The Columbus journal., 1885-04-08
HerOdOt0S.

THE following was recently re ad before
the Chatauqua Literary and Scientific
Circle Of this city by one Of its nembers.1
We have q great desire to learn
more about Herodotus, the "Father of
History, the man who is described as
having the head of sage, the heart
of q mother, and the simplicity of
child" and you will pardon US for
preferring this latter charscte rizstion
to the former To be good historian
is well enough SO far "a il goes, but,
"to love God, little children and fow-
ers," as Jean Paul Richter puts it, is,
it seems to us, far better. Had the
author Of "Hero-worship" loved his
"Jeannie" more, she would not have
sunk into an early grave. Had the
author Of the Rise and Fall of the
Roman Empire" possessed more child
have spent less time in q futile at
tempt to explain historical events on
q merely natural basis.
We esteem Herodotus because he
was devout. It matters not that the
objects of his worship were pagan
idols--they were the Gods of his time {;
he was on the right track, up,Oard he
looked instead of downward. As to
his physical Characteristics, his busts
(some of which are still extanD rep
resent him az possessing massive,
well-developed forehead, indicating
great intellectually and immense
brain power. His large dreamy eyes
inten styling the charm of his beauti-
full and manly face, serve also as q
keynote to the flowing, artless and
romantic style of his histories. AZ
his writings are, so was the man. You
say that the events he narrates are
not all true. Granted, but they were
his ideals, and might have been true.
Idealism, (minus scepticism) that
precious heirloom of the German race
plays too Insignificant role in the
civilization of our hard, dry, money.
getting, unsympa,hetic Anglo-Amer-
leans. To mingle the deep, rich, won
derful thought of Germany with the
matter-of-fact does.it-pay.i of
America ia pre-eminently the mission
of German Americans. The marvel
lous, romantic Herodotus was the
German, and the curt, severe, critical
Thucydides the Anglo-Americans of
the ancient world.
Born at Halicsrnassus, 484 b. O.,
Herodotus seems to have early form
ed the resolution of writing his
tory on an extensive scale, and hav-
ing both wealth and leisure he deter.
mined to visit all then known coun-
tries and nations. In his earlier
youth he visited the islands and coasts
of Asia Minor. He now devoted par
ticular attention to Egypt. His
account of that country and it's people
being the only contemporaneous
writing running parallel with the
Bible, is interesting and important.
He next visited Palestine and Phoe-
nicis, then Babylon and Susa. Sailing
through the Hellespont into the Black
Sea, Herodotus then visited all the
countries on those shores. For some
time he resided at Athens. On
special public occasions he would read
his romantic tales to the delighted
Athenians, who in return overwhelm-
ed their favorite with honors and dis
tinctions. This was during the bril-
liant age of Pericles. In after years
Herodotus took an interest in politics.
As . moderate liberal" be was In
strumentsl in delivering his native
city from the Persian vassal and ty-
rant Lygdarnis. For this he was
banished by the Radicals. At Thurii
in Italy he probably gave the finish
ing touches to his immortal work, and
here he died in 4O8, B. g.