An Evaluation of Herodotus’s Historical Descriptions of the Scythians to What Extent Are Herodotus’s Literary Works on the Scythians Credible?
Abstract
Extensive research papers discussing the ancient Greek cultures or nomadic tribes refer primarily to one particular source – Herodotus’ Histories. A series of observations and oral information from various Persian territories were taken into account in this well-known work. As contemporary scholars use Herodotus' jobs, they often regard his accounts as accurate descriptions and come up with their conclusions respectively. Such a perspective should be considered a severe issue since history is a serious study of past events from all aspects of human society. Reckless approaches can, in terms, arise from wrong interpretations. This article focuses on Herodotus' descriptions of the Scythians and argues that Herodotus' works are invaluable in better understanding the archaeological findings. However, several mistakes are found in his accounts compared with other current archaeological findings. While directly citing from his works, scholars should make necessary cross-references to avoid potential errors.
References
- The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2019) Herodotus | Biography, Histories, & Facts https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herodotus-Greek-historian.
- Herodotus, George R., and Francis R. B. G. (1947) Herodotus: The Persian Wars
- Liudmyla G. (2015) The Intra-Annual Streamflow Distribution of Ukrainian Rivers in Different Phases of Long-Term Cyclical Fluctuations https://doi.org/10.6001/ENERGETIKA.V61I2.3134.
- Herodotus and Francis R. B. G. (1973) Herodotus: On the Scythians. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 32, no. 5
- https://doi.org/10.2307/3269235.
- Woldeyohannes, Dr-Yohannes & Khalil, Alamgir & Salem, Hilmi (2017) Nile River's Basin Dispute: Perspectives of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
- Schlattmann, Anna & Neuendorf, Felix & Burkhard, Kremena & Probst, Elisabeth & Pujades, Estanislao & Mauser, Wolfram & Attinger, Sabine & Haaren, Christina. (2022) Ecological Sustainability Assessment of Water Distribution for the Maintenance of Ecosystems, their Services and Biodiversity. Environmental Management. 70. 1-21. 10.1007/s00267-022-01662-3.
- Aude M. (2017) Under the Microscope: The Oxus Treasure and Scythian Gold https://blog.britishmuseum.org/under-the-microscope-the-oxus-treasure-and-scythian-gold/.
- Ivantchik A. (2018) The Funeral of Scythian Kings: The Historical Reality and the Description of Herodotus (IV, 71-72). Milton Keynes Uk: Lightning Source Uk Ltd., New York. 71–106.
- Karen S. R. (1975) Expedition Magazine - Penn Museum https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/herodotus-and-the-scythians/.
- Tom H. (2017) Darius, Herodotus and the Scythians https://blog.britishmuseum.org/darius-herodotus-and-the-scythians/.
- Faustino M. (2007) Herodotus.
- https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/courses/greekpast/4694.html.