The Histories

by Herodotus · c. 430 BCE

G. C. Macaulay's translation, 1890, Books I to IV. 5 parts, about 150,064 words, 11 hours of reading. Source edition.

Passages the guide marks

These are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he publishes, in the hope of thereby preserving from decay the remembrance of what men have done, and of preventing the great and wonderful actions of the…
Book 1, opening sentence · Read it in Book I: the First Book of the Histories, Called Clio
Solon tells Croesus that no one can be called happy while he still lives, since a god can throw down the most fortunate man at the end, and only a finished life can be judged.
Book 1, chapters 30 to 32 · Read it in Book I: the First Book of the Histories, Called Clio
Asked what wages they fight for, the Greek exiles tell Xerxes that the Spartans have no master but law, and will do what law commands even when it commands them to die.
Book 7, chapters 101 to 104
Artabanus warns his nephew that of all human sorrows the sharpest is to see clearly and be able to do nothing.
Book 9, chapter 16

About this text

Public domain in the United States; the Project Gutenberg edition is free of restrictions under the Project Gutenberg License. Translated by G. C. Macaulay. It is not the edition the programs assign; the guide names that one, and the buy links there point at it.

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