Also known as the "Father of History". While many men are credited with "shaping" the story, one can be said to have "created" it. Herodotus developed the means by which we in the Western world can know and evaluate history and its most important moments. Born in Halicarnassus, Asia Minor, he played an important role in the revolution against tyrant Lydames. He later moved to Athens, where he began to systematically write down the history of his own time - particularly the wars between Greece and Persia - and the facts that preceded it. Although previous events had already been recorded, Herodotus is considered the "Father of History" because he was the first man to attempt an orderly and objective study of the interrelationships between historical events. Herodotus traveled to Egypt and traveled the Mediterranean, studying the cultures of these regions and recording the facts as faithfully as possible for the time. In theorizing about history, he applied the traditional Greek idea of moderation, or middle ground, that equilibrium is desirable, and excess and imbalance are the recipe for disaster. Because of this theory, the arrogant Xerxes I was inevitably doomed to defeat.
