In school years, everyone studied compulsory program disciplines, including history and geography. And, of course, everyone heard about the ancient Greek traveler Herodotus, whom the cliché lovers enrolled in the “fathers of history” on the grounds that the scientist wrote a voluminous work of the same name. Let's try to figure out the validity of this statement, but at the same time find out what Herodotus discovered in geography.
Curriculum Vitae
The progressive man of his time, historian and geographer, the first traveler - that was the legendary Herodotus. His biography contains some gaps due to the considerable remoteness of events, but basic information is available. Herodotus was born in the Dorian colony of Greece, the ancient Halicarnassus (modern city of Bodrum). The most probable date of birth of a scientist is considered to be 484 BC. e.
The family in which the boy was brought up was very wealthy and famous, having many connections. This fact allowed young Herodotus to receive an excellent education at that time. Mother Rio and father Licks raised another son - Theodore. A strong influence on the boy’s worldview and tastes was made by his relative Paniasis, who was a famous poet.
Scientific Nugget of Antiquity
If not for the two Persian wars between which Herodotus was born, the biography and fate of the young man would have developed differently. Once he decided to draw up a detailed chronicle of the Greek-Persian wars, and at the same time describe the mores, customs, geographical details of the places that he decided to visit. The scientist's travels were pushed by the curiosity that arose after studying myths, the knowledge of which he gathered from logogriffs. In addition, he wanted to see with his own eyes what the lands available to the public in that era looked like.
The first who decided to draw up a detailed work describing the main aspects of the emergence and course of wars between the Persians and Greeks was Herodotus. He made a contribution to the development of geography along the way: in order to get a reliable idea of everything, it was necessary to visit many countries. This is fully reflected in the famous work of Herodotus ("History"), which consists of 9 books with the names of muses instead of names.
Persian notes
A significant part of his work is devoted to the description of countries, customs, landscape, weather patterns, political and religious structure. Herodotus undertook a voyage at the age of twenty over the states of Asia Minor, as well as Persia. It was possible to travel fearlessly on the roads of these countries, since they were well guarded, and the traveler was provided with the necessary places for recreation. Without need of funds, the scientist probably traveled quite pleasantly without any discomfort. Thanks to a detailed description of the terrain and customs that he met on his way, Herodotus' achievements in geography are based. This is the only scientist, using the work of which, contemporaries can comprehend the ancient world order and genuine geographical knowledge.
He rode along the road from Ephesus to Suz, saw the great Babylon in its heyday with its magnificent buildings, huge libraries, gardens and fanatical cults, was in Ektaban, the capital of the
state of Media. Herodotus was probably present in the destroyed Assyria. All this is carefully recorded in the book that Herodotus planned and created. The contribution to the development of the geography of the Halicarnassus scientist is obvious and not questioned.
He describes the customs of the Persians in an interesting way: they did not erect temples to the gods and did not give the deities a human appearance, preferred fruits and wine to meat, sacredly respected the right to life, and at the same time despised the sick with leprosy, considering them damned. Persians above all appreciated military prowess.
The scientist learned a lot by visiting these lands. But this is only part of what Herodotus discovered in geography.
Herodotus and the country of the pyramids
But the longest Halicarnassian lived in Egypt. He collected detailed information about the climate features of this African region: Nile spills, droughts. He described living creatures unprecedented in his homeland: crocodiles, birds, hippos. He studied the current wonders of the world: the pyramids and the Sphinx, learned basic information about Ancient Egypt from the priests and even personally measured the Cheops pyramid. Herodotus was in the city of kings, he saw Lake Meridovo, near which in those years there was a labyrinth containing up to 3 thousand rooms. This building especially struck the scientist, which, of course, was reflected in his geographical and historical work. Thus, everything that Herodotus discovered in Egypt became a world asset.
After Egypt, he visited Libya. There he studied the life of desert inhabitants. Later, confident that the sea would rise to Alexandria, the scientist went down to Saudi Arabia, but, probably, having received an inhospitable meeting from the overly religious inhabitants of this country, he was forced to return.
Travel to Scythia
Sailing along the Black Sea, the scientist listed many rivers along with tributaries flowing into it, visited the Greek colonies located on the banks of Pontus Euxinus, but this is not the only thing Herodotus discovered in geography. Among other things, the “father of history” made a long journey to the lands of Scythia (the southern tip of Ukraine). This area impressed the geographer: long winters and rainy summers, ice that Herodotus had no idea about, vast steppes and pastures. Herodotus heard many myths from the Scythians, in particular, about the gold of the one-eyed people living north. He also realized that there are powerful, full-flowing rivers that do not necessarily originate in the mountains, as he was taught from childhood. I learned about the tribes that live nearby: the Ural hunters and agripei. In all likelihood, he was told about the inhabitants of the Urals and Cisurals, and at the same time Herodotus learned about the nature of those places: forests full of fur-bearing animals, mountains, beautiful and inaccessible. Also, the Halicarnassian heard that far in the north there is eternal cold and deserts, and winter lasts six months. It was in Scythia that Herodotus gleaned these invaluable geographical representations and subsequently shared them with the whole world.
Herodotus visited Colchis (present-day Georgia), the Balkans, including southern Italy, and reached the end of the world, which, according to the ancient Greeks, was in India. The historian was shocked by the wealth and customs of this
Asian country. He described the rituals and habits of Hindus, strange, in his opinion, plants and cereals (bamboo, rice), trees on which fruits are in the form of woolen balls, and huge deposits of gold. Therefore, the first association that should arise after pronouncing the name Herodotus is geography. Briefly touching on his wanderings, we can draw conclusions about the significance of his work.
Geographic footprint
Considering that in ancient times, travel was carried out either with a predatory or commercial purpose, we can say that Herodotus founded cognitive tourism for the first time . What Herodotus discovered in geography:
- first described in detail the real world picture of those times;
- compiled maps of the basins of the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas;
- collected information about the life of the Sarmatians and Scythians, which later helped in the excavation;
- discovered a mythical female ethnos: Amazons;
- the first geographer who described the topography and features of the rivers of Ancient Egypt;
- studied the Balkan Peninsula;
- outlined the borders of ecumene (known territory) and identified three climatic zones: northern (Scythia), the second, located in the Mediterranean, and the third - part of North Africa and Arabia;
- described signs, ceremonies, myths, history of many nations.
In antiquity, there was confidence that the world was finite, therefore Herodotus, being a materialist, did not try to look “beyond the edge”, but explored the lands he could reach.
After a hectic life, his dream is sweet
Herodotus' life was full of adventures, including not very pleasant ones. For political reasons, his family was forced to leave his home and settle on the island of Samos. After 10 years of travel, he found peace in Furies, which was founded by the descendants of the sybarites. Conflicting information speaks about the date of death of this outstanding man, but the majority converges in 424 BC. e. A friend of Sophocles, a favorite of the kings, an outstanding historian and geographer, was buried in the town square in Fury, which was a great honor. The inscription on the grave briefly lists his merits and refers to some details of the biography. In addition, the cenotaphs of Herodotus are found in the Macedonian Pella and the great Athens.
Last thoughts
Herodotus is not just a museum exhibit or a long-departed person from the pages of textbooks. What Herodotus discovered, what he achieved in the field of history and geography, in which he was a pioneer, gives him the right not to be forgotten. The only scientist of antiquity who created not a description of one part of the world, but from fragments recreated the whole. Therefore, his “History” is not only a huge contribution to geography as a science, but is doomed to be famous.