Herodotus is not only known as the father of history, as Cicero called him, but also the father of ethnography. As well as charting the historical background to the Persian Wars, his curiosity prompts frequent digression on the cultures of the peoples he introduces. While much of the information he gives has proved to be astonishingly accurate, he also includes tales of one-eyed men and gold-digging ants. This new translation is supplemented by a scholarly perspective in Herodotean studies. This book is intended for undergraduate courses in classics, ancient history and anthropology and for the general reader.