Herodotus

Week II
Books II, III
 Book II: Euterpe (Εὐτέρπη)
Outline
II.1: Accession of Cambyses
II.2 – 34 Geography of Egypt
II.35-98 Customs of Egypt
II.99-182: History of Egypt

Euterpe
Muse of Music, Song and Dance
 Passages of Note
Psammatichus Test [2]
Extent of H. Travel [29]
Interpretatio Graeci [Passim]
- Greek custom of equating
foreign deities with their own
Note on Religious Customs [Passim]
H.’s account of Egyptian Wildlife
- Crocodiles [69-70]
- Hippopotamus [71]
Egyptian Dionysius
 List of Egyptian Monarchs*
Min/Menes
Cheops (Khufu)
Chephren (Khafre)
Mycernius (Menkare)
per aa Moeris (Amenemhat III)
Sesotris (Senwosret I and III)
Pheros
Rhampsinitus (Ramses)
Asychia (Seshonq)
Anysis
Nesut-biti
Dodecarchs
Sabacos (Shabaka)
Psammetichus I
Necos (Necho II)
Psammis (Psammetichus II)
nesut Apries
Amasis
Psammetichus III
 Book III: Thalia (Θάλεια)
Outline
I-16 Invasion of Egypt
17-26 Invasion of Ethiopia
27-37 Madness of Cambyses
38 An editorial
39-60 Polycrates, Tyrant of Samos
61-87 Revolt of the Magi
89-160: Reign of Darius, Part I Thalia
Muse of Comedy
 Reign of Cambyses
Tomyris & Death of Cyrus [I.205-214]
Parentage of Cambyses [1-3]
Invasion of Egypt [I-16]
Invasion of Ethiopia [17-26]
Madness and Death [27-37]
Apis/Epaphus [27-29]
Smerdis(Bardya) [30]
Cambise et Psamménite, Jean-Adrien Guiget
Musee de Louvre Sororicide [31-32]
General Madness [32-37]
 Polycrates of Samos
Best Dates: c.535- c.522
Literary Sources: Herodotus III.39-60;
Thucydides 1.13.6; majority of other
evidence is archaeological and
numismatic.
τῠ́ρᾰννος 
Thalassocracy
(θαλασσοκρατία; θαλασσοκρατέω)
Biremes, Triremes, Quadriremes, etc…
 Tale of Polycrates
Polycrates seized power with his brothers Syloson and
Pantagnotus but soon proclaimed himself sole ruler. He
established Samos as a thalassocracy, subjugating the
neighboring islands, including Rhenum. He was a great
patron of the arts, funding Anacreon, Ibycus and Theodorus
among others.

He allied with Amasis but broke this and allied with

Cambyses, providing Persia with ships. The crews of his
ships mutinied and sailed for Sparta. The Spartans and
Corinthians attempted regime change in 525 BCE but failed.

Three years later, following the accession of Darius I to the

Persian throne, he was invited to the mainland… [120-126]
Following his death at the hands of the satrap Oroetes,
Syloson ruled as tyrant.
 Revolt of the Magi and Death of Cambyses
The term Magi (s. magus) refers to both a tribe of the
Medes and a priestly-caste/class of ancient
Zoroastrianism.
Two Magi, Patizeithes and Gaumata, who resembled
Smerdis, rebelled in Persia, placing Gaumata on throne
and pretending to be Smerdis. A herald was dispatched
claiming that Smerdis was now king all were to ignore
Cambyses’ orders. Following some intrigue [62-63],
Cambyses died of gangrene [64-66].
The imposter Smerdis was exposed by Phaidime,
daughter of Otanes and one of Cambyses wives. Otanes,
and six others, including Cambyses spear-carrier,
Darius, staged a coup [68-79]. The seven conspirators
then met to determine the fate of the Persian Empire.
 The Great Debate
Otanes (Democracy) [80]
Megabyzus (Oligarchy) [81]
Darius (Monarchy) [82]
The other four voted for monarchy and
agreed to chose from the seven. Otanes
abstained so the remaining six then met
outside the walls before dawn. Whoever’s
horse neighed first at the rising sun would
become king. Darius had his groom Oebares
perform a trick with a mare (or mare urine) Portrait of Darius I
to make his horse neigh first and thus Behistun Inscription
became Shahanshah [83-87]