Herodotus' Epigraphical Interests

Abstract

Herodotus holds an honoured place among the pioneers of Greek epigraphy. We seek in vain for earlier signs of any appreciation of the historical value of inscriptions, and though we may conjecture that the antiquarian interests of some of his contemporaries or near-contemporaries might well have led them in this direction, our view of the beginnings of Greek epigraphical study must be based on Herodotus, whether or not he truly deserves to be regarded as its ⋯ρχηγέτηϲ.Apart from its significance in the history of scholarship Herodotus' use of inscriptions may be expected to throw some light on his methods and on his conception of his task. He cites epigraphic evidence throughout his work and in relation to a wide range of topics; if his use of this material suggests any general conclusions, we do not need to allow for the bias of a single source or the effect of peculiar local conditions, as we must when we consider his accounts of individual episodes or areas.We are relatively well placed to assess his procedure. We have a reasonably clear idea of the general appearance of the various scripts concerned (both Greek and Oriental), and in this respect enjoy a considerable advantage over the majority of Herodotus' original audience. Three of the inscriptions which he cites have been wholly or partly preserved, and thus provide a simple gauge of his accuracy in reporting such evidence.

Thucydides and Documentary History

“…When he cites their texts he is not always accurate, although we should not therefore conclude that he had never seen the inscription in question. 9 His practice is not so different here from Thucydides 6.54-9. We can also infer that sometimes he is using an extraneous written document, an inference which we cannot make with quite such confidence in the case of Thucydides before 4.118.…”

Observaciones sobre el léxico de la educación en Heródoto y Tucidídes

“…Brosius (Asheri: 528-537) recoge la indicada inscripción. A su vez, S. West, 1985, examina el interés del historiador por textos epigráficos. 77 1.136.2: παιδεύουσι δὲ τοὺς παῖδας ἀπὸ πενταέτεος ἀρξάμενοι μέχρι εἰκοσαέτεος τρία μοῦνα, ἱππεύειν καὶ τοξεύειν καὶ ἀληθίζεσθαι.…”

Gyges and Delphi: Herodotus 1.14

“…Furthermore, as Stephanie West has suggested in her detailed study of inscriptions in Herodotus, Herodotus likely derives information from epigraphic sources in many instances where he makes no avowed claim to do so. 21 Recently, evidence has come to light that would appear to provide a shining example of just this sort of tacit use-and misuse-of epigraphic sources, with specific reference to Lydian dedications at Greek sanctuaries. Peter Thonemann has revisited the story of Croesus' testing of the oracles in Hdt.…”