Mytilene). Make no mistake about it, though- Thucydides is the driest,sparest in presentation and in many ways the most difficult author to getthrough. His history will test your spirit.
XENOPHON (The Anabasis, Hellenica)
Self serving, Sparta-phillic and at times dubious in terms of both truth and judgmentof what to include and leave out, but also excellent as telling history as acompelling story. THE ANABASIS is an amazing read, you just have to take it,and his other works, with a large grain of salt.
PLATO (The Last Days of Socrates)
A touching story of a wise and gentle man defying the government to the end, combined withsome absolutely dated and incomprehensible philosophy.
AESCYLUS (The Suppliants)
Incomplete.I have only attempted the one, incomplete play, so I can't really judge theman. He is a fine source of early myth, but so far is no Euripides.
SOPHOCLES (Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus)
By today'sstandards (and compared to Homer), Greek tragedy in general seems a little bareto me, but Sophocles did manage to write about some topics that are still withus today, such as the conflict between the state and the individual in Antigone.I always get a good laugh at how often the structure of Oedipus- someone researchinga mystery that folds back onto themselves- is copied for modern pulp films and novels.
EURIPIDES (The Trojan Women, The Bacchae, Ion, Helen)
Head andshoulders my favorite Greek tragedian, what separates this man is the veryahead-of-his-time concerns for woman and their issues. THE TROJAN WOMEN defiesnarrative convention- it is just a chance to let the women tell their side ofthe story.
POLYBIUS (The Histories)
I am onlyabout halfway through, and so far, he is one of the most hot and cold of theauthors. He is very thorough, with a holistic approach to history, and tries tohonestly evaluate his sources, but he spends so much time posturing and explainwhy he is going to explain something that, on occasion, I have no idea what heis talking about. When he gets down toit, he is excellent.
LIVY (Books 1-10, 21-30)
Often accusedof being inaccurate and dishonest, I find him just the opposite. As a complier, he often tells multiple versions ofthe same anecdote when he does not know the truth. Sure, some of it isembellished/untrue, but I have no doubt that he got it from a source whichembellished it. Capable of some fun digressions and nice flourishes to keep youinterested. His history of the war with Hannibal is one of my favorite thingson this list.
CICERO (Books of selected speeches)
Cicero isCicero...no better window into the Republic and its values exists. I was a bitsurprised at how much time he spends in his speeches condemning other people'ssex lives.Truly different times. His brilliance still shows through when he ison point.
CAESAR (The Conquest of Gaul, The Civil War)
Self servingto an annoying level, it is none-the-less undeniably fascinating to hear thecampaigns from the man himself. Comical that he writes in the third person, asif he were an unbiased witness.
TACITUS The Annals of Imperial Rome, The Histories,Germania, Agricola
Seems like avery honest, straightforward historian who occasionally adds some eloquentflourishes to keep things humming along. Is a good story teller when he wantsto be.
SUETONIUS (The Twelve Caesars)
This manreally relished getting into the psychology of the emperors centuries beforethere was such a thing as psychology. A terrific read for history and pleasure.
JOSEPHUS (The Jewish War)
Probably myfavorite thing on this list. Josephus writes as a self-serving turncoat, but no one is better at communicating the depth ofthe tragedy of what he was writing about. Simply an amazing, affecting readabout how quickly a war gets out of hand. Honestly changed my thinking reading it.
PLUTARCH (Parallel Lives, Barnes and Noble Addition,volume 1, an select readings from Volume 2)
Very thorough in his attempts to compile the "facts" about ancient historicalfigures and to put them in context. Obviously it is not all true, but don't letthat stop you from enjoying them. Much like Livy, I don't think theembellishments are fully intentional.
ARRIAN (The Complete Alexander)
He wrote afanboy piece, and he wrote a good one. Every Alexander fan should read it with a lotof joy and a little skepticism. Manages to throw in some very interesting "facts."
PRECOPIUS (The Secret History)
A very funand crabby hate piece on Justinian and Theadora. I have no idea how true it is.
SCRIPTORESHISTORES AUGUSTAE (The Augustan history) I understand that that these are of disputable historical value because no one knows whenthey were written, by whom, and what sources were used. If nothing else, they are fun reads, and Ihave to think that some drop of history survives in them.
Last edited by cachibatches; 03-04-2015 at 05:28 AM..
Thanks for the reading list. I've worked my way through half of these, and Thucydides is my favorite so far. I found Herodotus to be too gossipy.
Wow. You are a far better man than I. Thucydides had a few of my favorite passages, but I struggled badly with a lot of it.
When I read the passage about Diodotus saving Mytilene, I actually put the book down for he day and stopped reading for while because I found it moving to the point where I had to digest it all. No greater testament has ever been written to the power of one man change history.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Felix C
Cach,
Write a 20 page essay each re your pros/cons, factual errors, observations and then publish the entire using Creatspace. include an e-reader option.
Plutarch and his section should be 30pp minimum. Need Ammianus Marcellinus.
Include a wry sense of humor in your narrative as appropriate. You know as when Herodutus appears to be spreading local tour guide gossip.
Undergraduates will be forever grateful. I bet it would sell.
Xenophen- self serving. hahaha
I do like to write historical fiction, but I think I am going to leave history for the pros.
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