Herodotus, "The Histories"

[Hiro Protagonist]

I seek baseline knowledge and philosophical views. I am interested in books similar to "The Histories," because they are baseline knowledge of their time. I might not be making myself to clear, so let me explain baseline knowledge by explaining the opposite. Recent books contain a compilation of facts and information from other books, which are molded to the author's view(s). Baseline books are the very books that provide us with this knowledge. History texts got their information from various sources, and these various sources are the least censored of all sources.

So I am looking for books like "The Histories," by Herodetus. Greek philosophy interests me, as well as almost all of the Ancient civilizations, but especially Greece and Rome.

Any reccommended reading would be great, but I would like the reading to be from that time period. So if we are talking Greece, around 5th BC, as that was the Golden Age.

Thanks, and if you aren't clear on anything I said please ask questions.

 

[WarlikeMenelaos]

Long time and no replies....wow. All I can say is that currently I am reading 'History of the Peloponnesian War' by Thucydides which definately is today used as the main source for all studies on that war. It is a fascinating read as well!

 

[Pyan]

When you've finished with Herodetus and Thucydides, WM, try Tacitus for the Roman view, especially the Histories and the Annals.

And then, there's always Livy - he should keep you busy for a while!

 

[WarlikeMenelaos]

pyan, I've never read any of Tacitus but I've read some of Livy's work when I started my course. I know what you mean when you say he'll keep me busy!!

Ancient books are so interesting, personally I find them more interesting than half the stuff I read today!

 

[Steve Grant]

Hello! I studied the Agricola and Germania by Tacitus in college. Two fascinating pieces that have inspired me to read and collect as many primary Roman literary works as possible.
Enjoy!
Steve

 

[Timewalker]

Penguin has published translations of many classical historians. I've read Tacitus, but he was late 1st-century Roman and therefore not from the time/area requested.

However, off the top of my head, I can list Aristotle, Plutarch, Suetonius, Cassius Dio, Josephus, Julius Caesar...

I can't give you any links (not enough posts for that yet ), but check out Penguin (the publishing house).

Here's a small list to get you started:

Appian. The Civil Wars.
Aristotle. The Athenian Constitution.
Aristotle. The Politics.
Arrian. The Campaigns of Alexander.
Caesar, Julius. The Civil War.
Caesar, Julius. The Conquest of Gaul.
Cicero, Marcus Tulius. On Government.
Josephus, Flavius. The Jewish War.
Livy. The War With Hannibal.
Plutarch. The Age of Alexander.
Plutarch. The Makers of Rome.
Rufus, Quintus Curtius. The History of Alexander.
Sallust. The Jugurthine War.
Tacitus. The Agricola and The Germania.
Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War.
Xenophon. The Persian Expedition.

I culled these from the Penguin catalog, but it's by no means the entire list of what's available. Some of these are available for free online, although the translations will differ somewhat from the Penguin editions.

I have some of these in my own personal library, and doing this list has given me some new ones to hunt.

I also recommend The Penguin Historical Atlas of Greece and The Penguin Historical Atlas of Rome. There is also an atlas for Egypt, but I haven't read that one yet.

And I didn't have any problem understanding what kinds of references you were looking for; in historians' terms, they're called "primary sources."