Herodotus and the Explorers of the Classical Age Book

Discusses the accounts of Greek historian Herodotus and the exploration of the world in which he lived.

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up-This book will be an eyeopener for students used to viewing history as it happens. In the ancient world, not only did explorations take years to complete, but they also took months or years (if ever) for the news of them to become known. It was in 5th-century B.C. Greece that Herodotus attempted to record the history of the world. Although his colorful, and sometimes fanciful, accounts earned him the dual titles of the ``Father of History''/``Father of Lies,'' much of what is known of the ancient world would be lost without his work. Even without the exaggeration that Herodotus relied upon, Gaines describes gripping adventures: Hannibal transporting thousands of elephants on massive rafts across the Rhone River; the internal conflict of Alexander the Great, torn between his fierce desire to rule the world and the warnings of his seers to return home. Rounding out the title is a section on Roman history. The chronology and further reading sections are helpful, but the lack of maps showing the various explorers' routes is a definite drawback.-Anita Palladino, Finkelstein Memorial Library, Spring Valley, NY