25 ! 7 a) read the text and define the character of this text (scientific, popular science, or biographical) and say whether there is some new information for you. the "father of history" part i herodotus (485 - 425 b. greek historian, called the "father of history", was born at halicarnassus [,hжlika: ’nжsəs] in asia minor ['ei∫ə 'mainə]. herodotus was thus born a persian subject and as such he continued until he was 30 or 35 years of age. the family of herodotus belonged to the upper rank of the citizens. it is clear from the extant work of herodotus that he has devoted himself to the literary life. it is probable that from an early age he was interested in travels both in greece and in the foreign countries. he traversed asia minor and european greece, he visited all the most important islands of the archipelago ['a: ki'peləgou] - rhodes [roudz], cyprus ['saiprəs], delos ['di: ləs], crete, aegina [i: 'ʤ ainə]. he undertook the long and dangerous journey from sardis ['sa: dis] to the persian capital, susa, visited babylon, and the western shores of the black sea - as far as the estuary of the dnieper; he travelled in scythia ['siрiə] and in thrace, explored the antiquities of tyre, coasted along the shores of palestine ['pжlistain], and made a long stay in egypt. at all the more interesting sites he examined, he enquired, he made measurements, he accumulated materials. having in his mind the scheme of his great work, he gave much time to the elaboration of all its parts, and took care to obtain by personal observation a full knowledge of the various countries. part ii the great work of herodotus has been called "a universal history", "a history of wars between the greeks and the barbarians", and "a history of the struggle between greece and persia". but these titles are too comprehensive. herodotus, who omits wholly the histories of phoenicia [fi'ni∫iə], carthage ['ka: θiʤ] and etruria [i'truəriə] - three of the most important among the states existing in his day - cannot have intended to compose a "universal history", the very idea of which belongs to a later age. he speaks in places as if his object was to record the wars between the greeks and the barbarians; but as he omits the trojan ['trouʤən] war, the wars connected with the ionian [ai'ounjən] colonization of asia minor and others, it is evident that he does not really aim at embracing in his narrative all the wars between greeks and barbarians with which he was acquainted. nor does it ever seem to have been his object to give an account of the entire struggle between greece and persia. his intention was to write of a particular war - the great persian war of invasion. in tracing the growth of persia from a petty subject kingdom to a vast dominant empire, he has occasion to set out the histories of lydia, media, assyria, babylon, egypt, scythia, trace; and to describe the countries and the people inhabiting them, their natural productions, climate, geographical position, monuments, etc.; while in noting the contemporary changes in greece, he is led to tell of the various migrations of the greek race, their colonies, commerce, progress in the arts, revolutions, internal struggles, wars with one another, legislation, religious tenets and the like. 7 b) read, translate the second part of the text and be ready to fulfil the assignments. test 1. the idea of “universal history” belonged to a) later historians, b) xenophon, c) herodotos 2. herodotus’ great work is connected with a) a history of wars between the greeks and the barbarians. b) a history of the struggle between greece and persia. c) a history of a particular war - the great persian war of invasion. 3. in this text ‘universal’ means a) system of suns and stars, b) general (history), c) history of university. 4. herodotus devoted himself to studying a) phoenicia, cathage, etruria; b) persia as a great power; c) scythia, babylon, assyria. 5. tracing the history of persia, herodotus paid attention to a) geographical position, climate, the people inhabiting lydia, egypt, media. b) describing all the wars between the greeks and the barbarians. c) three of the most important states existing in his time. 6. the word “subject” means in this text a) grammar term (подлежащее), b) something to be studied, c) under foreign government, not independent

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