A Commentary on Herodotus

Wells, J. (Joseph), 1855-1929Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 428 words
Chapters: 1

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Commentary on Herodotus by W. W. How and J. WellsAuthor: Wells, J. (Joseph), 1855-1929,Language: English, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Jan 3, 2008

Editor's review

This book is an English commentary by two classical scholars, How and Wells, on Herodotus's Histories, a tool-like work in the classical philological tradition. Its value lies not in offering modern historiographical theory or new interpretations, but in handling, book by book and chapter by chapter, the historical, geographical, ethnographic, and linguistic difficulties in the text, helping readers return to the original context to understand the narrative manner of the "Father of History." For readers who need to verify proper names, distinguish sources, or trace the narrative of the Persian Wars, such commentary saves much searching. It need not be read cover to cover; it is better used alongside the text of Histories, consulting relevant notes when specific passages arise. Because it was written early, some geographical and ethnographic judgments now appear outdated; readers should maintain critical awareness and treat it as a bridge into the text rather than a final conclusion. The electronic edition is easy to search and suitable for desk reference.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classics and ancient Greek history students who need to study Herodotus alongside the original
Teachers of ancient world history seeking textual basis and proper-name explanations for lectures
Translators verifying place names, personal names, and institutional terms in Histories
Deep readers interested in the Persian Wars narrative who wish to understand textual details

Not a good fit for

General readers who only want a plot summary of Histories; the commentary format would be burdensome
Readers expecting modern historiographical methods or the latest archaeological findings
Those with limited English reading ability or unfamiliar with classical scholarly commentary conventions

Reading tips

Read the relevant book or chapter of Histories first, then consult the corresponding notes, avoiding rote memorization of scholarship divorced from the text.
Keep a notebook recording proper names and place names by book and chapter for easy cross-reference and searching.
When encountering judgments differing from modern commentators, mark them as doubtful and consult modern reference works separately.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a Chinese translation of Herodotus's Histories?

No. It is an English commentary on Histories written by two scholars; the main text requires Herodotus's original or another translation for comparison. The commentary mainly addresses textual difficulties, historical facts, and geographical issues and does not itself form a continuous narrative.

Can this commentary be used without knowledge of ancient Greek?

It can be used, but with limitations. Parts analyzing original wording require Greek, while much discussion of historical facts, geography, and ethnography remains useful to general readers. It is advisable to use a reliable English or Chinese translation alongside; grammatical discussions can be skipped initially.

Why is part of this commentary said to be outdated?

The book was written in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, when geographical, ethnographic, and archaeological material was far less rich than today; some place-name identifications and ethnic judgments have been revised by later research. Readers should treat it as a reading aid rather than authoritative conclusion, consulting modern commentaries for key issues.

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About the author

Wells, J. (Joseph), 1855-1929 Author

J. (Joseph) Wells (1855–1929) was a British classical scholar and writer on Oxford local history active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Public information about his life is limited: his exact birth and death dates, education and positions are not clearly recorded, and three of his works are held in this collection. He wrote A Commentary on Herodotus, a book-by-book annotation that examines the text and historical content of the ancient Greek historian's work for students of classical languages. He also wrote The Charm of Oxford, an essayistic portrait of the city's colleges and landmarks, and The Oxford Degree Ceremony, a detailed account of the ritual and ceremonial procedure by which the University of Oxford confers degrees. Spanning classical commentary and descriptions of university life, his works are plain and careful in style, valuable both as scholarly reference and as local record, and offer a sidelight on Oxford's academic culture of the period.