Born in Halicarnassos somewhere
between 490 and 480 BC, Herodotos travelled throughout the Antique World and
visited Egypt extensively at around 450 BC, when the country was under Persian
domination.
He
retired to Thurii in Italy, where he finished his main accomplishment, the
Histories, an account of the countries he visited. He died in between 430 and
420 BC.
Herodotos mainly visited the North
of Egypt, the Delta, where there were some Greek collonies, and Memphis. A
detailed description of Thebes is missing in his accounts, which lays doubt on
his claim that he travelled as far South as Elephantine (Aswan).
Herodotos' value lies in the fact
that he tried to accurately describe what he saw in Egypt during his travels.
His is the oldest and most extensive and comprehensive account of the Ancient
Egyptian civilisation.
As a historian, however, Herodotos
is far overcredited. Although he did try to distinguish facts from fiction,
when it comes to his h
what he was told. His historical account contains many inaccuracies and
anecdotes that are probably more the result of folk tale rather than historical
facts.
As such, his Histories give us a
fair insight into how the Ancient Egyptians viewed their own history. Thus he
confirms the Ancient Egyptian tradition which names Menes as their first king. He
also states that this Menes was the founder of the city of Memphis, which is
probably a reflection of the chauvinism of the Memphite priests who were his
main source of information.
He comments on Kheops' despotic and
cruel nature, which can also be found in the story recorded on the Westcar
Papyrus, where Kheops orders a prisoner decapitated just to see of Djedi the
magician can heal the victim and bring him back to life.
Despite
his obvious shortcomings, Herodotos has been one of the main sources of
knowledge about the Ancient Egyptian civilisation and history for centuries.