What do you say about a guy whose books are still in print 2,400 years after he wrote them? Who has two nicknames–“the father of History” and “the father of lies”?
Herodotus wrote the history of the wars between Greece and Persia, but people still read him for all the cool stuff he included in his “researches.” What kind of cool stuff? How about: giant ants as big as dogs; gold guarded by griffins; female warriors; how to practice the art of mummification; bedroom politics in the Persian royal court; incredibly barbaric customs of people you never heard of?
All this and more!
I’ve been re-reading Herodotus lately. The man couldn’t pass up a tall tale. Some of them are even true.
For those who like to read fantasy, the “real world” described herein is not too far removed from the worlds of Narnia or the Arabian Nights. And for those who want to write fantasy–well, you won’t find many better role models than Herodotus.