"Thermopylae: The Battle That Changed the World"

[floofthegoof]

From my reading, I get the feeling that H. makes every effort to be an honest reporter. His big failing perhaps, is that he is quick to write down things that other people tell him. If in his mind, that of an ancient man in a world of mystery and myth, the information given him seems less than plausible, he will say "believe it if you will, but this is what is said."

So, I think that after 7.220, Herodotus' only source is a Persian who, at Thermopylae, was not capable of knowing what Leonidas was doing.

No matter what actually happened at Thermopylae, it would certainly be seen by all contemporary Greeks as a very important matter. There had to be all sorts of rumors and writings flying all over the place in Herodotus' time. I doubt H. actually talked to any persians, but simply reported the most plausible(to him) information that he could collect from all kinds of sources. I really wonder what happened to those other sources. Being from Halicarnassus(debated) it seems likely that H. would have excellent access to Medes who 'think' they knew what happened even if they did not. It had to be the topic of the day. One thing I was shocked not to find in Herodotus, was that very famous quote attributed to Leonidas, "Molon Lave". After looking into it, it seems that we get this quote from one tiny blurb from Plutarch's 'Famous Sayings'. Where on earth did Plutarch get that if not from Herodotus, who he accuses of all kinds of slander and blasphemy? We must be missing something.