Is historiography a science or an art? No other question has preoccupied the theory of history in the 20th century as much as this one. A major contribution to the discussion about the status of history has been Hayden White's view that historiography, like fictional narrative, is based on plot (emplotment).

In contrast to this position, various historians have passionately defended the scientific nature of history. On one hand, narrative undermines the positivist theory of history; on the other hand, the existence of a "signified" distinguishes history from fiction.

Antonis Regakos's book shows that this dual character of historiography already exists in its early stages. (...) The book "Inventing the Past: The Birth and Flourishing of Historiographic Narrative in Classical Antiquity" not only offers an excellent presentation of ancient Greek historiography but also helps us better understand contemporary theoretical discussions about history.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]