A Comparison Of Thoughts And Methods In Historiography Between Herodotus And Thucydides

Herodotus and Thucydides are two milestones in the western History of historiography. We mainly explore their similarities, differences and their causes of formation, with the angle of comparison and basis of originally historical documents analysis.This thesis is divided into three parts.Foreword. It is a general situation on the existing research in the thoughts and methods in historiography between them; besides, the author summarized the research methods and the purpose of the author.Main body. Firstly, we compare their thoughts in historiography. Both of them have consciousness that historiography is to seek truth, and they have the consciousness of truth-seeking. However, Thucydides is not a so-called Objective historian. Obviously, he emphasizes more in application in his research. Secondly, we explore their methods in historiography. In my opinion, they have had thecritical spirits, and they have successfully practiced critical methods of historical datum. Although Thucydides' research methods are more scientific and varied, the first historian with the consciousness of truth-seeking and criticism and founder of scientific and critical historiography in the history of western historiography should be Herodotus, not Thucydides. Finally, we explore the causes of formation of these similarities and differences. We mainly analyze the factors of tradition, times and individuality, and stress the influences of the times. Herodotus is mainly influenced by the Ionian culture, while Thucydides is mainly influenced by the Athenian culture, especially the Sophists.Conclusion. We find there are concealed paradox in their respective thoughts and methods of historiography, and the paradox and the differences between them are established upon the slavery times which they lived in. Based on these analysis, we shortly discuss the relationship between truth-seeking and application in historiography.