The Conflict Between Greeks And The Persians - 1662 Words

Herodotus’s The Histories uses the culture of different peoples as a category of historical explanation in order to explain the entire story behind the conflict between the Greeks and the Persians, though his conception and account of culture has been a topic of debate for many decades. Herodotus’ method when exploring the culture of other peoples is to compare them to the known culture, his own culture, of Greece. Through the comparison of ‘the other’ to Greece, Herodotus not only explains the culture and traditions of other countries or people, but he also affirms Greek identity by constantly comparing or relating to Greek customs in order to show the likeness or stark differences of cultures. Many scholars have, however, criticized Herodotus for doing this; naming him an ethnocentric for introducing all other peoples and cultures as inferior to his own. This essay will seek to expose whether Herodotus is an ethnocentric or a cultural relativist by explor ing the ways in which Herodotus refers to ‘the other’ and the customs and culture of these people. Through the exploration of the Egyptians and the Scythians in Herodotus’s The Histories, this essay will determine that Herodotus’s conception of culture develops from a cultural relativist perspective rather than an ethnocentric point of view, where he uses his own well-known culture as a basis for explaining other cultures and customs, while respecting their difference as being of equal value in their own land, as GreekShow MoreRelatedThe Persian Wars Were Significant For World History1441 Words   |  6 Pagesstruggle for power. For instance, two great ancient civilizations, Greece and Persia, fought in a series of conflicts known as the Greco-Persian Wars. Herodotus, the historian who first wrote about the Persian Wars, once said, â€Å"Great things are won by great dangers.† All war is dangerous, yet the advancements made afterward help form civ ilizations and promote future prosperity. The Greco-Persian Wars were significant for world history because they paved the way for the rise of democracy, emerging culturalRead MoreThe Conflict Between Greece And Persia879 Words   |  4 PagesThe conflict between Greece and Persia is one of great battles, these often discussed military forces in history are so great many films tell their tales. The conflict between these two civilizations great army’s, specifically, their differences in which they were comprised is what will be discussed in this paper. The Greek army utilized many great strengths, as well did Persia, never the less only one was ultimately victorious. The Greek empire contained a fierce military within Sparta. The SpartanRead MoreAlexander The Great Of The Russian Empire969 Words   |  4 Pagesother cultural depictions. However, his effect on the history of the world cannot be overstated. Alexander’s empire had an effect on people from the Balkans to Egypt, and from Babylon to India. His empire resolved the long standing conflict between the Persians and Greeks, established multiple cities across the Middle East and central Asia, had an influence on a future Indian emperor, and some of the remnants of his empire lasted until the time of the Roman Empire. The empire of Alexander not onlyRead MoreThe Persian War And The Ottoman Empire Of Persia Essay1143 Words   |  5 PagesPersian War The Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between the Achaemenid Empire  of  Persia  (modern day Iran) and  Greek city-states  that started in 499 BC and lasted until 449 BC. 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The water surrounding Greece, like theRead MoreHistorical Bias Of The Persian Wars1332 Words   |  6 Pages The Persian wars were a group of wars between the Persians (the largest empire) and the Greeks (city-states philosophers) from 492 bc to 449bc. The history is told in great part by Herodotus, a Greek historian, considered to write historical bias in regards to Greek Persian history. Herodotus was said to investigate the Persian war, going through different lands and collecting personal inquiries, myths, legends and accounts of the Persian Wars. He was praised and honored for his recollectionRead MoreThe Greek And Persian Empires1156 Words   |  5 Pagesyears, many historians have acknowledged that the classical era was a time when Greek and Persian Empires flourished. With that being said, from approximately 323-800 B.C.E., both the Greek and Persian Empire were experiencing periods of economic, political, and artistic growth. 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The battle itself becameRead MoreEssay The Persian Wars: How the Greeks Won1682 Words   |  7 PagesThe Persian Wars: How the Greeks Won The Persian Wars were a series of conflicts fought between the Greek states and the Persian Empire from 500-449 BC. It started in 500 BC, when a few Greek city-states on the coast of Asia Minor, who were under the control of the Persian Empire, revolted against the despotic rule of the Persian king Darius. Athens and Eretria in Euboea gave aid to these Greek cities but not enough, and they were subdued by the Persians. The Persians became determined to conquerRead MoreGreek History : Greece And The Battle Of Thermopylae1104 Words   |  5 Pageswith death knocking on their door. While the Persians showed slyness and perseverance, when faced with adversity. Greece has a long and bloody history, the Spartans and Persians have had a large part in that, and the Battle of Thermopylae was one of the bloodiest in Greek history. Greece has a very lively history, along with being one of the more notable countries in Europe. Many people do not know about the intense gruesome history that follows the Greeks. Greece is a relatively small country in Europe