Read the nine books of the _History_ of Herodotus,[219] in name and
number identical with the nine Muses. He may be considered the best
representative of the Ionic, as Thucydides of the Attic dialect. He
is fond of old wives’ tales and digressions, pervaded by charming
sentiments, which, however, sometimes obscure the due appreciation of
history and its correct and proper character. Truth does not allow
her accuracy to be impaired by fables or excessive digressions from
the subject.
He begins his history with Cyrus, the first king of Persia,
describing his birth, education, manhood, and reign, and goes down
to the reign of Xerxes--his expedition against the Athenians, and
subsequent retreat. Xerxes was the third who succeeded Cyrus, the
first being Cambyses, the second Darius. Smerdis the Magian is not
reckoned among these, as a tyrant who craftily usurped the throne
that did not belong to him. Darius was succeeded by his son Xerxes,
with whom the history concludes, although it does not go as far as
the end of his reign. Herodotus himself, according to the evidence
of Diodorus Siculus,[220] flourished during these times. It is said
that, when he read his work,[221] Thucydides, then very young,
who was present with his father at the reading, burst into tears.
Whereupon Herodotus exclaimed, “Oh, Olorus! how eager your son is to
learn!”