Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.1, 2014

 

Herodotus' History of Persia and How It Shaped the Intellectual Elite's View of Persia in Ancient Greece——A Comparative Study of Book 3 of The History and the Behistun Inscription                  

(Abstract)

 

Lü Houliang

 

There is a close relationship between the account of Darius' ascending the throne given in Book 3 of Herodotus' History and the Behistun Inscription, an important official document of the Persian Empire. Herodotus' record of the relevant names, genealogy, and basic narrative are highly similar to those of the Behistun Inscription, and his historical sources may well have derived indirectly from the latter. However, in writing his narrative Herodotus was misled by the official ideology of the Persian Empire under Darius as reflected in the Behistun Inscription and deceived by the political propaganda devised by the Persian ruler in order to consolidate his own rule. However, the additional material interpolated by Herodotus when he freed himself from the leads found in the Behistun Inscription had an important impact on the way ancient Greek intellectual elites saw Persia.