The "father of history," Herodotus, flourished
about the middle of the fifth century B.C. Though a native of Asia Minor,
Herodotus spent some of the best years of his life at Athens, mingling in its
brilliant society and coming under the influences, literary and artistic, of
that city. He traveled widely in the Greek world and in the East, as a
preparation for his great task of writing an account of the rise of the
Oriental nations and the struggle between Greece and Persia. Herodotus was not
a critical historian, diligently sifting truth from fable. Where he can he
gives us facts. Where facts are lacking, he tells interesting stories in a most
winning style. A much more scientific writer was Thucydides, an Athenian who
lived during the epoch of the Peloponnesian War and became the historian of
that contest. An Athenian contemporary of Thucydides, Xenophon, is best known
from his Anabasis, which describes the famous expedition of the
"Ten Thousand" Greeks against Persia.
BIOGRAPHY
Of the later prose writers of Greece it is sufficient to
name only one-- the immortal Plutarch. He was a native of Chaeronea in Boeotia
and lived during the first century of our era. Greece at that time was only a
province of the Roman Empire; the days of her greatness had long since passed
away. Plutarch thus had rather a melancholy task in writing his Parallel
Lives. In this work he relates, first the life of an eminent Greek, then of
a famous Roman who in some way resembled him; and ends the account with a short
comparison of the two men. Plutarch had a wonderful gift of sympathy for his
heroes and a keen eye for what was dramatic in their careers. It is not
surprising, therefore, that Plutarch has always been a favorite author. No
other ancient writer gives us so vivid and intimate a picture of the classical
world.
ORIGINALITY OF GREEK LITERATURE
From the foregoing survey it is clear that the Greeks were
pioneers in many forms of literature. They first composed artistic epic poems.
They invented lyric and dramatic poetry. They were the first to write histories
and biographies. In oratory, as has been seen, they also rose to eminence.
We shall now find that the Greek intellect was no less fertile and original in
the study of philosophy.