Translation with Notes by George Rawlinson. Introduction by Tom Griffith. Herodotus (c480-c425) is the "Father of History" and his Histories constitute the first work of Western historiography. It is also the most entertaining.

Why did Pheidippides run 26 miles and 385 yards (or 42.195 kilometers) from Marathon to Athens? What did he do when he got there? Was the Battle of Salamis fought among sausage vendors? What is the oldest language in the world? Why did Leonidas and the 300 Spartans spend the morning before the Battle of Thermopylae combing their hair? Why did every Babylonian woman have to sit in the Temple of Aphrodite until a man threw a coin into her lap and how likely was she to sit there? And what is the best way to kill a crocodile?

This extensive history provides the answers to all these fascinating questions, as well as many interesting facts about the Ancient World.

Pages: 768, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm