Analysis of Herodotus and Sima Qian
History as we know it today as a means of self-knowledge, political enlightenment, and a critical account of the past has its origins in two ancient civilizations in Eurasia, which are Greece and China. Two of the best-known canonical formulations are the “histories” of Herodotus in Greece and “Shiji” of Sima Qian in China. Since the time and works of Sima Qian and Herodotus, history has been the study and analysis of human exploits in different geographies and ethnographies (Stuurman, 2008:1).
Thomas R. Martin is an American-based historian who specializes in the field of Greco-Roman studies. He teaches courses in Athenian democracy, the Roman Empire, and Hellenism. Thomas is a famous writer and has written several books on the history of Greece, Rome, and numismatics. The book “Herodotus and Sima Qian: The First Great Historians of Greece and China: A Brief History with Documents” written in 2010 Thomas first introduces the histories of the two ancient civilizations. Although they lived in different centuries and never knew about each other’s work, Martin shows us the similarities and differences in their modes of writing depending on their setting and cultures, which were different. In addition, Martin introduces maps and other illustrations to guide the reader (Martin, 2010: 1-7).
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian and lived in the fifth century (484-425 BC). Born in Caria, modern day turkey Herodotus is known as the earliest historian to systematically collect his materials and then test how accurate they were and then arrange them in to a well-assembled narrative. “The histories” is his only world-renown masterpiece that he produced. “The histories” was an analysis of the causes and nature of the Greco-Persian wars including a succinct narration of the ethnographical and geographical analysis (Martin, 2010).
According to many historians, Herodotus was born in an influential family and he was the son of Dryo and Lyxes. He has the brother of Theodorus and related to Panyassis, a popular poet of this time. The town of Samos, where Herodotus is believed to have grown up was within the Persian Empire and historians believe to be one of the reasons why Herodotus was able to narrate the conflicts between Greece and Persia. From his own accounts, Herodotus claims that he travelled widely even to far-off places such as Egypt and Babylon. It is believed that Herodotus was involved in both Persian and Greek politics and even participated in a revolt that ended the tyranny of Lygdamis(Martin, 2010).
Thomas Martin claims that Herodotus was one of the greatest historians of all times. This is because according to him Herodotus was able to investigate, survey, and interview people and record his findings giving their cultures and geographies at a time when people in this era did not fathom such a thing. In addition he was able to file these findings and narrate them chronologically, especially his views on the origins and nature of the Persian wars. His narrations were later to be used by a wide audience including scholars, students, and general readers who were keen on learning on the histories of Greece and its conflicts with the Persians (Martin, 2007: 27-35).
Very few sources are available on the life of Herodotus. Many modern scholars refer to Herodotus’ own writings to gather more information about his life. Although there are other ancient albeit later sources on his life there was no much information that was written about his life during his lifetime. (Fornara, 1971: 1-7).
During his many travels, he met Thucydides and the two became very close friends. It is believed that Herodotus died either in Athens, Macedonia, or in Thurium. However, there is wide consensus that regardless of the place he died, he must have been close to his sixtieth birthday since there is nothing in the “histories” that historians can date later than 430 BC (Rawlinson, 1859: 4-11).
Form content of Herodotus
Herodotus’ “histories” is a collection of nine books that traces or investigates the conflicts between the Persians and Greeks, which led to the Persian wars of 480-479 BC. In this book, Herodotus highlights the reasons why they came to conflict and their achievements. He did this with a careful analysis of the characteristics of each society in terms of culture, ethnography, topography, and geography. (Herodotus, 1824).
Despite the antagonism of Greeks and non-Greeks, Herodotus was able to describe the customs and achievements of the non-Greeks with much sensitivity without bias or prejudice. In the introduction to the “landmark Herodotus,” Rosalind Thomas notes that the “histories” are the first works of the western tradition seen as a work of history because their differing accounts and search for causes of different phenomena or actions. This made Herodotus to be viewed as “the father of history.” The histories are considered revolutionary because of their length and scale of conception (Strassler, 2007: ix).
The “histories” start with an analysis of the triumph of Greek city-states over the Persian Empire during the first and second invasion of 490 and 480 BC respectively. This victory according to Rosalind helped to crystallize the Greeks attitudes with respect to their values and way of life, their attitudes towards the Persians, as well as intensify their distrust to tyranny and monarchies. (Herodotus, 1824). In books, five and six Herodotus reviews the Persian and Greek conflict during the Ionian revolt, while books six to nine he talks about the two afore-mentioned invasions.
Robert Strassler notes that Herodotus’ “histories” needs to be seen in part in the background of freedom since it played a very crucial role in inter-state antagonism and political argument later in the fifth century (Strassler, 2007). In introducing the proem to the histories, Herodotus claims that he is presenting his research so that human events do not fade with the passage of time. Herodotus claims that disputes arose after the Phoenicians came to Argos, and after selling their cargo, they abducted some of the women including the kings daughter Io and sailed their vessels to Egypt (Strassler, 2007:3). In reaction to this, Herodotus notes that some Hellenes went to the port of Tyre in Phoenicia and kidnapped the king’s daughter Europa, so that they would be even.
However, as Martin notes this did not end because the Hellenes went further and abducted the Colchian kings daughter Medea. Additionally Alexandros of troy went ahead and abducted Helen from the Hellenes as a wife and refused to bring her back or to pay any satisfaction for her. According to the Persians men were not to make a big fuss upon the abduction of women because the women were compliant to the abductions. The Hellenes later made war against Asia and the Persians accused them of over-reacting. Herodotus notes that the Phoenicians dispute this theory because they claimed that Io had intercourse with the captain of the ship in Argos, and after realizing she was pregnant, she sailed with them to Egypt because she was ashamed of facing her parents. Herodotus however says, “These are the stories told by the Persians and Phoenicians. I myself have no intention of affirming that these events occurred thus or otherwise. But I do know who was the first man to begin unjust acts against the Hellenes” (Strassler, 5).
Thomas Martin points out that Herodotus was very careful in his analysis because he was wise with his words. For instance, before he named the aggressors Herodotus says that he is aware that some of the people were great before have become inferior and vice versa. Issues of Greek dignity, decency, and morality are also introduced here through the acts of king Kandaules telling his bodyguard to watch his wife naked to make sure that she is the most beautiful of all women.
As a geographer and ethnographer, Herodotus explains the features of the places and cities involved in the conflicts. In one of his geographical representations, Herodotus explains the features of the “Athenian government in Herodotus.” In this description, Herodotus also analyzes the nature of the government. In this description, Herodotus informs us that the Athenians had a democratic government whereby all male citizens were entitled to vote in the assembly. The king had an advisory body. Law was introduced and other positions of power created (Martin, 2010: Appendix A-G).
As an ethnographer, Herodotus described the “Spartan state in war and peace.” Herodotus was able to describe the customs, ethnicity, and beliefs of many non-Greeks in a very elaborate and at times accurate manner (Strassler, 728). In book six Herodotus explains that although the Spartans although they were Hellenes, they were different since they did not follow Greek norms especially with relation to their social customs and political arrangements. Herodotus also explained that the Spartans were different from other Greeks in the way they allocated roles or duties to women especially the royal women (Martin, 2010: Appendix A-G).
In book two Herodotus also exposes his mastery of other fields including geology, botany, and zoology especially of his excursions to Egypt. Herodotus was able to analyze the geography of Egypt as well as the form of ancient civilization of this country. Thus, it is clear from his works that indeed Herodotus was not just a master of history but other genres as well (Martin, 2010: Appendix H).
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a historian during the Han dynasty. Qian is believed to have lived between 145/135 to 86 BC. His works include "Records of the grand historian that provides general history of China and is believed to be his most monumental work of historiography. This work is a chronology of Chinese history for two thousand years (Durrant, 1995).
He was born in Longmen where he also grew up. His family members were astrologers. His father was a court astrologer; this was a position of well-trained technicians with knowledge of various issues. Among his duties were reforming the Chinese calendar and organizing the imperial library, As a result of this training by his father and the famous Confucians Dhong Zhongshu and Kong Anguo, He was well skilled and started a tour of the country by the age of 20 (Stuurman, 2008: 26-40).
