Herodotus

Herodotus earned this title from Roman author Cicero because his work, The Histories, was the first major Greek prose to systematically investigate historical events. Rather than just reciting myths, he traveled extensively to collect oral histories and ethnographic data about the Greco-Persian Wars. He attempted to explain the root causes of the conflict, establishing a method of historical inquiry.

The Histories primarily focuses on the Greco-Persian Wars, which took place in the 5th century BC. He covers major clashes like the Battle of Marathon, the Battle of Thermopylae, and the Battle of Salamis. The narrative also serves as a massive ethnographic survey of the various cultures involved in the conflict, including the Egyptians and Scythians.

No, Herodotus was born around 484 BC, meaning he was a child during the later stages of the Greco-Persian Wars. He relied heavily on interviewing eyewitnesses, priests, and veterans years after the fact. This distance from the events means some of his accounts are biased or exaggerated, earning him a secondary nickname among some critics as the 'Father of Lies'.

The Histories is divided into nine books, which were later named after the nine Muses by Alexandrian scholars. The earlier books largely serve as a geographical and ethnographic background of the Persian Empire. The latter half of the work narrows its focus to the actual military campaigns and invasions of Greece led by Darius and Xerxes.