Herodotus

Herodotus, often called 'The Father of History,' was born in Halicarnassus (modern-day Bodrum, Turkey) in the Persian Empire. He came from a prominent family but was exiled due to his involvement in an uprising against the local tyrant. This exile led to his extensive travels throughout the ancient world, during which he collected stories, accounts, and observations that would form his masterwork, 'The Histories.' His work represents the first systematic attempt to chronicle historical events and explain their causes, combining historical investigation with cultural anthropology, geography, and storytelling. Herodotus's main focus was documenting the Greco-Persian Wars, but he also recorded detailed observations about the cultures, traditions, and histories of various peoples throughout the Mediterranean and Near East. His methodology, though sometimes criticized for including fantastical elements, established fundamental principles of historical research, including the examination of oral traditions, physical evidence, and the importance of eyewitness accounts. He lived his later years in Thurii, a Greek colony in southern Italy, where he continued writing and revising his work until his death.