After a power nap, a campari on the rocks, looking out of the window, endlessly into the clouds, feeling the summer heating up in the great city of Groningen, I cannot not resist the urge to share with you something which was written in 1966. Or at least, printed in 1966. There is an edition, 'ingebonden' lying in my lap. Since I have become quite shamelessly I am going to type The Introduction for you, translating it according to my best English language skills.
Who was Herodotus?
A Greek from Small-Azië , Little -Azië perhaps, like Little Rock where Bill Clinton came from. Born in the Doric city with the name Halicarnassus. He was a slave of the king of Persia, during the emotional years between Marathon and Salamis. Both cities belonging to the Greec motherland (!)
A refugee. Urged by political trouble to leave the homeland, he fled to Samos.
A worldtraveller. Cowboying through a large part of the old world. Not because of the lust for adventure, but because of an endless curiosity, without even being a person for so called discoveries.
A friend of Athens, the cultural hotspot of Hellas, where he lay his head after the long travels he conducted. Athens, where he became a celebrated cabaretier. Athens, the city which gained his admiration for its great attribution to bend the Asian threads.
A civilian (een burger) of Thurii (Thurii???), a brand new founded panhellenic colony in the south of Italy, where he found a new homeland in and about 440. Probably where he died as well, a few years after the start of the Peloponesic war. About the time that Xenophon was born in Attica.
What did he write?
He started to write down all sorts of happenings he saw and heard in the Hellenic and 'barbaric' countries. In the end he published his great story of the world in Thurii. This history unites, besides the jungle of notions and stories about nations and people, the theme of the growing power of Asia and the conflict of Asia with Europe.
Book 'Herodotus. De mens voor het voetlicht der historie by L. Geysels S.J., derde druk. H.dessain, 1966. Onderdeel van Geerebaert klassieken, Griekse en Latijnse schooluitgaven onder leiding van J. van den Bossche S.J.(p.7-8).
Who was Herodotus?
A Greek from Small-Azië , Little -Azië perhaps, like Little Rock where Bill Clinton came from. Born in the Doric city with the name Halicarnassus. He was a slave of the king of Persia, during the emotional years between Marathon and Salamis. Both cities belonging to the Greec motherland (!)
A refugee. Urged by political trouble to leave the homeland, he fled to Samos.
A worldtraveller. Cowboying through a large part of the old world. Not because of the lust for adventure, but because of an endless curiosity, without even being a person for so called discoveries.
A friend of Athens, the cultural hotspot of Hellas, where he lay his head after the long travels he conducted. Athens, where he became a celebrated cabaretier. Athens, the city which gained his admiration for its great attribution to bend the Asian threads.
A civilian (een burger) of Thurii (Thurii???), a brand new founded panhellenic colony in the south of Italy, where he found a new homeland in and about 440. Probably where he died as well, a few years after the start of the Peloponesic war. About the time that Xenophon was born in Attica.
What did he write?
He started to write down all sorts of happenings he saw and heard in the Hellenic and 'barbaric' countries. In the end he published his great story of the world in Thurii. This history unites, besides the jungle of notions and stories about nations and people, the theme of the growing power of Asia and the conflict of Asia with Europe.
Book 'Herodotus. De mens voor het voetlicht der historie by L. Geysels S.J., derde druk. H.dessain, 1966. Onderdeel van Geerebaert klassieken, Griekse en Latijnse schooluitgaven onder leiding van J. van den Bossche S.J.(p.7-8).
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