Sima was appointed as a palace attendant within the government after his travels. In this position among his duties were inspections of different regions of China, as well as various military expeditions. As a result of his father’s inspiration, Sima embarked on a project to compile the “Shiji” which is now the records of the grand historian in English. After three years of his father’s death Sima Qian was appointed to the position of his deceased father (Stuurman, 2008).
In 99 BC, Sima found himself embroiled in the “Li Ling Affair.” This was a case where Sima supported two military officers who had lost favor with the emperor and other court officials. As a result of this, Qian lost favor with the emperor and was sentenced to death. During this time, it was common for people to commune execution with money or castration. Having no money Qian chose castration and was thrown to prison for three years (Watson, 1958).
Upon his release in 96 BC, Qian chose to live as a palace eunuch so that he would finish writing his histories. This was unexpected because many people who went through castration lost all dignity in society and their only and most common recourse was suicide. However, Qian opted to live in shame and finish his histories so that people who come after him would be able to learn the history of their people. In a letter to Ren An Qian wrote, “When I have truly completed this work, I shall deposit it in the Famous Mountain. If it may be handed down to men who will appreciate it, and penetrate to the villages and great cities, then though I should suffer a thousand mutilations, what regret should I have?” (Watson, 1958:67).
Form content of Sima Qian
Sima Qian’s not only China’s greatest historian but also he is also China’s first author of an autographical self-testimony. Sima Qian created much of his biography as he did the history of China. Sima Qian’s biography and his narration of China’s past resonate with one another both in terms of themes and the tensions present (Durrant, 1995: 1). Qian speaks much of himself in the final chapter of “records of the grand historian” and in the “letter in response to Ren An” (Watson, 1958).
In chapter one of “The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently and Why”, Richard Nisbett notes, “more than two billion people are heirs of ancient Chinese traditions of thought” (Nisbett, 2010:1). Despite the fact that Qian is considered the founder of Chinese historiography, he personally recognized the roles and assistance he received from his father and his two Confucius teachers. Regardless of this fact it is important to note that although earlier Chinese writers did document various events of historical importance it is “Shiji” by Qian that defined the style and quality of Chinese historical writings (Nisbett, 2010: 4-8).
Apart from Qian’s personal contribution to Chinese historiography, his style and quality had a tremendous impact on future Chinese writers of historiography such as Zheng Qiao and Sima Guang. For instance, it is widely accepted that the works of Qian set precedence in the way of writing the histories of different Chinese dynasties. For example, Ban Gu’s book “book of Han” is believed to have been modeled on Qian’s style of writing. (Yu, 1988)
Sima introduced a new style of writing history in the “Shiji” by presenting it as a series of biographies. In this masterpiece, he presents more than 130 chapters, well sub-divided to different subjects a practice that was not known by the people then. Through such form of writing Qian had an influence on other cultures especially Korean. Despite the differences in culture, Qian’s style of writing was able to cut-across cultures and this influence can be felt up to today in different contexts’ of different geographies and cultures (Nisbett, 2010).
In his quest of finishing the “shiji,” Sima’s intentions included discovering new principles and patterns of developing human history. In the process, Sima adopted a new technique of sorting historical data as well as a new approach of writing these historical records. In the process, Qian stressed the importance that individuals can play in shaping the history of their nation. By doing, this Qian claimed that there was no country that could be able to escape the bust and boom cycles because these cycles are beyond the control of any administration (Qian, 1959).
Unlike many other books on the history of the Han dynasty such as “the book of Han,” that was written under supervision and scrutiny of the imperial dynasty, the “Shiji,” was an all-rounded historical book that covered the whole society without special attention or bias to the high-class or low-class. This made Qian’s work to become “veritable records” since they were not biased in their analysis or favored any group within the society (Durrant, 1995).
