Herodotus Paper Assignment-What sorts of features does Herodotus chose to emphasize in his accounts of these foreign cultures?

Herodotus, Histories
Select one of the following topics and write a paper of 6-8 pages (double-spaced, with standard margins and font). Your paper will draw on the Histories of Herodotus as its source and analyze the author’s methods as a historian. No external research is required.

Essay A Herodotus the Ethnographer
Herodotus spends a lot of time describing the customs and habits of different cultures. Select a few (three or more) of the non-Greek peoples that Herodotus examines. Why are these people included in the Histories? What sorts of features does Herodotus chose to emphasize in his accounts of these foreign cultures? Why does he focus on the things he does? What does Herodotus say about his sources of information? How accurate do you think these portraits are?

Essay B Herodotus and the Gods
Religion features prominently in the Histories. Discuss the role of gods and/or religious institutions in Herodotus’ work, citing various examples. What impact do supernatural forces have on human affairs, and how does Herodotus account for this agency? Why do you think Herodotus presents these types of events in the way he does? Do you think he was a skeptic or a believer when it came to religious matters (or is it more complicated than that)?

Format and Citations
Your analysis must be submitted in a neat, technically correct format. Make sure to proofread for spelling and grammatical errors (failure to do so will be penalized).

Be sure to support more general claims with specific evidence, and to cite the evidence on which your conclusions are based. You should strive to uncover the nuance that lies beyond what is broadly obvious. Remember also that historical analysis requires more than the simple recitation of facts or the stringing together of lengthy quotations. For a short paper of this kind, it is often more economical–and preferable–to refer to the information contained in a particular passage by citing the page number without quoting the text in full. E.g.: “For his part, Herodotus suggests that Battus’ name may derive from the Libyan word for ‘king’ (p. 293).”

NB: For this paper, all citations must be to the edition of Herodotus’ Histories. The only line in your bibliography should read as follows:

Herodotus, Histories. Trans. A. de Sélincourt, Revised J. Marincola. (New York: Penguin, 2003).

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