Herodotus opens with an explanation that his goal, in setting down his Histories, is twofold. First, he preserves the deeds of men that might otherwise be forgotten, and should not be forgotten because they were cool and impressive. But second … Continue reading →
If I was going to invent a platform and medium that would be a perfect marketplace of ideas, it would be webcomics. There’s nearly no barrier to entry, with webcomics: you need to be able to upload your comic to a … Continue reading →
To keep up with the modern era, where ideas move at the speed of business and real-time problems call for turn-key solutions, I’m making a few changes to how PRIMARY SOURCES proceeds from here on out. First off, I’m moving … Continue reading →
Amasis was, at this point, king of Egypt (569-525 BC, making him a contemporary of Croesus’s). Lowly born, he suffered somewhat as the stodgy Egyptian aristocrats didn’t like bowing and scraping before him. Eventually he won them over with his … Continue reading →
“Sometimes I feel like I was born with a leak, and any goodness I started with just slowly spilled out of me, and now it’s all gone. And I’ll never get it back in me; it’s too late. Life is … Continue reading →
Herodotus doesn’t mention this, but Psammis died while still a child. How it was he came to have the son Herodotus credits him with is thus a mystery. But Psammis was succeeded by Apries, whom Herodotus declares to have been … Continue reading →
Science-King Psammetichus! What a guy! Herodotus has already mentioned him in passing a couple of times, because you can’t talk Egypt without talking about Psammetichus. He’s the guy who stationed over two hundred thousand troops near the Ethiopian border, didn’t … Continue reading →
Herodotus Tells Tales From Egypt’s Hoary Past! Today’s installment: A Handful of Random Bits and Pieces! So once upon a time, a couple of generations after Mycerinus, the king of Egypt was a man named Anysis, who was blind. When … Continue reading →
Herodotus Tells Tales From Egypt’s Hoary Past! Today’s installment: Cinderella? Mycerinus was the son of the brother of Cheops, and succeeded them. His tomb was probably discovered at the end of the 19th century, but his effects were lost en … Continue reading →
Herodotus Tells Tales From Egypt’s Hoary Past! Today’s installment: Cheops and the Pyramids! We’re ready to move on from Remphis, though first I should point out that Herodotus heard this story about how he went into the underworld and played … Continue reading →
