history as myth

“History can become myth; myth can become history...Myths are not created by an individual but by the retelling of stories in different contexts—bedtime stories, public performances, visual representations—until they become part of the ‘cultural heritage’ of society...[myths are] about the telling of stories for pleasure, even if those stories also have a deeper meaning; history ostentatiously claims to be concerned wit the truth of what happened, regardless of whether is makes a good story or has any deeper meaning.”

Morley, The Writing of Ancient History

In history class, we have trekked through the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars and begun to see the parallels between Herodotus and Thucydides, comparing the ancient “myths.” These two examples of ancient histories deal with events and people of the past, relating details regarding the world wars that were raging, but in two very distinctive styles; one is description-rich and the other explains the motivations for war.

Some people might say that Herodotus dwells on outlandish details, while Thucydides simply states the “facts.” This estimation, however, is not correct. Both of these men represent what they see as the important details. After all, history ultimately isn’t about what really happened in the past but what people choose to remember—it’s a matter of people passing on tales of bravery and adventure, losses and victories, accomplishments and trials. Thucydides is concerned with getting to the bottom of the issues and analyzing military tactics, political nuances, and motivations behind actions. Herodotus, on the other hand, wants his reader to be able to identify specific places and understand the customs of the people he deals with. His tone is that of a grandpa telling epic adventures to his grandkids. He lays out a very broad scope of the hostilities and skirmishes between nations, but never delves into policy or devotes precious page-space to public affairs causing the war.

These two have become legend. How much of what is recorded really happened (how could Herodotus know so much about the fantastic? And there are so many verbatim speeches in Thucydides…those can’t be word for word, can they?). Neither of them is truer than the other; they are told from different perspectives. They have been passed down through the ages, mythic in nature. Enjoy the sagas and continue their legacies.