Herodotus was born in the year 484 before Christ, which was about fifty years afterthe death of the Cyrus whose history forms the subject of this volume. He was bornin the Grecian state of Caria, in Asia Minor, and in the city of Halicarnassus. Caria, as may be seen from the map at the commencement of this volume, was in thesouthwestern part of Asia Minor, near the shores of the Ægean Sea. Herodotusbecame a student at a very early age. It was the custom in Greece, at that time, togive to young men of his rank a good intellectual education. In other nations, thetraining of the young men, in wealthy and powerful families, was confined almostexclusively to the use of arms, to horsemanship, to athletic feats, and other suchaccomplishments as would give them a manly and graceful personal bearing, andenable them to excel in the various friendly contests of the public games, as well asprepare them to maintain their ground against their enemies in personal combatson the field of battle. The Greeks, without neglecting these things, taught theiryoung men also to read and to write, explained to them the structure and thephilosophy of language, and trained them to the study of the poets, the orators, andthe historians which their country had produced. Thus a general taste forintellectual pursuits and pleasures was diffused throughout the community. Publicaffairs were discussed, before large audiences assembled for the purpose, byorators who felt a great pride and pleasure in the exercise of the power which theyhad acquired of persuading, convincing, or exciting the mighty masses that listenedto them; and at the great public celebrations which were customary in those days, in addition to the wrestlings, the races, the games, and the military spectacles, there were certain literary entertainments provided, which constituted an essentialpart of the public pleasures. Tragedies were acted, poems recited, odes and lyricssung, and narratives of martial enterprises and exploits, and geographical andhistorical descriptions of neighboring nations, were read to vast throngs oflisteners, who, having been accustomed from infancy to witness suchperformances, and to hear them applauded, had learned to appreciate and enjoythem. Of course, these literary exhibitions would make impressions, more or less 6strong, on different minds, as the mental temperaments and characters ofindividuals varied. They seem to have exerted a very powerful influence on themind of Herodotus in his early years. He was inspired, when very young, with agreat zeal and ardor for the attainment of knowledge; and as he advanced towardmaturity, he began to be ambitious of making new discoveries, with a view ofcommunicating to his countrymen, in these great public assemblies, what he shouldthus acquire. Accordingly, as soon as he arrived at a suitable age, he resolved to setout upon a tour into foreign countries, and to bring back a report of what he shouldsee and hear.