Heroes in Herodotus

Download or read book Heroes in Herodotus written by Elizabeth Vandiver and published by Peter Lang Gmbh, Internationaler Verlag Der Wissenschaften. This book was released on 1991 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This examination of Herodotus' references to mythological heroes reveals new aspects of his historiography and of his literary technique. In the development of Greek prose, Herodotus lies between the early logographers and later historians, thematically and stylistically as well as chronologically. His use of heroes exemplifies the intermediate nature of his work. As historiographical data, the heroes serve as chronological reference points, provide aetiologies for families and cities, and explain later customs and courses of action. As literary devices, the heroes operate as symbolic elements that stress important points in the text, place foreign countries within a comprehensible context, and contribute to the characterization of individuals such as Leonidas, Demaratus, and Xerxes.