[Footnote 1: Herodotus, at a certain period in his life, came under
the influence of Pericles and his contemporaries, but it is clear from
his writings that he received from Attic thought and style little
definite inspiration. J. P. Mahaffy has likened him to Goldsmith in
his aloofness from his environment. Often ridiculed by his friends for
simplicity, Goldsmith far exceeded his clever critics in directness
and pathos, and thus gained a place in literature which contemporaries
never dreamed would be his. The narrative of Herodotus, adds Mahaffy,
gives us more information about the state of the ancient nations and
their culture than all other Greek historians put together. His
purpose, as Herodotus himself declares, was to narrate the great
conflict between the Greeks and barbarians, in order that the causes
might be known and glorious deeds might not perish. Readers are
imprest by the perfect ease and mastery with which a great variety of
subjects are dealt with, his story "advancing with epic grandeur to
its close." Mahaffy pronounces Herodotus an Ionic story-writer, who
never became an Attic one--the chief master of Ionic, as Thucydides
was of Attic prose.]
[Footnote 2: From Book I of the "History." Translated by George
Rawlinson. Croesus reigned from 560 B.C. to 546. The visit of Solon
was made some time before 559.]
[Footnote 3: The capital of Lydia, in Asia Minor, and a flourishing
city in the time of Croesus. It was several times destroyed, the
last time by Tamerlane. Its site is now a village.]
[Footnote 4: Amasis came to the Egyptian throne in 569 B.C., and
reigned 44 years.]