Coined the “Father of History,” Herodotus constructed The Histories to catalogue his account of the Persian War, a series of infamous battles fought between the scrawny Greek city-states and the powerful Persian Empire. Throughout his investigation of the Persian Wars, he strays from the topic at hand to share information about other civilizations. In Book II of The Histories, Herodotus relays the history of the Egyptians. By relaying the geography, customs and animals, and history of Egypt, Herodotus glorifies human achievements with the ultimate goal of helping Greeks better understand themselves.
At the onset of Book II, Herodotus establishes his diversion into Egyptian civilization. His justification stems from the Persians’ ambition to conquer Egypt. After supplying context, he quickly devolves into his fascination with the Northern African Empire. As he relays the geographic features of the region, he calls into question the age of Egyptians. After going back and forth, he reveals that the Phrygians are slightly older than the Egyptians. He claims that he knows this because of a conversation he had with the pirests at Memphis. This anecdote provides our first glimpse into how Herodotus receives his information. There is great uncertainty and debate about where Herodotus gets his knowledge. It is likely that Herodotus’s history originates from an amalgamation of eyewitness accounts, conversations with primary points of contact, and complete fabrication.
Throughout Book II, Herodotus presents theory and expresses curiosity about the geological formations to familiarize the reader with the region. When he constructs these portions of the text, he presents multiple perspectives. For example, when he writes about the Nile’s rising and falling tides, he shares three possible explanations. questions the Herodotus includes multiple explanations for the river’s source of water. Although he only elaborates on the theory that he agrees with, his presentation of alternative systems gives his reader the opportunity to choose the explanation that suits them. By sharing this information, he aims to help the reader better understand the systems at play and contextualize the remainder of the Book II>
Following a thorough descritipion of the geology, Herodotus chronicles Egyptian customs and animals at length. In his report, he shares that “the Egyptians themselves in their manners and customs seem to have reversed the ordinary practices of mankind.” He constructs this portion of Book II in a comparative yet non-judgemental manner. Opposite to the customs of the Greeks, they ate outside and went to the bathroom inside. They even lived with their animals. He uses the differences between the two civilizations as an instrument to familiarize his audience with Egypt. Even if his reader was unfamiliar with the customs, they can understand that they are entirely different from the Greeks. The construction of this portion not only educates his audience about the Egyptians but also helps them better understand themselves.
Herodotus concludes Book II with a brief history of the kings and princes of Egypt thus circling back to Persia. His history extends to the reign of Amasis, the pharaoh that the Persians’ defeat later in the Histories. As the story unfolds, external forces, like Assyria and the Greek city-states, become more prominent in Egypt’s history. Amasis is described as a wealthy and powerful ruler who allowed the Greeks a number of privileges, including land grants for Greek traders to build temples to their own gods. A major impression Herodotus wishes to get across is that Egypt is very old. As with the earlier mentions of Egypt’s cultural and economic bounty, the point is to communicate the Persians’ interest in capturing Egypt and the gains they would amass. Amasis, who is given the greatest detail, is the pharaoh who is defeated by the Persians. Herodotus is keen to stress that Amasis was a friend to the Greeks because he wants to show the Persian upheaval that will follow as more than just the conquest of one kingdom.
