Should I read this?

File: The Histories of Herodotus -trans. Strassler.jpg (63KB, 397x500px) Image search: [Google]

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>>9356465
Sure. It's neat.

>>9356489
do i get that edition?

>>9356504
It's the best edition imo. You could try DLing or getting from the library any edition to see if you like it enough to get it though.

>>9356465
yes

>>9356489
why is that edition almost 2000 pages but OPs is like 750?

>>9356465
It's very good book, but it will take a lot of study to fully grasp it. You should already know a bit about the period before you begin.

>>9357284
So I cannot just pick it up and start reading?

File: greeks.jpg (1MB, 3672x3024px) Image search: [Google]

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>>9356465
I read it in the recommended order from the Greeks chart, I feel like I had a good understanding. I didn't read that edition though, I read the Cartledge translation because I liked the cover way more.

>>9357442
Oops, Holland is the translator, my bad. Cartledge is just the editor. Anyways a nonfiction companion piece to The Histories could be Persion Fire, also by Tom Holland. It's pretty good and it will inform you in what ways modern historians agree and disagree with Herodotus.

>>9357461
(regarding the Persian stuff and the invasion of Greece that is. You'll find The Histories is about all kinds of shit)

>>9357442
Did the chart work well for you?

>>9357198
The words are bigger

>>9357500
Is that the only reason?

It's definitely an interesting read. Make sure you actually read the notes to whatever edition you get.

>>9357365
Reading Homer, and having at least some knowledge of the material it is based around will certainly be helpful, but aren't necessarily mandatory if you aren't intending on doing a thorough study of it. This is especially true if you get an edition that has good notes.

If you're literally just reading it on a "casual" level, then you can go in pretty blind and still probably get at least something out of it.

That being said I'd imagine most people who are interested in Herodotus probably have enough of an interest in the material that getting the background required to get more out of it would be something that they wouldn't mind doing anyway, so for most people I'd recommend doing at least some background reading before jumping in.

>>9357511
Kys

>>9358400
Why?

>>9356465
Yes absolutely, I can vouch fro Penguin version having informative footnotes.
Don't read the introduction though its a load of shit.

>>9360283
Penguin is good. Gives a lot of little footnotes of useful info you won't find in other copies.

>>9356465
Yeah, I loved it and I don't usually read history books. This is a case where falling for the meme is good.

>>9356489
Get this edition. Has lots of maps, pictures, etc. that really help to contextualize everything.

I've read both editions pictured in this thread, and would recommend the Landmark Herodotus posted by our resident tripfag. It has footnotes which are as good as those in the Penguin edition, as well as a shit ton of maps and diagrams inserted into the text which are extremely useful. Also has little sidebars summarizing each paragraph which are super useful for finding a specific event or something if you forget where in the book it is. Definitely worth the extra cost and size over the Penguin version.