If I had to pick one word to perfectly encapsulate the messiness around rendering Greek into English, via Rome, I might pick the word ‘history,’ a transliteration of the Greek word historia, which, when represented in English characters, is also a word some Roman historians used in Latin, which was also transliterated from the Greek.

See what I mean? It can be a headache, which is why no one is audacious enough even to attempt consistency. Some words are translated. Some words are transliterated. And some words are transliterated and Latinized.

All this, and we still have not come to the meaning of the Greek word itself, which is ‘inquiries.” As in Herodotus referring to his text as ‘an exhibition of the inquiries of Herodotus of Halicarnassus.’ What happened, and what were the effects of these happenings? Herodotus set out to inquire, guided by an abiding curiosity and respect for humanity.

Excerpts from Herodotus are included in a thoughtfully curated collection of texts composed by ancient Greek historians" ‘The Greek Histories: Essential Selections from Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and Plutarch’ edited and annotated by Mary Lefkowitz and James Romm. Stitched together with insightful commentary, this collection creates a captivating story from four ancient historians who wrote in the Greek language at different times and in different social conditions.

My two favorite selections were Thucydides’ description of the Greek expedition’s destruction in Sicily during the Peloponnesian war and Plutarch’s musings on Alexander. That selection of Thucydides has been a favorite since I first read it. Seeing it set in this context added extra insight, showing me how it fits into a larger tapestry across antiquity that these historians each contributed to.

This is a wonderful resource for those looking to delve deeper into the genre of Ancient Greek Histories. As someone who has tired and put down the works of Herodotus and Thucydides this book breaks down these author's work into something more digestible. The inclusion of maps and indexes of important figures and places was very helpful.

This book is a collection of translated works by some of Ancient Greece's best (or most well-known) history writers. The field of history as we know it was just getting started at this time (Herodotus, whose work is included here, is often credited with 'creating' history as a field of study), so there is a lot of variety in how writers addressed the topic. The four writers included here are introduced well, with a forward that describes the life, influences, and works of each before getting into the excerpts that have been translated here. The translation was great, and the choices for what were included was done well, especially the juxtaposition between the authors.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Greek Histories: The Sweeping History of Ancient Greece as Told by Its First Chroniclers: Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and Plutarch by Mary Lefkowitz & James Romm from Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group in order to read and give an honest review.

…Well-researched, this book is a valuable resource for those beginning their journey to understand our past…

I have recently been studying Ancient Greece and have read quite a bit from Herodotus but have always been interested in hearing from other great minds of the time. Lefkowitz and Romm have produced a wonderful introduction to four distinct and learned voices from ancient Greek historians, Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and Plutarch. Each section begins with an introduction discussing the historian in question and the time before delving into details of momentous events. Each section helps the reader to step back in time and gain insight into what we know of Greek History.

Well-researched, this book is a valuable resource for those beginning their journey to understand our past. Containing accounts of battles, plagues, and journeys, this book has it all. Each section ends with endnotes containing valuable references and includes an appendix at the end “Warfare and Battle in the Greek World” by Jon E Lendon.

Thrilled to have had the opportunity to read and review and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the History of Ancient Greece. I found the book interesting, and it will definitely be a book I delve back into time and again.

The Greek histories can be daunting for modern readers to get through, but the authors do an amazing job of anchoring each of the covered historians in their respective periods, giving great introductions as to their styles, and explaining how modern history is different from ancient history as written (the former, according to the authors, focuses on the truth of the facts, while the latter focuses on the truth of the story).

Highly recommended!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Modern Library for an advanced copy of this new historical collection.

Classic scholars Mary Lefkowitz and James Romm have in their book The Greek Histories: The Sweeping History of Ancient Greece as Told by Its First Chroniclers: Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and Plutarch, collected works from these 4 ancient observers and historians an presented the best of them as a larger book on the history of Greek civilizaton. Accompanying their work are footnotes, maps explanations and general history of the time, along with som new translations of the classic works. Wars, plagues, successions, even trvel essays are covered in this volume, which is a good start for anyone new to Greek Studies, or a fine companion piece to their earlier work the Greek Plays.

A perfect gift for one just starting out in Greek history, or for anyone interested in history in general.

Classicists Mary Lefkowitz and James Romm provide us with a very readable introduction to the Greek World. Both have decades of experience in academia as well as multiple author credit to their name. Lefkowitz in this work as editor introduces a new generation of readers and thinkers to the world of Greek antiquity.

The Greek Histories. Essential selections from Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and Plutarch.

Edited and annotated by Mary Lefkowitz and James Romm. Appendix by Jon E. Lendon. Translations by seven individuals, including the authors.

The Modern Library (New York); 2022

Uncorrected eBook file. Ebook ISBN 978-1-9848-5431-5

Thanks to Net Galley for providing an early version of the text. I was excited to see the book listed in future offerings and was fortunate to receive a copy to review. My interest in early Greek writers came early for me, thanks to a seventh-grade teacher who introduced my classroom to many early Greek, Roman, and other cultures that formed the BCE world. More than 50 years later, I can still remember the weight of the assigned textbook that was crowded with the description of events that were quite exciting to a young reader. [I cannot go so far to say that my classmates shared my interest and excitement!]

The Greek Histories in the version offered by Lefkowitz and Romm is designed to introduce readers to four very important voices describing important events in the centuries before the current era. Of the four writers, Xenophon was new to me, at least as a source. The editors do a superb job of introducing each person, providing details of their perspective on events, and their importance to future generations of historians. The text is worth the price for their analyses of the events depicted by the authors. The individual segments are supplemented by maps and an occasional photograph.

Lendon’s appendix, Warfare and Battle in the Greek World, begins with a quotation from Xenophon on combat between Greek forces and their opponents. While the appendix is quite short, the author provides a starting point for readers who would like to locate additional sources on military techniques relevant to the era.

In sum, The Greek Histories is an excellent starting point to examine the contributions of a handful of individuals who shaped the way in which generations of writers have interpreted actions and events central to the human experience. I hope the book receives the attention that it richly deserves.