The “records of the grand historian” is respected worldwide as the model of a true biographical literature and stands out as one of the most popular texts for the study of classical Chinese. The text has also played an important role in modeling various types of prose during the renaissance period. Qian’s use of plots and various characters had a big impact or influence on fiction writing in the form of novels of the late imperial times and classical short stories. Sima’s influences in other forms of writing were derivatives of skillful depiction of characters and innovative use of humorous and informal language (Martin, 2010).
In a highly emotional letter to his friend Ren An, Sima describes his suffering in prison and after as a result of the Li Ling affair. This letter has also had a great influence on literary prose style and the letter is widely studied not only in china but also in almost all regions of the world. This indicates that the works of Qian have been monumental in the development of not only historiography but also other important subjects as well (Gunnlaugsson, 2012).
“the histories of the grand historian” mostly covers the history of china during the Qin and Han dynasties. According to Sima the Qin dynasty, although short lived was the first imperial dynasty of china. Under the leadership of emperor Qin Shi Huang, the Qin dynasty lasted between 221 and 206 BC. (Gunnlaugsson, 2012: 7). However, the emperor Qin Shi Huang together with his special advisers initiated a series of political and economic reforms that had a huge impact on Chinese culture, politics, and economy even in the future dynasties that lasted around 2000 years (Watson, 1993: ix).
On the other hand, Sima notes that the Han dynasty founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang succeeded the Qin dynasty after the dissemination of the latter. In the “Shiji” Sima particularly considers the role and character of emperor Wu. In his records, Sima gives a lengthy discussion of his involvement with the emperor as well as the key palace, court, and government officials.
Conclusion
The analysis done shows many similarities and differences between Herodotus and Sima Qian in terms of their personal traits, their view of the world around them, and the way they write their masterpieces. From the analysis, it is clear that both are widely travelled and learned. However, we see that Sima Qian’s travels were much localized when compared to those of Herodotus. Regardless of this fact, the vastness of the Chinese nation is a reason or fact to consider too before running in to conclusions.
With special attention to their influence on geography and ethnography, it is clear that both these men involved geography and ethnography within the work they did. This was because it was evident to them that the societies were at a stage when it was impossible to write the histories of their people without including these concerns. despite the fact that they were not aware of each other’s work and lived in different centuries both Qian and Herodotus were able to write historical books that are guiding texts on the history of these ancient civilizations. Thus, it is good to appreciate their works even though it might be partly faulty because without their contributions we would probably know nothing of these ancient civilizations.
Works cited
Secondary sources:
Durrant, Stephen W. The cloudy mirror: tension and conflict in the writings of Sima Qian. Albany State University. 1995. Print
Fornara, Charles W. Herodotus: An Interpretative Essay. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1971. Print
Gunnlaugsson, Helgi S. China‘s Modern Emperors: A look at China‘s government. University of Iceland School of Humanities. 2012. PDF
Martin, Thomas R. Herodotus and Sima Qian: The First Great Historians of Greece and China: A Brief History with Documents. New York. Bedford/St Martins. 2010. Print.
Nisbett, Richard. The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently and Why. New York. Free press. 2010. Print.
Rawlinson, George. The History of Herodotus Vol. 1. New York: D. Appleton and Co. 1859. Print
Stuurman Siep. Herodotus and Sima Qian: History and the anthropological turn in ancient Greece and Han China. J of Wrld Hist. Vol. 19, No. 1(March 2008), pp. 1-40.
Yu, Anthony C. History, Fiction and the Reading of Chinese Narrative. Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR). Vol. 10, No. 1/2 (Jul. 1988), pp. 1-19.
Primary sources:
Herodotus . The History of Herodotus, Volume 2.Oxford: Talboys & Wheeler. 1824. Print.
Qian, Sima. "Shiji." Beijing: Zhonghua. 1959. Print
Watson, Burton. Records of the grand historian: Qin Dynasty. New York. Columbia University press. 1993. Print
Watson, Burton. Ssu Ma Ch'ien Grand Historian of China. New York. Columbia university press. 1958. Print
Strassler, Robert B. The landmark Herodotus: the histories. Anchor books. New York. 2007. Print
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