Herodotus and the Presocratics: Inquiry and Intellectual Culture in the Fifth Century BCE

K. Scarlett Kingsley

doi:10.1017/9781009338530

Herodotus' Histories was composed well before the genre of Greek historiography emerged as a distinct narrative enterprise. This book explores it within its fifth-century context alongside the extant fragments of Presocratic treatises as well as philosophizing tragedy and comedy. It argues for the Histories' competitive engagement with contemporary intellectual culture and demonstrates its ambition as an experimental prose work, tracing its responses to key debates on relativism, human nature, and epistemology. In addition to expanding the intellectual milieu of which the Histories is a part and restoring its place in Presocratic thought, K. Scarlett Kingsley elucidates fourth-century philosophy's subsequent engagement with the work. In doing so, she contributes to a revision of the sharp separation between the ancient genres of philosophy and history. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

‘Kingsley’s insightful analysis of the Histories’ laboratory makes Herodotus and the Presocratics a must-read for Herodotean scholars, as well as for anyone interested in classical Greek intellectual history.’

Davide Napoli Source: Bryn Mawr Classical Review

‘Kingsley's work is recommended to anyone who seeks a deeper, literary understanding of Herodotus and is interested in intertextuality in the 5th century ante.’

Gregor Kirilov Source: H-Soz-Kult

‘Kingsley’s work is an important and necessary contribution to understanding Herodotus. … this erudite, thorough and thoughtful account is a welcome addition to Herodotus scholarship, and it persuasively and substantively makes its major claim: that Herodotus, the father of history, is a philosophic thinker in his own right.’

Lindsay Mahon Rathnam Source: The Journal for Ancient Greek and Roman Political Thought

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Contents

Herodotus and the Presocratics
pp i-ii
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Herodotus and the Presocratics - Title page
pp iii-iii
Inquiry and Intellectual Culture in the Fifth Century bce
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Copyright page
pp iv-iv
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Dedication
pp v-vi
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Contents
pp vii-vii
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Acknowledgments
pp viii-ix
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Note on Texts and Translations
pp x-x
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Abbreviations
pp xi-xii
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Chapter 1 - Introduction
pp 1-37
Transtextual Histories: History, Philosophy, and Intellectual Culture
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Chapter 2 - Relativism, King of All
pp 38-91
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Chapter 3 - The Pull of Tradition
pp 92-116
Egoism and Persian Revolution
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Chapter 4 - History peri physeos
pp 117-140
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Chapter 5 - Physis on the Battlefield
pp 141-166
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Chapter 6 - Historical Inquiry and Presocratic Epistemology
pp 167-189
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Chapter 7 - Herodotean Philosophy
pp 190-206
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Appendices
pp 207-220
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Appendix 1 - Tolerance or Relativism?
pp 207-210
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Appendix 2 - “Strong” and “Weak” Relativism
pp 211-216
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Appendix 3 - Knowledge and the Herodotean Narrator
pp 217-220
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References
pp 221-246
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General Index
pp 247-250
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Index Locorum
pp 251-258
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Herodotus and the Presocratics

Inquiry and Intellectual Culture in the Fifth Century BCE

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Contents

Herodotus and the Presocratics
pp i-ii

Herodotus and the Presocratics - Title page
pp iii-iii

Copyright page
pp iv-iv

Dedication
pp v-vi

Contents
pp vii-vii

Acknowledgments
pp viii-ix

Note on Texts and Translations
pp x-x

Abbreviations
pp xi-xii

Chapter 1 - Introduction
pp 1-37

Chapter 2 - Relativism, King of All
pp 38-91

Chapter 3 - The Pull of Tradition
pp 92-116

Chapter 4 - History peri physeos
pp 117-140

Chapter 5 - Physis on the Battlefield
pp 141-166

Chapter 6 - Historical Inquiry and Presocratic Epistemology
pp 167-189

Chapter 7 - Herodotean Philosophy
pp 190-206

Appendices
pp 207-220

Appendix 1 - Tolerance or Relativism?
pp 207-210

Appendix 2 - “Strong” and “Weak” Relativism
pp 211-216

Appendix 3 - Knowledge and the Herodotean Narrator
pp 217-220

References
pp 221-246

General Index
pp 247-250

Index Locorum
pp 251-258

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Herodotus and the Presocratics

Inquiry and Intellectual Culture in the Fifth Century BCE

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