Herodotus Book 1 reading questions
Greetings Fellow Herodotus Readers!
I am so sorry I had to miss the first call introducing Herodotus. Phil did a great job bringing us together and getting us started on this reading journey. I am Andre Stipanovic and I have worked with Phil on the Reading Odyssey for a few years now.
From the bios and the emails I have seen so far and the response to the first conference call, I can tell that there is a lot of enthusiasm for reading Herodotus in this new Robert Strassler edition. For visual learners like me, the maps are truly a gift.
Enjoy the great stories in Book I and we will discuss our observations and thoughts on the next conference call Monday April 7. In the meantime, please think about the questions below as you read Book 1.
Separately, I encourage you to e-mail your thoughts to the whole reading group as you work your way through Book 1. The more comments, musings and ancedotes we have to chew on in between calls, the further we can get to know each other better and probe into the intricacy and power of Herodotus’ writing.
I’ll speak to you April 7 – e-mail me or the group as a whole (mailto: Herodotus2008@creativegood.com) if you have any questions about the text or the format!
Thanks!
Andre
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Book 1 reading questions
Question 1
Herodotus famously says in his introduction that he will talk about not just great cities but small – How do Croesus and Cyrus serve as examples for this important part of Herodotus’ philosophy?
Question 2
Oracles play a key role in the first half of Book 1. Be prepared to talk about the Oracles – what was prophesied, the impact the oracles had and the role of fate in ancient Greece/Herodotus. Also think about “asking for help” – it comes up throughout Herodotus.
Question 3
Book 1 is full of stories – some of these may be familair to you because many writers have read Herodotus and been influenced by or borrowed from him. What are some of your favorite stories from this first book?
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